A Penny for your thought

by Damaged

27 - Making a promise

There were actually a whole lot more ponies in the court seeking rulings on matters, than I thought there would be. But, of course, rumor had run wild about my presence here and I drank up the soft whispering as ponies stole glances. It also helped me spot the 'intriguers'.

"The court recognizes Merchant Stick of Canterlot." I flicked my wings and rose to my hooves, making my way to the front of the room with careful steps.

"Stick, it is good to see you again." Cadance meant the words. "What is it that brings you here today?"

"Firstly, Princess Cadance, I need to apologize to everypony present. I didn't mean to disrupt court yesterday," I half turned, making sure I was still mostly facing Cadance, "it was regrettable that I didn't send word of my arrival earlier but it is done."

Soft murmurings followed my words.

"Agreed, what is done is done. There is more on your agenda today?"

I beamed, she clearly was leading me to my points, but I wanted that. "Oh of course. After meeting with Ambassador Silver yesterday," a few soft gasps met my 'pause-for-effect', perfect, "it appears my business here is expanded. Celestia herself charged him with bringing aid to the ponies of the Crystal Empire and, as a third party with no agenda, he has charged me with assisting in bringing it. I would ask if I may have a meeting room within the castle to manage this business?"

Cadance nodded. "If it is for the betterment of my ponies then of course, would a suite of rooms suit? This castle sometimes seems too huge and empty, I am sure we can find somewhere for you."

Thanking all the stars that she hadn't mentioned Penny as my marefriend, I bowed deeply to her. "Then as a servant to the empire, to Equestria and all ponies, I would also delight in it being known that we are seeking investors to assist with this. We seek to find where bits can be spent best, to build the businesses of the Crystal Empire." This time I did glance among the ponies present. Most looked horrified I would ask them for bits. A few clearly calculating.

"Of course the Empire itself will assist with this, although I will have somepony watch my investment." Cadance narrowed her eyes a bit, I couldn't read exactly what her problem was with this but I accepted that she had been a little surprised.

"Oh of course, every investor of sufficient standing will have direct access to the decision process. Buying in need not be with actual bits, either. If you can offer goods or services to help achieve our ends that will be counted." I smiled and turning, gave Cadance a wink that the assembled would not see. "It has been a pleasure, princess."

The rest of the day in court was slow, mostly ponies bringing up their business they had planned to put forth the previous day. I kept my eyes and ears open, of course. Like the pony who had protested that she hadn't been able to contact Ambassador Silver. The glare they gave me was obvious and overt. At last, however, court was done.

As the ponies present filed out, Cadance rose and looked at me. I got up and made my way up to the front, slowly, so the last petitioner was gone just as I reached her.

"Your game, Stick. What are you playing?"

"Mostly what I said. We… mostly me, we are setting up a review and expenditure project. We are inviting ponies to invest and, when we find businesses that need something to help them grow, we give it in return for future profits." Penny had explained some of this to me, but most of it I had come up with. "Penny calls it Investment Capital. She is a clever pony but her knowledge is so broad that it is shallow in places."

Cadance smiled. "Okay, I had feared you were doing something much less… charitable. I shouldn't have."

"Understandable, you do realize some of the ponies here were having such thoughts? The pegasus from Manehatten… she just wants to get a share of your clothing market for as cheap as possible."

"I have discerned this, which is why I keep fending her requests off to the least cooperative merchants in the city. Eventually her costs of living here will exceed what she hopes to gain." Cadance waved a hoof toward where I imagined the station was. "Then she will go."

"I have had a plan toward something like that, but more of a trade, so to speak. You have a link on the railway here, Penny tells me you should be moving much more freight with it. You have wonderful clothing, amazing crystal-work, there is no reason you couldn't have a train each week run, with just box cars full of goods to sell in Canterlot, Manehatten, Los Pegasus, Baltimare…"

Cadance did look intrigued with this.

"Goods out, bits in. Hard working ponies follow the bits, you would gain a bigger workforce." I did like the idea, it would also swell the Empire.

"Well, you certainly have my support in this. What about the other matter?"

I shook my mane. "Not even a hint, I have only contacted two merchants so far. One is a mine owner, Crystal Diver." Cadance's eyes flared open.

"I didn't think her mine was in trouble? Mine's Heart is practically supported by her family." I didn't follow this. "There is another?"

"Penny is out there today, inspecting the mine, the other was a clothing merchant, she only has one store at present, but I think I can push her to expand and grow. We are going to see about getting her a larger supply of simple clothing she can sell here, while exporting some of the more intricate things. We won't need a whole train for that, but I think it would be a good step."

"So the reason you brought up the mare from Manehatten was just to show that you succeeded in a day where she has failed for close to a week now?" I had to give Cadance credit, she was perceptive.

"Partly, the main reason I brought her up was to ask, if you needed a friend here, in your court. You are a good ruler, princess, but there are those present in this room who would want for nothing better than to draw your standing over them like a shroud."

Cadance ruffled her wings a little. "And you don't? No, I am too harsh on you. I can see you are working for the good of all the ponies of my empire, but Stick, what is it you could do for me here?"

"I could be a friend, loyal and willing to ask questions you want to answer, or take a fall you need taken." I wasn't even sure why I added that second bit, maybe she really was that noble that I wanted her to be perfect?

A wing reached out and lay across my body, her touch was so soft with the feathers that I was distracted a moment by it. "Stick, thank you. I hope to not need to use such tricks on the ponies of my court, but I am glad to know that I have a good friend here."

I blushed as surely as I had seen Penny do so many times. "Oh, she will be home soon, I will have to get her to arrange my things to be moved here."

"She is your assistant now?" A royal eyebrow raised.

My giggle was easy and relaxed. "It is a ruse, business ponies believe their savior much more readily if they think her to be somepony important. And what pony with an assistant is ever unimportant?" My feet itched, now.

"Then go and make sure your servant is well cared for." The wing retreated as stealthily as it reached out and rising I bowed to Cadance.

"Goodbye Princess Cadance, just leave a note with the guardsponies if you wish anything of me. I will be at court tomorrow." She inclined her head to me and I was off. Using my wings I glided down any steps, as well as my wings would glide of course. But soon I was almost to the front gate and slowed, it wouldn't do to be seen rushing back to my mare.

Each step of my casual trot was agony, I wanted to be with her so bad, to explain everything I had done and hear her own day. With the inn within sight, I redoubled my efforts to keep my movement steady.

No sooner had I reached our rooms, however, checking both, did I find no trace of Penny. Then I heard a ding from the 'office' room we rented too. In there I found Penny working away at a two-keyed typewriter, her hooves clacking away on the keys.

"There you are!" I was in, door closed and against her before she even managed to turn from her work. I pressed in tight and felt that gentle wave of warmth coming from her, her love for me revealed in a very obvious manner.

"Stick, how was your day? I had so much fun, they really had more problems than I thought but then a song came and now I have to write letters!" She leaned in and nuzzled my cheek all the way up to my ear. That she bit.

It stung, she had pierced it with a fang. Payback I guess.

Tilting back a little, she looked very proud of herself. "Well, we have secured the support of Cadance and I hope we will see a few other letters from ponies tomorrow."

She sighed and pulled the paper free of the typewriter and balling it up. "Darn, that changes the whole tone. Need to start over."

I unfolded the rejected letter and grinned. "Fancy Pants? You know he will expect much of us." She nodded. "Well, if you think it wise. We have a more stable accommodation arranged, Cadance has offered us a small suite of rooms in the castle."

This close, I couldn't help gently nibbling at her happiness. "Stop that, not until after my letter is done." Penny rebuffed me, prodding my nose with a hoof.

"Yes Miss. Penny." The best petulant look on my snout, I trudged off.

Of course she only laughed. "Silly mare, later."

This of course perked me back up. "I will go arrange our things for moving." I trotted off, flicking tail to hopefully catch her eye. A glance over my shoulder revealed I had. Interesting.

Going to the room we shared, it didn't take long to pack our things and make ready to move and, by the time I was almost done, Penny entered with the letter folded up. "We ready to go?"

I nodded. "Pretty much, you got your missive set to post?"

With a happy nod she helped finish packing, her magic tasting delicious as she hummed an odd little tune while she worked. Our shopping had expanded the size of our personal belongings quite a bit and with three little cases of clothing and goods now, I used my own magic to lift them.

"Here, let me help." I fully expected her to lift one, instead, she created a tiny bit of light and fed me with love. It was intoxicating every time she did it, it made parts inside me rub together in glee. It was as if it completed a part of me that had always felt wrong.

I must have chittered a little, she giggled and nibbled gently on one of my wings. That made me chitter more, they were very sensitive. "Glad I can get you to make that noise, Stick. I will have you making it a lot more later." Her voice drove right to a part of me I never thought I would feel with Penny. I suddenly ached to have this all moved and done, to find out just what she meant by her promise. Drat it, I must have made it again. "A lot more." Oh drat her.

---

The guards at the gate showed us to our rooms. It was a small suite with just what we needed, a few rooms for us and a sitting room we could use for an office.

"And if'n you need anythin', just give one o' us a call." The guard had a twang to his voice that I had heard before and I was suddenly thinking of Applejack. It was true their family did stretch wide and far.

"Thank you." We both spoke together, getting a grin from the stallion before he closed the door and left us be.

"Stick, this is so co-" I was about to start telling her more of my day when there was a sudden grip on my emotional self that made my legs wobble.

"You have been teasing me all day, I think it is time you show me what you got." Her magic was working, flowing and gripping around me, stripping the simple clothes away. "There we are." She had gotten the last of the overalls free and I stepped out. I felt so self conscious of her, of me. She looked hungry, but she wasn't drinking a drop from me.

"Stick?" My words didn't break her focus, she stepped up to me as green fire enveloped her. A dark brown unicorn stallion stood there now, looking at me with eyes that made me feel very odd.

"You wanted me to-" Her words shook me from the fear little, but she stopped dead. "No, this isn't going to work at all, is it?"

She didn't touch me until the fire had washed away 'him'. She felt so much more right now and I pressed against her.

Author's Note:

Well, our pair are well on their way with the plans, lets just hope there aren't any problems on the horizon they haven't planned for.

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Comments

[Dravkwn]

A Penny for your plots?

[Daremo]

suit of rooms - suite of rooms - two instances of this one
to huge - too huge
Their glare - The glare
boxy cars - box cars
So was the reason - So was the reason
small suit with - small suite with
*****
So glad to find out that the failed experiment between Stick and Penny wasn't as traumatic as I had feared, but it makes the conversation in Sir Silver's story that much more poignant.

Penny is in love with a capital 'L' with Stick but she's just not ready and may never be ready for that flavor of intimacy. Fortunately Stick is just as in love with Penny and can be content with that.

[Damaged]

6873394 Yup, things come together in interesting ways

Thanks for the fixes :3

[Daremo]

6873673 - They certainly do!

And not to be a pest, but there is still a suit/suite correction needed:

It was a small suit with just what we needed, a few rooms for us and a sitting room we could use for an office.

[Damaged]

6873695 IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA I BANISH YOU, BEGONE TYPO!

[tsaukpaetra]

Lol, too much too fast, what a mood killer!
Honestly though, if they took it slower it might have been ok, but sometimes Stick is so darn blunt....
Keep going! ;)

[Damaged]

6874172 Yeah but the best thing about having a changeling as a partner is they know when something turns you right off

[harts fire]

hum ok I see I should have read this chapter before the new Silver chapter.
this is a good story that is working really good with Silver.

[Cursed Quill]

There was actually a whole lot more ponies

were

Investment Capitol.

capital

---

They're just sooooo adorable!

[Star Flank]

I tossed my mane to the opposite side from him. "It is your opinion, there are probably others."

This should be her.

[Damaged]

7706101 Heh, had me hunting for that one; it was in the previous chapter. All fixed now, thank you!

[Star Flank]

7706114

Whoops! Sorry, I'll try not to do that in the future.

[Jahbraz]

“Don’t make a promise... if you can’t keep it.”

[Gear_change]

A Penney farthing

[Damaged]

10874621 Yup!