Chapter 2: Little Miss Whiplash makes an acquaintance, meets the Princess and harasses Mr. Prim and Proper
By Comet Burst
Lace groaned as she rolled over to a hoof prodding at her side. The comforting embrace of the soft bed begged her not to go, despite knowing what was planned for her today. Foggy thoughts began to form as she opened her sore and tired eyes, glancing about at the blobs of color.
“Five more minutes,” she whined, causing a snort to come from the pony waking her.
“Get up,” came a stern voice from behind.
Lace could barely crack her eyes open as the hoof prodded harder into her side, making her yelp. Her bleary sight registered nothing but a mass of gray and green, which after a couple blinks formed into the moldy stone wall she remembered from yesterday. Craning her neck, she blew away a few loose strands of her rich black mane to see a Royal Guard towering above her, scowling at her as if she was a repulsive dish of food. Groaning loudly, Lace flopped her head back onto the cot she was laying on and sighed deeply.
“Give me a few minutes to look pretty before we start,” she groaned back before peeking up at the guard again. “I like to look nice when I play rough with a strong stallion like you.”
“Shut up and get on your hooves,” he snapped back. “Your release papers stated for you to be released this morning, so get up.”
Lace lifted an eyebrow at that. “Release papers?” she asked.
“Yes, you are now in the custody of Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, herself. Get up before I leave you here and tear up the document.”
“Well somepony’s in a grumpy mood,” Lace noted, rising to her hooves from the scratchy cot. She tilted her head at him as if studying his face. “You could really smile more. It’ll do wonders for your anger.”
The stallion’s face hardened before he turned around, beelining for the cell door. Lace followed slowly, her eyes glancing in both directions. There were no other guards here, a strange thing considering she was a known criminal. The guard evidently didn’t consider her a threat, which she found a bit demeaning. Once she had passed the door to the cell, she followed him while the door creaked shut behind them, clicking as it locked. A shudder ran down her spine as the metal ground against the stone.
The duo was mostly silent as they proceeded up the cold stone steps, Lace following like a good little filly. Their hooves hitting the stones filled almost all the silence, much to her relief. Complete silence was something she never liked as it usually meant something bad was about to happen. There were a few creaky doors that they passed through, adding to the welcoming ambience of the prison. Eventually, they came through a nicer looking door that Lace noted was the one she had come through a day earlier. At least freedom was assured past this point.
It was amazing how fast getting out of prison soured for Lace as she saw Rosy Lips standing on the other side of the door, smiling widely. A familiar green stallion stood by her again, wearing a full set of Guard armor this time. He didn’t look nearly as happy as Rosy did, his eyes narrowed into a cold glare and a tough frown on his face. Beside him stood two more guards, each staring with similar hard glares and blank muzzles.
“Lace! We’ve been waiting for you!” Rosy called brightly, contrasting from the stern feel of the room.
Lace winced a bit as she trotted over to Rosy, wishing she didn’t have to. She had never been much of a girly filly even when she was young, so it went without saying she never liked the bright and bubbly demeanors that other mares had. It always annoyed her that they acted like best friends in this business, especially since they bickered almost as fiercely as mating dragons when they got into disagreements. Still, she had to be friendly to Rosy since she was the reason she still wasn’t awaiting a trial in a musty cell.
“Hi,” Lace stated tonelessly, an empty look on her face. Rosy continued to grin, but it slowly began to break under Lace’s expressionless stare.
“So, you, er, ready to go?” she asked.
“Yes,” Lace replied in the same toneless manner.
Rosy could only smile awkwardly and rub a hoof on the back of her head. “I kinda expected you to be a little more happy about getting out of prison.”
“I am. Can’t you tell?” said Lace, a single eyebrow raised.
“Well, no. Not really,” said Rosy.
“Then I’m sorry I’m not jumping up and down about it in the presence of the Royal Guard while I’m still in their prison,” deadpanned Lace.
“Yeah… I guess I didn’t think about that.”
They got quiet after that, Rosy staring at the stone floor while Lace blinked, betraying no emotions. Just before Lace spoke up, however, Emerald cut in and cleared his throat.
“I think it’s time for us to be leaving. Don’t you think so?” he asked in a gruff tone.
Rosy’s head popped up. “Oh dear me! I’m so sorry for holding us up, Emerald. Yes, we should be going!”
Emerald merely smiled at his wife’s absent-mindedness. “Corporal,” he said before turning to the guards next to him. “If you please.”
Lace stared at Rosy and the stallion as they approached her, wondering what that cue meant. She noted the guards nod their heads sharply and a colored auras started to form on the tips of their horns, something Lace hadn’t noticed before. The auras got brighter until a small ‘pop’ rang in Lace’s ears and a blinding white light filled her vision, replaced just as quickly by a large and spacious room of marble pillars, purple walls, red curtains and checkered floors.
Lace blinked before the realization set in that she had just arrived in what looked like the inside of a castle. She opened her mouth to confirm this, but a much more elegant voice spoke up from behind them.
“I expected you to be here earlier, Rosy,” came the unmistakable voice of the current monarch of Equestria. Rosy let out a small squeal of terror as Lace felt a wave of ice water crash onto her back. Gulping hard, she locked herself into a rigid stance while Rosy practically threw herself onto the floor next to her.
“My Princess! I’m so sorry! We were on our way over and—” she shrieked before a soft chuckle broke her train of thought.
“My dear Rosy, I am not upset. I understand there are delays,” the Princess spoke again, an unusual calm lacing the soft words. Rosy peeked up from the floor, concern written on her face before her voice picked back up. “And I presume this is the legendary mare you spoke of?”
Rosy cast a nervous glance over to Lace before nodding furiously to the royalty behind her.
“Please turn around, my honored guest,” she asked, her voice ringing in Lace’s ears with the unnervingly calm tone. “I have heard much about you and I want to know if they are all true.”
Gulping once again, Lace composed herself and spun slowly to face the glowing white alicorn that sat on a raised dais, her tri-colored mane flowing as if it was water. Her large magenta eyes rested upon her as if they were relieved to see her at last. A small smile played upon her lips as a scroll floated towards her face.
“I am terribly sorry, my little ponies, but I decided to catch up on some official matters whilst I waited for you. If you would please wait outside until I resolve this, I will set aside all further matters until we have discussed our business,” she stated, focusing on the scroll.
Involuntarily, Lace let out a small snort of derision as a small twinge of anger stung her mind. Almost immediately, she stiffened up and her eyes widened as she regarded the Princess, hoping that she hadn’t noticed. Unfortunately for her, Princess Celestia’s eyes returned their focus onto Lace and a tense silence grew between them. Rosy scrambled back to her hooves to stop any further damage, but Celestia had already started speaking.
“Is there something you wish to say, Ms. Chains?” she spoke smoothly, as if nothing was wrong.
Lace’s eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks as she shook her head, trying to conceal the terror building in her chest. The Princess, though, seemed to ignore her response and continued. “Are you sure, Ms. Chains? You are my honored guest today, so please speak up if you wish to say something to me.”
Lace broke out of her clammed up state and swallowed hard. She struggled to keep her silence, but when the scroll moved away from Celestia’s face, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness!”
Celestia tilted her head a bit, but the same small smile returned to her face. “But?” she asked.
“Well, er,” Lace began, scrabbling to find the right words to keep herself out of prison. “I just, uh, wanted to thank you for this, uh, this wonderful chance to… be of use to the, uh, Royal Guard.”
Princess Celestia’s smile widened a bit, as if she found Lace’s fumbling amusing. “I am glad you agreed to help in return, Ms. Chains. I do wish to speak to you further about the services I am employing you for, but as you can see, I have already started to resolve this. I presume you have not had breakfast, so please go and have something to eat. This will take some time and the dining staff will make whatever you wish.”
Without another glance, Celestia brought the scroll back to her face and Lace let out a stifled breath, relieved she had not burst into flames for her reaction. She bowed low, her mane touching the polished floors and mumbled. “As you wish, my liege,” she said loud enough for the Princess to hear.
Rising back up and spinning, Lace swiftly marched towards the gigantic golden doors, ignoring Rosy as she lifted herself back into a standing position. Bent on getting out of there before Princess Celestia changed her mind, she barely comprehended Rosy speaking as she trotted, her crazy-looking eyes trying to push the doors open before she got there. Her raven mane flopped around wildly as her steady trot became a run. At each side of the doors, two unicorn Royal Guards cast suspicious glances at her while they magically pried them open.
“Chains, wait!” Rosy called from somewhere behind her.
Lace wasn’t sure why she was in such a hurry to get away from the Princess, but an unfamiliar panic welled up in her chest and she rounded the corner, heading down the opulent hallway despite having no idea where she was going. After turning three more corners, Lace finally slowed her gait to a slow walk before stopping entirely, sucking down air as if she had been strangled. She heard her heart racing and the blood ran warm in her veins, something she had not felt in a long time. In fact, she hadn’t felt that since…
“Lace!” Rosy shouted, rounding the corner behind her. “What the buck has gotten into you?”
Lace closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, trying to give the appearance of calmness. When she opened her eyes, Rosy stood in front of her, the green of her eyes filled with anger. She reached out a hoof and placed it on Lace’s chest, preventing her from walking away.
“I told you your release was conditional on your behavior!” she hissed in her best angry whisper. “Getting snippy with the Princess is not what we agreed on!”
Lace lowered her head, wishing hard that Rosy wasn’t here right now, but her throat constricted and allowed no noise to escape. Without any sort of rebuttal, she knew Rosy would press on with her outrage.
“Do you have any idea how that makes you look to her? I spent days trying to convince the Princess you were the perfect pony for this! Days! I almost lost any chance of having you approved for this when she received the report on what you did to that stallion back at your brothel! She was worried you were too extreme for this program and now you want to prove her correct by scoffing at her?”
She let out an uncharacteristically loud groan and facehoofed, clenching her teeth as Lace raised an eyebrow. Rosy obviously mistook how much control she had over her and seemed to forget their agreement that she could do this job however she wanted, no outside interference. A pit gnawed at her stomach and, while she tried to stifle it, deepened as her own anger boiled over.
“I’m sorry, Rosy. There was something in my nose and I couldn’t stop my reaction,” she said.
“Don’t you dare lie to me!” she hissed. “I’m not the idiot you take me for, Lace. I spent years forced to read other ponies for those bastard griffons I was prisoner under. I can tell when somepony lies to my face!”
Lace tried to put on a reassuring smile, but her lips curled into a sadistic sneer. In the back of her mind, she was beginning to enjoy seeing Rosy like this. Seeing the older, prissier and girlier mare get flustered made her smile wider in anticipation. “What makes you so sure I’m lying?” she asked. “You’ve only known me for a day, so how can you tell? I’m dying to know.”
Rosy bared her teeth before answering, the furious expression looking alien on her soft features. “Everything you’re doing tells me you’re lying! That ugly excuse for a smile you have, the way your eyes stop looking all panicked; I can tell from a mile away!”
Lace dropped her smile, the anger and twisted pleasure of seeing Rosy get mad mixing into the unidentifiable emotion she loved the sensation of. She leaned in closer to Rosy while trying to make herself taller, but it was a bit difficult since Rosy had the height advantage here.
“And what makes you think you know me? Because you got me to say something in that wretched cell? Ha! You know nothing of me! Nothing! I am not your property, your concern or even your charge! I am here to do a job for Princess Celestia and then return to my den in that brothel.”
“You’re here because of my word that I was going to help you!” Rosy fired back, standing a little taller. “The only reason, the SOLE one, that you got out of that cell was because I thought there was a nice mare in there who wanted something more than the life she was dealt! I put my own reputation on the line for an ungrateful tart like you because I felt you could be happy if you weren’t paid for company! Princess Celestia wanted nothing to do with you when she heard about what you had done!”
As Lace began to formulate her retort, she noticed a gleam near the edges of Rosy’s eyes. She wasn’t sure, but was Rosy about to cry? Even if she was, there was no way Lace was about to let her win.
“Oh yeah? Did Princess Celestia want anything to do with you? Did she want anything to do with any of us before the psychotic veterans returned home? NO! She let all of us fall into this Tartarus-blasted way of life because she was more concerned with her own reputation! She allowed us to be made into prostitutes because we were supposed to replace the dying troops with fresh ones! What else did she want us to be? Nurses? Farmers? NO!”
A sharp crack echoed through the stone walls as Lace’s head whipped to the left, a stinging sensation erupting her cheek. She spun back to see a teary-eyed Rosy pull her hoof to her mouth, attempting to hide her quivering bottom lip.
“D-don’t you e-ever say that again! Princess Celestia s-specifically chose me f-for Emerald! She told m-me that I h-held the key to saving him f-from himself!”
Lace could barely conceal her shock as he prodded her cheek gingerly. Her eyes were wide and pupils small while her jaw hung slack. Did Rosy just strike her? Like she was a filly who mouthed off to her mother? She never got the chance to retaliate, though, as Rosy pressed on, tears streaming down her cheeks, her breath coming out in heaving gasps.
“I d-did what I did because I didn’t h-have a choice! I was b-beaten and tortured b-by my captors a-and forced to d-do th… th-things for them! Just because you’re upset w-with the Princess gives y-you no right to l-look down on me or her like that!”
Rosy could barely see Lace through her blurry vision, but even she could see a fire light in her eyes that personified the term ‘madness’. Lace threw her volumus black mane back and glared back with a look that could make a cockatrice shiver.
“Oh, you think you’re so tortured, don’t you? You think that because you were mistreated as a prisoner, you deserve my respect? I couldn’t give two bucks about you being captured or abused! Just because you had bad experiences doesn’t mean I haven’t had mine!” Lace spoke, her voice rising to dangerous eavesdropping levels.
“Sh-shut up! You don’t know what I’ve been through!” Rosy spluttered, making Lace glare more.
“No, you shut up for once! I spent years as a failed prostitute only to be thrashed to within inches of my life by other ponies! I was gagged and abused for days in order to satisfy their twisted pleasures, only to be beaten again when I fought back! I’ve had every rib, at least one bone in every leg and my skull cracked so they could teach me the meaning of ‘pleasure in pain’ while you slept around with a neurotic Royal Guard!”
Rosy remained silent at that while Lace sucked in a couple breaths, doing her best impersonation of an angry dragon. Snorting once, Lace forced herself past and stomped off, leaving a stunned looking Rosy to watch her.
The mess hall was abnormally spacious, wider than the brothel twice over and silent enough to make Lace uncomfortable. Begrudgingly, she bit into a piece of dry toast, satisfied with the crunching it made while she scowled in both directions, drawing equally bitter looks from the guards who approached the servers. ‘This will never work,’ she thought. ‘Look at all of them, ungrateful dogs of war who think everything is owed to them. And I have to rehabilitate one of the worst. Just great.’
As if to worsen her mood more, a new tray set itself on the table, followed by Rosy sitting down next to her. While she scooted up, Lace took another bite of the toast, ripping away a chunk like a rabid wolf.
“Lace, er, Chains,” Rosy said in a calm voice as Lace shot her a venomous look. “I’m sorry for talking to you like that.”
“Why?” Lace asked, pointing her gaze at the stonework on the far side of the room. “It’s not like you cared anyway.”
Lace heard the bench creak from Rosy shifting to face her. “Lace, I know what I said was out of place and I feel terrible about thinking I could scold you like that. Will you please forgive me?”
A tense silence rose between them as Rosy watched Lace with a sad look while Lace took another angry bite of her toast. As she chewed, Lace let out a sigh, spraying crumbs onto the table.
“Fine,” she huffed, a scowl on her face as she prepared to bite the toast. “Just don’t bring it up anymore and stop looking at me like you lost your dog.”
A smile emerged on Rosy’s face as she turned to her tray. On it was an assortment of fruit slices, ranging from apples to oranges. She picked up a green slice of apple and munched on it while Lace took another ravenous bite of toast.
“Now that all of that is behind us, are you ready to meet your charge? I hear he’s quite the hoof-full,” she asked, glancing over at Lace.
“I guess. What do I have to do with him?” Lace asked in return.
“Oh, you know. Not only do you have to live with him, you also need to help him feel more normal in a social setting, like going out for a night with him and taking him shopping,” Rosy said in a cheery tone, popping the rest of the apple slice into her mouth.
“And you think I can do all of that normally?” Lace remarked with a roll of her eyes.
“I think you can at least fake being normal like I did,” Rosy said. “Or, at the very minimum, smile and apologise in a sincere way.”
Lace turned to Rosy, one of her cheeks bulging with chewed toast.
“Again, what makes you think I can do any of that?” she asked, spraying some crumbs onto her plate.
Rosy looked over at Lace and smiled brightly. “Because I see a lot of me in you. I was a lot like you once, a prostitute angry at the world with nowhere to voice it. Most of the time, I could make it appear as if I was a member of society, but I always knew I would screw up somewhere. When I did, all I could do was cry and beg for forgiveness. Emerald changed all of that, though.”
Lace frowned and swallowed another bite of her toast before asking, “What did he do?”
Rosy chuckled before biting another apple slice. “He held me and told me everything was going to be alright. The way he spoke and his strong hooves made me believe him, even when I was having one of my nightmares. It was no wonder I fell in love with him.”
“Blegh,” Lace cut in. “This colt better not touch me if he doesn’t want his leg broken.”
“I know it sounds strange, but there is a flipside to this program, Lace. It’s not just for soldiers, it’s for mares like us as well. Princess Celestia established this program to save all of Equestria, both the soldiers and the prostitutes,” Rosy said.
“Oh give me a break,” Lace replied. “Next you’ll tell me it’s soon going to expand to all mares in the brothels across Canterlot.”
“Actually, it already has,” Rosy pointed out. “When it became apparent me and Emerald were a success, Princess Celestia gave the order to expand the initiative. Your charge had already failed the rehabilitation several times when we decided to give you a try.”
“Makes it sound more like desperation than saving me or him.”
“I won’t lie to you and say that it wasn’t a part of it, but when I met with him, I just knew we needed a mare like you,” said Rosy, her smile’s confidence not even wavering at Lace’s sarcastic tone.
“So, what’s his name, anyway? You talk about him like he’s this wounded soldier who came back from the frontlines,” Lace quipped.
“You’re not too far off,” a voice spoke from behind them. Both mares jumped before turning to see Princess Celestia smiling down at them. “His name is Golden Lance, one of the best soldiers we ever had in the army. If you’ve eaten, I think it’s time you met him.”
Lace looked over to Rosy, who nodded at her with a smile, before she rose to her hooves, averting her eyes from the Princess.
“As you wish, my liege,” she said, bowing low and trying not to wince at how uncomfortable and humiliating the gesture was.
“There’s no need for that, Ms. Chains, but I do appreciate the gesture,” Celestia said with a smile. “If you’ll come with me…”
Before she could take a single step, Lace’s vision filled with white as a popping sound filled her ears. As soon as it happened, though, it faded away to reveal a wonderfully decorated room of gold, marble and red curtains. Sunlight poured through the windows, reflecting off every surface imaginable.
“Continuing on what I was saying,” Princess Celestia pressed on, commanding Lace’s full attention. “Golden Lance is one of the best soldiers the Royal Guard had. He is one of the few surviving members of Spearhead Corps, the group that made most of the first contact in any engagement. His group is one of the most well-respected in all the Royal Guard, but unfortunately, Golden Lance himself is not.”
Celestia trotted over to a small table, lifting a file stuffed to the brim with papers. She opened it with her magic and a single sheet flew out, positioning itself in front of her. “He was nearly discharged from the Spearhead Corps after getting into a drunken brawl with members of the Wonderbolts Aerial Wing unit, where he has since been charged multiple times with disorderly conduct and reckless behavior, as well as regularly getting so drunk that the effects do not wear off until the afternoon of the next day.”
Closing the file, Celestia turned around to see Lace gulp hard. She let out a sigh as she trotted back to her, a sad look in her eyes. “Corporal Lance has already gone through the program multiple times and failed every attempt. All of his former consorts have given up out of fear since, when he is drunk enough, he has horrific hallucinations of the battles he’s fought, often attacking his consort during one of these episodes. Depriving him of alcohol only makes it worse as he dreams about them when sober, thus putting the consort’s life in danger as he is unaware of his actions. I cannot promise safety while you live with him, as outside interference is strictly against the program, but I can have you removed as his consort should he become violent. Do you still wish to go through with this?”
Lace shivered as Princess Celestia watched her, waiting for an answer. She was supposed to be set up with a stallion who was known for attacking his partner in either drunken or sleepwalking states? From the way the Princess made it sound, any sane mare would outright reject the offer.
It was then that a small smile crept onto Lace’s muzzle as she remembered she was not considered sane by normal pony standards.
“Yes, my Princess,” she spoke.
A bright smile lit up Celestia’s face while she closed her eyes, lowering her head a bit. “Oh good, I thank you for doing this. I felt it prudent for you to know the risks before we got any further. Despite the problems Golden Lance has, I have been informed he is quite the gentlepony when sober and awake. I shall have him be fetched immediately.”
Her horn glowing, Celestia opened a door that blended into the room, revealing two Royal Guards behind it. “Summon Captain Steelheart and Corporal Lance, if you please,” she commanded. They crisply saluted and disappeared down the hallway.
“Now, as for your role, I believe Mrs. Fire has informed you of what you are to do and what is expected of you, correct?” Princess Celestia asked.
Lace nodded before replying, “Yes, your majesty. I am to aid in Golden Lance’s recovery and integration into normal society through whatever means I deem prudent.”
“Did she also tell you there is to be no sexual contact or acts performed while the two of you live together?”
Lace remained silent at that, her eyes shrinking. Princess Celestia chuckled at that before walking to a window. “Due to the nature of the project, we sometimes take married stallions and pair them up with former prostitutes, something that makes their wives incredibly uncomfortable. As such, measures are set in place that prevent any and all sexual contact while the two of you are together, both inside and outside the residence you are provided.”
“What kind of measures, your highness?” Lace asked, her mouth dry.
“Simple warding spells that are kept in place until the project has run its course. They prevent any and all physical contact by the opposite gender to maintain chastity. This not only stops any prostitute from seducing the Guard she is assigned to, it also prevents any Guard from forcefully taking advantage of a consort.” Celestia stated.
“But Rosy said Emerald was able to hug her.”
“Simple, nonsexual acts are allowed and encouraged. Holding hooves, hugging and even kissing is allowed, so long as a consort or Guard does not abuse this provision to manipulate the relationship the other pony has.”
“Oh,” Lace said. “Is Golden Lance married or seeing somepony?”
“As of now, no he is not,” Celestia answered.
“And when will the warding spell be cast on me?”
“I already cast it ten minutes ago.”
Lace gave the Princess a strange look, like she was simultaneously confused and angered, but Celestia opened her wing and spoke before she could. “Come here, please,” she asked.
Lace took a few extra steps until she was standing next to Celestia and looking out the window down into Canterlot Central. It was then that the Princess spoke again.
“Ms. Lace, please tell me what you see down there.”
“I, uh, see Canterlot,” Lace stated. The answer seemed rather obvious.
“And what does it look like?” Celestia asked.
Lace gave it a long look, noting the many brothels and filthy-looking buildings stacked closely around one another. Many windows were boarded up, black smoke poured out of rickety looking chimneys and the ponies walking the street looked like peasants.
“Hopeless,” Lace said tonelessly.
“Exactly. This city used to be a shining wonder of Equestria, but the war took its toll here just as much as it did on the borders. When I raise the sun, I see the way the city is and think of how the rest of Equestria looks. It stabs at my heart to know I let this happen and I want nothing more than to repair the damage, but the remedy is no simple rebuilding of the city. Ponies everywhere have lost the joy of living and believe much the same as you do; that I have forgotten them.”
Lace gulped again, wondering if Princess Celestia had been listening earlier.
“I want you to know this, though,” Celestia continued. “I have not forgotten about you or the hundreds of nameless mares pressed into prostitution, whatever their circumstances may be. If I was to simply shut down the brothels and release them into the world with all the battlescarred Royal Guards, nothing would change. Their will to live would not be restored and Equestria would never recover. What I am doing here with you is the best solution I can offer under these circumstances, but I am sorry that I let you and the hundreds of other mares down.”
A long silence ensued after the apology with Lace unable to look at the Princess. Thankfully, a sharp rapping came from the doorway and Princess Celestia looked behind them.
“Your highness,” came a stern older voice. “Captain Steelheart reporting.”
“Ah, good timing, Steelheart. Is Corporal Lance with you?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Poor sod’s kept himself sober for the past twelve hours to not make a fool of himself in front of you again. I presume she is his new consort?” asked Steelheart, giving Lace a discerning look.
“Yes, she is. Do send him in.”
“At once, my Lady.”
A clanking of armor came from behind before Steelheart spoke again.
“Corporal, ten hut!”
The sounds of a pony swiftly marching on the marble floor rang throughout the room, making Lace gulp again. She had no idea what to expect, but once the hoofsteps stopped, she took a deep breath.
“Corporal Golden Lance at your service, Ma’am!” came a much younger voice.
“Welcome back, Corporal,” Celestia spoke. “I have a very special mare for you to meet today. Why don’t you say hello to him?”
Closing her eyes and breathing slowly, Lace turned her head away from the window before opening her eye halfway. A sultry grin snuck its way onto her face as she moved her tail, revealing the strong and toned flanks underneath without showing anything else. Behind her stood a handsome Royal Guard, decked out in his full regalia. He stood with a crisp salute, eyes pointed forward and snout raised, just like those Royal Guard recruitment posters. Still, Lace noticed his eyes drop a bit to look at her before forcing themselves back up. Something had caught his eye.
“Hello there, Golden Lance. I’m Black Lace, your new consort,” Lace spoke in a well rehearsed tone that had always sent shivers down the spines of her stallions. Lance was no exception to this, since she saw him stifle a flinch.
“Permission to speak freely, Ma’am!” Lance shouted.
“You may,” Celestia answered.
“With all due respect, I do not feel she is a good match for me, Ma’am,” Lance stated.
Lace closed her lips, still smiling with them while she ground her teeth. First thing she was going to do would be to force him to submit to her authority, whether he wanted to or not. The second item would be to make him stop doing those dumb looking salutes all the other guards did.
“And what makes you say that, Corporal?”
“Your Highness, she is a widely known prostitute who has been arrested multiple times for battery and even assault. She is also known for extreme episodes of lust-fueled frenzies.”
“Seems you know quite a bit about her, then. Tell me, how do you know all of this?” Celestia asked.
Golden Lance did not reply as he set his hoof down, his gaze dropping to the floor.
“I believe Princess Celestia asked you a question there, son. I’m inclined to think she expects an answer,” an old gray pony spoke from behind him, his white, perfectly-waxed mustache bouncing lightly with his armor.
“Sir, yes, sir. One of my former consorts said I was like her,” Lance said, snapping his head back up. “When I had a nightmare, she was screaming I was crazy like her.”
Lace raised her eyebrows at that.
“All the more reason the two of you are perfect for each other,” Celestia said with a smile. “If there are no more objections, I believe you are familiar with what goes on from here. The two of you will be escorted to your home, Corporal, where Ms. Lace will take up residence with you. A report on the progress is required every week. You will be answering directly to Commander Emerald Fire, Corporal and you, Ms. Lace, will be reporting to Ms. Rosy Fire. Any questions?”
After three seconds of nopony speaking, Princess Celestia nodded and smiled to all of them. “You both are about to start the most difficult journey of your lives, but if you both put effort into it, the rewards will change you for the better. I wish you both luck and look forward to seeing your recovery.”
Her horn glowed as a white swirl of magic wrapped around her before she disappeared with a ‘pop’, leaving Lace and Lance to stare at each other. Steelheart cleared his throat and smiled to Lace.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Lace, but my duties call me away. I will have all of your belongings be brought to Corporal Lance’s residence while the two of you get acquainted. Again, it was a great honor to meet you.” He bowed to her before turning to Lance and yelling, “Corporal!”
Lance immediately shot back into his salute.
“Corporal Lance, you are to treat this fine young mare with the utmost respect that is expected of all the Spearhead Corps! Do you understand?” There was a slight snicker as Steelheart finished his question. Lace simply couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at Steelheart referring to her as a “fine young mare”.
“Sir, yes, sir!”
“And do you understand, soldier, that failure to do so will result in the termination of your rank and career as a member of the Spearhead Corps and the Royal Guard?”
“Sir, yes, sir!” roared Lance, as if his life depended on it. Amusingly, Lace realized it kind of did.
“Good! When I see you again, I expect you to be a welcome member of society, not the drunk, prattling excuse for a Royal Guard you are! Do I make myself clear, soldier?”
“Sir, yes, sir!” Lance shouted, stiffening his salute even more.
“Fine then! Dismissed!” Steelheart commanded before stomping through the door and down the hallway, his armor jingling like bells. Once the jingling faded, Lance remained with his hoof glued to the side of his head.
Lace on the other hoof, burst out into a fit of laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Lance demanded.
“Y-You are!” Lace said between laughs. “All that ‘sir, yes, sir’ and saluting.”
“And what is wrong with that?” Lance demanded. “That is how you address a superior officer!”
“Just, you. You look so funny doing it!”
“Oh right, because you never had to report to anypony before. I forgot you sat here in Canterlot while I made sure your ungrateful hide could laugh at me freely.”
Lace stopped laughing, but smiled at him as if he was still amusing while Lance scowled at her. For a few seconds, neither pony spoke while they kept eye contact.
“Oh, I think we are going to get along just fine, Corporal Lance,” Lace said, inching closer.
“As long as you remember who is in charge here, we will,” Lance spat back.
“Oh, but Corporal,” Lace said as her muzzle floated dangerously close to his. “I am always in control.”
“How much you want to bet?” Lance asked, glaring down at her.
“I’ll bet I can break you in three weeks. By then, you’ll be begging me to do things only I can do to you.”
“And if you don’t? What’s in it for me?” snorted Lance.
Lace smiled. “I never lose.”
“Well, be ready to. I’m a soldier, trained to ignore worse than you,” said Lance stoically.
Lace chuckled as she leaned in closer, positioning her mouth right at his ear.
“You can’t ignore me,” she cooed.
“What makes you think that?” Lance bit back, eyes fixed resolutely off on the other side of the room.
“Because,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I can do this.”
Lance was about to ask when he felt a hoof gently run up his chest, flicking over the tense muscles below. He looked down to see Lace move her hoof the opposite way, travelling in a line down his barrell.
“And this,” Lace continued, shifting the hoof to his neck.
She pressed softly on the side of his tensed, muscular neck before dragging her hoof down the side of his spine, causing Lance to tremble slightly. Deep down, she had to admit she liked how tough his toned body felt.
“And this.”
She leaned in and bit playfully at his ear, causing it to flick and Lance to take in a sharp breath.
“I bet you’ve been away for a long time,” Lace whispered. “Just so full of pent up frustration just aching to be relieved.”
Her hoof moved from his neck around to his barrell again, tracing the collar of his armor.
“Did you ever get hurt out there?” she asked innocently.
“Yes,” Lance answered quickly. Immediately, he snapped his jaws shut, snarling at his own slip-up.
“Just so you know, I have a thing for scars,” Lace cooed. “I hope you show them to me one day.”
Lance grunted as he fought off the urge to reply, but he did see Lace’s eyes perk up a bit.
“By the way, you must be very well endowed. too. That armor looks like it’s getting tight.”
A huge blush broke out on Lance’s face as Lace descended into laughter again. Scowling, he looked away and mentally berated himself for his reaction.
“I believe you’ve just met your match, Mr. Prim and Proper,” Lace said, grinning maniacally. He looked like such an uptight pony, always following the rules and regulations; exactly the kind of stallion she loved to have begging at her hooves for more.
“What did you just call me?” Lance asked, spinning to face her with his beet red face.
“I always name my pets,” Lace cooed as she walked by him, flicking her tail at his chest.
“What in Equestria makes you think I am your pet?” he snapped, the indignation in his voice shattering the illusion of his Royal Guard self-control.
“Because you’re on a short leash with me. Play nice and I may let you run free,” Lace said, stopping at the doorway. She turned to him and winked once, making sure it was agonizingly slow. Even from this distance, she knew Lance could and would not focus on anything but her.
“Don’t talk down to me like that,” Lance forced out through his grinding teeth.
“Oh, shush you,” Lace said, turning away and pointing her nose in the air. “Now, let’s go see where we’ll be staying. My expectations better be met by this place or you’ll be sleeping on the floor like a good dog.”
She took three carefully planned steps forward before stopping in the hallway. She glanced back to see Lance staring at her with his jaw hanging slack and eye twitching.
“Come on!” she demanded, stomping a hoof into the carpet. “We don’t have all day! Forward, march!” Without further ado, Lace spun around and strutted down the hall.
Despite the incoherent grumbling coming from Lance, she smiled as she heard his armor shift and hoofsteps follow her. He was beginning to learn who was in charge here.