Shedding Scales and Spreading Wings

by Miss Vixen

Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Chapter 3, also known as the room design porn chapter. Idk, I wrote it just to write it.

The Sun was rising in through the large bay window, slowly creeping its way towards the face of a sleeping dragon with full intentions of gently waking her up... if a loud knocking on the bedroom door hadn't beaten it to the punch.

"Ugh... I'm up, I'm up." Barb said as she made her way towards the door, throwing on a dressing robe in the process to be somewhat decent. Opening up the door revealed a solar guard and a bat pony maid standing in a Formal manner.

"Sir Spike, My name is Bronze shield. Princess Celestia has assigned me to be your guard for your stay at the Royal castle during these trade negotiations. Her Highness also apologizes for not greeting you personally, but these negotiations are taking all of her time." The guard said as he saluted.

Barb mentally cringed at the formal address but kept her composure. "It's perfectly alright, I understand, and if you can pass a message along to her stating that she shouldn't worry and that I've always felt safe and welcome here. She doesn't have to immediately see me on my account and that she should keep her focus on these negotiations. Once the negotiations are over we can sit down and catch up." Barb turned to face the maid, "Now my apologies for keeping you waiting, who might you be?"

The maid curtsied, "It's no problem at all. My name is Midnight Oil and her Highness Princess Luna has assigned me as your personal maid. Please feel free to use my services whether they be assisting you with shopping, redecorating your accommodations, serving meals, or even... lending a comforting ear."

Barb was smart enough to catch the double meaning in those final words but thought better than to acknowledge they happened. Only knowing that Luna was really concerned for her well-being. Instead she well... "But it's already dawn, far too late or early for the midnight oil to be working."

"I'm also trained in hoof to hoof combat and can take down a dragon faster than this guard can if anymore jokes about my name are made." She said with her eye twitching and the guard's head snapping to look at the maid unsure of what to make of this remark.

Barb thinking quickly to defuse the situation decided to put. "Okay, then I would like some breakfast, two pancakes with syrup and a dab of butter. Two eggs over easy with three slices of toast. A sapphire muffin and a large glass of orange juice. Now if anypony pony asks for me I'll be in my room all day rearranging and renovating it. Do I make myself clear?" She rattled off in a single breath.

Having dealt with the guard and sending the maid off to fetch her breakfast, Barb shut the door to her room and finally felt she was able to breathe again. "Wow, that could have ended badly. Luna, who in Equestria did you assign to me?"

~~~~

After barb finished her breakfast she took out some spare parchments, a quill, and some ink. in the past, every little detail of the room was set in place by Twilight so that she could be at her most efficient, but Twilight wasn't here right now, so Barb we free to cut loose with any design she wished but what did she wish for. Sitting down in the center of the room trying to get a feel of it and what potential the room could have.

Rotating counterclockwise from the front door was a bookshelf that extended out towards the large bay window with another bookshelf mirroring it on the opposite side of the window. All of this was on a raised platform with three steps up from the rest of the room. Barb had always wanted to put the bed up in this area towards the center, but a bed against the wall was far more efficient for her mother and well she slept in a basket then so it didn't really matter. Now however she really needed to figure out what kind of bed she wanted. Barb was always partial to lower set beds especially those used in Naypony. With a bed sunk into and flush with the frame and said frame only one inch deep. Made from a nice deep red-stained wood, Barb licked her lips thinking about it. But those open shelves simply won't do. They would definitely need to be covered with sliding doors for each shelf, but perhaps leave two or three open for their intended purpose. The framing would need to be changed to match the bed frame, but the doors would work better with a light wood instead. Something in a very light yellow wood. Next is lighting for this section maybe have some stained glass lanterns for here. Light with stained glass shades could also be an option but she might use them elsewhere in the room. All that the lights would need is a switch built into the side of the bed frame. barb grew even more enticed by the thought of how just this small portion was turning out. it might be the dragon instinct to hoard in her taking a weird twist, but at the moment she couldn't be bothered. Moving along the one bookshelf stopped at the corner of the room that turned into an extra-wide hallway area. On one side was the kitchenette, consisting of a sink, a minifridge, some cupboards, and enough counter space for a microwave and a small prep area. The space was mostly utilitarian with the most basic of amenities, but it was meant to be like this, because Barb would normally have a maid bring food to her and Twilight, with Barb holding the food in front of Twilights face to make sure she ate, or on the rare occasions ate in the Royal Private dining room. Mostly used when the Princesses were entertaining very close friends and family. It was a place to host larger groups and leave all decorum at the door. But the space in her room would be left to sit. The only thing Barb could really do to it was to change the color of the cupboards and try to experiment with tiles for the counter. Next to the kitchenette was a large walk-in closet, which never got much use back then and probably wouldn't until Twilight came up Saturday. At the end of the hallway was the bathroom, oh great creator Faust that ugly bathroom. With its white tiled walls and floor, along with the gold-trimmed everything it almost caused Barb to lose her breakfast. The bathrooms had all been designed with Celestia in mind with these specifications being requested for her private bath and the castle designers modeling all of the bathrooms off of that one single bathroom. The only exception being Luna's private bath having requested it be changed to fit her taste and soon this bathroom will change too. Barb couldn't help think to herself, 'Tia, I love you like a mother/grandmother, but you have horrible taste in aesthetics.' This bathroom would need to be overhauled the most. Place a smooth stone pebble flooring. Something with enough texture for different feet to grasp too, but smooth enough that it won't hut or irritate those who walk on it. Next, replace the walls and ceiling with more deep redwoods. In one corner would be a traditional hot springs tub, but a synthetic one would need to be rigged up, due to the location of the room in the castle. Some magically enhanced rocks from Luna's recommendations could provide the lighting. In the corner next to the tub have an open shower with a drain in the floor for when only a quick shower is needed. Then in the final corner would be the sink and counter. She would need to look into different sinks and counter combinations because at the moment she wasn't sure precisely what would be needed to finish the bathroom. Next was the long wall from the bathroom to the front door and it was packed with bulletin boards, work stations, Twilight's bed, and her old basket. Everything Twilight needed in her youth and all of it would have to go. Some tables would be needed, but certainly, not the kind Twilight had. Barb really needed to go furniture shopping. Shifting on the hardwood flooring and immediately thinking 'Carpeting I'm so getting carpeting. nice lush carpeting.' Finally turning her head to the last place in the room that needed consideration, the ceiling, she was almost disgusted by it than she was from the bathroom. It was a high vaulted ceiling, that did nothing but make the room feel more empty. Barb would need to bring the lights down to a more reasonable level which can be the lights with the stained glass lamp shades... and that's the ticket, barb could blackout the top half of the bay window with heavy curtains so that she could rig up a frame halfway up the walls so that she could hang tapestries similar to the ones found in the markets in Saddle Arabia. This would give the room a normal ceiling height while giving into an illusion of a sea of cloth and colors. Barb was drooling at the idea of the room as she was finalizing her ideas on the parchment in front of her. This would be the most delectable room she...ever... designed...

...

Barb came to her senses as she realized what she had just done and that Midnight Oil would be knocking in a half an hour to ask her what she wanted for lunch.

Wiping the drool from her maw, "Why did this get me so worked up? I mean I designed a room before right, even if it was just stuff to put on the walls. Okay here it was organized by Twilight for her studies and I slept in a basket. Then at the Golden Oaks Library... I also slept in a basket in Twilight's room. The Castle of Friendship grew my first bedroom, so sure I couldn't do anything about the layout or furniture since it was grown from crystal, but it was my first private room, surely I hung stuff on the walls like a poster or...something..."

Barb slumped forward and started to rhythmically pound her head on the floor, "Smooth Barb, you had so little personality that you couldn't even be bothered to hang up a poster in your own room."
~~~`
Late into the night after the sun had set and the last train had arrived into the Canterlot station, a hooded figure stepped out of the station and made her way to a taxi carriage that had a 'not in service' sign on top, and a laid back driver reading a newspaper in the front.

The driver paid the cloaked figure no mind as his attention was solely focused on his paper.

"Ragnarok", the figure said softly to the driver. The only response he gave was thumbing towards the carriage as he folded up his newspaper and switched the sign from 'not in service' to 'in use'. Never uttering a word.

The cloaked figure stepped in and sat across from a second cloaked figure. Neither spoke a word until the carriage started to move and the second cloaked figure checked to make sure the visual distortion and silencing charms were functioning so the inside of the carriage had absolute privacy. Once this was done the two figure let down their hoods and simultaneously let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding.

"Oh, Ember it is so wonderful to see you again after all these years," Celestia said as she leaned forward to give Dragon Lord Emperor a welcoming hug.

"Same Tia same, but couldn't we have just taken a normal cab instead of a carriage one?' Ember said reciprocating the hug.

"Well, Ember think of it this way, normally in any other city in Equestria that would be true. However, we are currently in Canterlot, the most corrupt city in all of the glorious nation I co-rule. Thanks entirely to the nobility for it becoming morally tanked. And it just so happens that the worst kept secret of Canterlot is these taxi carriages are used almost exclusively for back door dealings similar to what we're doing now. Even to the point other cities and nations think that they are solely for successful tourism...also I kind of need to talk to you for longer than the 15-minute drive a normal taxi would take to the castle." Celestia said smirking.

"Blend into the obvious and hide in plain sight. You never cease to amaze me Tia, but... that's not what you wanted to talk about is it?" Ember asked with the tone of the conversation shifting to a more serious one.

"No, it's not. It's about the Diamond Dog Clans and these trade agreements. Thing is, stuff isn't adding up and red flags are popping up everywhere."

"Tell me about it, us dragons have heard nothing from them even though they are closer to us than they are to Equestria let alone Canterlot. So surprise to me when I hear from you that I'm required for trade negotiations with them. Now since I know I arrived late as scheduled fill me in on what has been discussed with them... so... far." Looking up to Celestia, a chill ran down Ember's spine. Only a hand full of times had she ever seen the mythical creeplestia face. And normally it would appear only under very specific circumstances.

"What was discussed, because it should be the lack of things discussed because that's how much has been accomplished for the three days of your absence. They fight over every little thing. Who sits in what seat, what they are served for each meal what type of paper should be used and which placement of pens is the better placement. it is a nightmare!" Celestia cleared her throat and tried to regain some composure. "However, this time everything feels off about the squabbles. It's long been known that they fight over everything, but something in my gut says they are stalling for something. Tell me Ember, how much do you know about their intelligence and their culture?"

"You kidding it's a miracle that they can even form clans let alone anything bigger. But to be specific they usually form a clan around a strong alpha these clans consist of around twenty to thirty Diamond dog males and associated families. Anything bigger and they start falling flat on their face, which gets them overthrown by a challenging alpha. Once the current alpha is defeated the clan either will divide up evenly if more than one challenging alpha is involved or the new alpha trims the fat and exiles the followers of the old alpha, but if no followers need to be trimmed, the new alpha will ask for volunteers or pick families himself to then trade with smaller clans for resources the new alpha needs to rebuild any damage done to buildings or resources that occurred in the takeover."

Ember paused taking several deep breaths, "Give me a second this is a lot to recount." which Celestia happily obliged.

"That was for individual clans though, with the empire as a whole this can be attributed from a few more intelligent members of their species, who were smart enough to establish basic borders with other nations and trade routes. However, the majority of the internal structure of their empire can be attributed to Rottweilus Rex. A significantly powerful Alpha that for the first time in their history recognized the significant benefits of proper trading routes between the different clans. For nearly fifty years he was the sole reason there wasn't a single conflict between the clans and trade flourished. This lead to the establishment of Quarry City. The Capital and second-largest trade mecha between the Diamond Dog Empire, Dragon Lands, Zebra Plains, and Equestria which they are right behind you of course. However when the Capital proved a success and the clans realized they no longer needed to rely Rottweilus. They took quick notice that he had no followers of his own and exiled him from the empire never to be heard of again. But this was over Five hundred years ago, so he's long gone and dead."

"Very good Ember, if were my student then I would give you a gold star for remembering all of that if I had any on me, to begin with," Celestia replied as she clapped her hands in delight.

"You know, for a moment you sounded just like that pony teacher you sent after I became dragon lord, who was supposed to help me become a better ruler. Which I still can't thank you enough for sending her, her teachings have been invaluable to me."

"Oh really, I only knew her from recommendations and her resume. I never actually met her in person. Would you care to tell me what she was like?" Celestia said with a knowing smile.

"Well, she had a light pink almost white coat like yours, with a light pink mane. She preferred none proper names so she always asked to be called Sunny Dayz instead, which... .... Fuck you, Tia." Ember said as she face-palmed and put up a middle finger at the realization, that after so many years finally hit her like a barrel of bricks.

Comments

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Continue please this story has to much potential to be forgotten