A Velvet-lined Case

by biasedeyes

Cello Strings

Octavia and Velvet trotted through the halls of the castle. Velvet was setting a quick pace, turning back and smiling broadly at Octavia every so often, and Octavia was having to rush a little to keep up. She'd thought Velvet had been walking slower in the castle previously out of a sense of decorum. Now, she wondered whether it hadn't been low spirits that had slowed her pace earlier. Or, maybe it was the opposite. Perhaps she was simply walking fast now, jovially drawing castle eyes to her new marefriend... or marestress? No, Octavia thought, blushing as she caught Velvet's eager gaze looking back at her, and shaking her head slowly back and forth as she rushed to catch up. Twilight Velvet had explained that, with two children and a town hungry for scandal, she and Night Light had mutually decided that the end of their romantic relationship didn't have to mean the end of their marriage. Still, as far as she knew, she was Velvet's first... extramarital activity, while Night Light had had at least two.

Soon, the decor changed as the two entered the castle suites, and Velvet slowed her pace slightly. It had been embarrassingly easy to find out that Luna herself had taken Octavia's cello from the operahouse. Upon arriving at the castle, however, they discovered that instead of placing it somewhere for them to pick up, Luna wanted to return the cello herself. Octavia worried that she might have offended the sovereign, but Velvet seemed to have no such concerns. Finally, Octavia found herself following Velvet down a side corridor, toward a stallion standing guard. As they drew near, Octavia saw that he had a pair of large, leathery wings folded by his sides. He held up a hoof to stop the pair, then nodded at Velvet.

"Twilight." he said. He turned, "And you must be Octavia." he said, looking at her. Octavia nodded, and the stallion looked her up and down for a moment before turning to one of the doors at the side of the hall and rapping on it with a hoof. Then he stood back, moving further down the hall.

The door opened Princess Luna and stepped out. She looked a little tired, but upon seeing her visitors she beamed at them, and a familiar cello case came floating out of the doorway, wrapped in dark blue telekinesis. It landed in front of Octavia, who hoofed it lightly towards herself.

"We took it upon ourselves to care for your instrument personally, in light of our meeting and recognition of your performance yester-eve." Octavia stared up wonderingly at the alicorn, and Luna smiled broadly at her. "We can continue our conversation on musical styles another time." She drew a forehoof up to her mouth to cover a small yawn, then gave another quick smile at the pair of mares. "We realize thou and Twilight had more... pressing matters to attend to." She winked at Octavia before turning around and returning to her room.

Octavia just gaped as Twilight Velvet laughed, then threw a forehoof around Octavia's withers and squeezed her to her side.

This time, when Velvet offered to carry her cello for her, Octavia accepted.

Comments

[Dr Freedom MLP]

WE DID IT. FINALLY. Curse Covid for making this fic take 2 years!

But also, hi. I co wrote this with Biased