The Crescent Pact

by Chromentazol

30 - The Maid

Glaze excitedly stepped through the castle's many corridors, pushing a small silver cart in front of her. The morning sun had barely been up for an hour, but the young mare was already in uniform, having woken up much earlier that day. As she passed the stoic guards standing watch over the palace, Glaze happily nodded and greeted all those she met. There were a few other maids and butlers also working, but most of them were busy in other parts of the castle. Slowly reaching her destination, she felt a growing smile form on her face. Like every morning before her month-long forced vacation, Glaze was bringing breakfast to Princess Celestia's room.

Like many ponies in Equestria, Glaze held Celestia in high regards, seeing her as a warm motherly figure standing watch over the nation. And being one of her personal maids, Glaze was lucky enough to enjoy a relatively close familiarity with the princess, often sharing discussions and small talk as she brought Celestia her morning tea, toast and slice of cake. Although there was a huge difference of power between the lowly maid and the ruler of Equestria, Glaze was proud to be able to consider Celestia a friend, much to the chagrin of her direct superior, the head-butler Steel Hoof.

Thinking back on Steel Hoof's expression after he had learned that Glaze stole from the royal alchemist to go and fight a terrorist cult... She would consider his reaction priceless if it hadn't been followed by the most enraged scolding she ever had received in her life. Glaze was lucky to have Princess Celestia on her side, that day, as she would've had to find another job otherwise. While being a royal maid had many issues, such as the long boring days and dealing with the every whims and needs of the nobility, the job also came with a great pay and a lot of prestige... If only that prestige was worth anything in her parents' eyes, Glaze thought.

"Oh, well, sucks to be them," Glaze spoke out loud as she trotted. "At least, I'm not working in an orchard all day."

Eventually reaching the large doors leading to Celestia's room, Glaze knocked three times in short succession, barely able to contain her excitement. She had missed these mornings with the princess and couldn't wait to be in her company. Celestia answered the knock with her usual, warm yet still somewhat tired voice. "Come in, Glaze. We are on the balcony."

Opening the door, Glaze didn't register immediately that Celestia said 'we'. Casually entering her ruler's room, she carefully made her way toward the glass doors leading to the balcony, making sure not to spill anything on the fancy carpets or furniture like she had done the first time she was allowed to enter Celestia's room. "Gosh, I was such a nervous mess, back then!" Glaze thought as she hummed along the way. When she finally reached the balcony, Glaze beamed a smile when she saw Celestia standing at one end, overlooking the capital. She wasn't wearing her regalia and was stifling a faint yawn as Glaze approached.

"Good morning, princess! How are you doing today?" Glaze asked jovially.

"It is good to see you again, Glaze," Celestia answered. "I am doing well... And so is my sister as well."

Stopping dead in her tracks, Glaze slowly turned her head around. Somehow, sitting in a chair at another end of the balcony, Glaze completely missed Princess Luna. The second ruler of Equestria was looking at the maid with a curious look, though her true feelings were hidden behind a neutral, yet regal expression. Luna, who looked completely exhausted, had large bags under her eyes. Her usually flowing mane was tied into a ponytail, causing Glaze to wonder for the thousandth time in her life how her rulers' manes functioned. In contrast with her sister, Luna was wearing her royal regalia, all in silver and adorned with multiple purple gems.

"Oh... Oh! I apologize, Princess Luna, I did not see you!" Glaze said as she knelt in front of the ruler of the night, not knowing whether she should show to Luna the same familiarity she had shown to Celestia.

"Do not fret, little one. You may rise," Luna said. Her voice sounded commanding and exasperated, and yet she was also attempting to sound as warm and comforting as her sister. Glaze slowly raised her head.

"I... I'm sorry, I only brought breakfast for Princess Celestia. I... I didn't know you would be there so... I can quickly go to the kitchen to get you something as well, Princess Luna!"

"It will not be necessary. I am about to go to sleep myself, but I appreciate the offer," Luna replied.

"Indeed. Thank you for your service, Glaze," Celestia added. "My sister and I were sharing a few words before her day ended and mine began."

"I... I see. I shall leave you to it, then. I will come back later to get the—"

"Actually, I wished to discuss with you as well," Luna cut Glaze off. "I have heard of your involvement during the raid on Apogée's mansion."

"Oh, that? I, uh, admit that it was wrong for me to leave my post on a whim like that. I won't make that mistake again, I promise, Princess Luna."

"Hm. Usually, I would agree with you and would praise you for your newfound obedience, but this situation is different. May I ask you a few questions about what happened a month ago?" Luna asked.

"I have already given her a summary, but she wishes to hear it from you, Glaze," Celestia said. "I believe this is also an opportunity for you two to get to know each other, as you are now technically taking care of both of us," she added with a wink.

"Of... Of course. What would you like to know, Princess Luna?"

"First, I was curious about your talents. Both your cutie marks and your overall competency during the raid point to one field of work, yet you work in a totally different one. What led you to becoming a maid?" The princess of the night asked as she glanced at Glaze's flanks and the compasses drawn onto them.

Glaze nervously chuckled. "Well, it's a... Somewhat confidential story, but I suppose it's fine if I tell you. Basically, my true talent is in exploring dangerous places and always finding my way back. Sort of like an adventurer, or like in those Daring Do novels, which... I assume you don't know much about."

"Indeed, I do not," Luna nodded.

"Well, they're a nice read. A bit unrealistic, at times, I mean come on, does the author really expect us to believe that all of that could realistically happen? Like, for example, in the second book, when..."

Celestia cleared her throat, catching Glaze's attention. "... Maybe keep the literary commentary for another day, Glaze?"

"Uh... Sorry, got a bit carried away. Anyway, I'm the adventuring type. Issue is, adventuring doesn't really pay the bills, so I was also working in a pawn shop where I sold all the trinkets and baubles I found in my travels. Well, turns out, one day, a royal envoy visits my little shop out of nowhere. I had picked up some old jewelry in an old castle just outside Ponyville, and Celestia must've heard about it because she sent somepony to buy it from me."

"Outside of Ponyville, you say?" Luna asked as she raised an eyebrow. Although she was completely exhausted, Glaze's story enthralled Luna. "What did it look like?"

"Uh... It was a single silvery horseshoe with a purple gem inside. It was pretty old and banged up, but it looked just like..." Glaze lowered her eyes, staring at Luna's own horseshoes, the realization dawning upon her. "... Just like yours. Huh."

"I think I understand why my sister wanted to become the owner of this relic, then. But please, continue your tale. What happened next?"

"Right. Well, there was this royal envoy, stepping inside my pawn shop, acting like he owned the place and being generally obnoxious. So, of course, when he tells me he wants to buy this random thing I found for enough bits to cover a year's worth of rent, I tell him to buck off."

"... You did what?" Luna went wide eyed, completely surprised. Celestia sat down on a chair and chuckled while beginning to eat her breakfast.

"Well, yeah, the guy was a douche. I wanted to make him sweat a little for this horseshoe, then. It was clear he was afraid of coming back to Canterlot empty-hoofed. I just wanted to have a bit of fun with him, since he was acting like an arrogant prick... So, I told him to buck off. He... Did not react well."

"I wonder why," Celestia smirked while sipping her tea.

"Anyhow. He starts yelling, getting agitated, threatening me, that sort of stuff when rich ponies don't get what they want... Uh, not that I'm insinuating that you would react the same, Princess Luna. I'm sure you're a very kind and reasonable mare. When I say the rich ponies, I mean the noble ones... Which, I don't include you as one... Uh, not that you're not noble, but—"

"You're digging yourself in a hole, Glaze," Celestia whispered.

"Please focus on your tale before you insult me and my sister anymore," Luna replied.

"Good idea. So, this stallion gets mad because I told him to buck off. He basically begins to throw a tantrum, and I'm just here, smugly watching this grown stallion lose his mind. I wasn't so smug after he grabbed a vase and smashed it against the side of my head. It immediately sent me into a big ol' nap."

"... I must admit, this is not what I was expecting," Luna shook her head. "So, this envoy resorted to violence without hesitation?"

"Well, to be honest, during his tantrum, I may have added fuel to the fire by making some... Questionable comments," Glaze sheepishly smiled.

"How so?" Luna asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I said some things that aren't suitable for the ears of the rulers of Equestria... Or, for anypony's ear, really. I do regret saying those things, but I was really annoyed back then."

"I... Think I can infer the type of comment that was made. Let us move on... What happened next?"

"The details are a bit fuzzy since I was out, but I do remember vaguely hearing him freak out and carry me to a chariot pulled by pegasi. I was kind of in and out of it during the trip, but when I woke up, I was resting in one of the castle's rooms. Turns out, he brought me to Canterlot so that I could get patched up and to apologize for losing his cool."

"Really? This stallion had a change of heart this quickly?" Luna said as she grabbed Celestia's toast with her magic, before nibbling on it.

"Not exactly," Celestia spoke up. "During Glaze's... Rest, this stallion came to me hoping that I would arrest Glaze. That is why she was brought here. He argued that she had refused to sell the trinket he was sent to buy, before insulting him and attacking him. I knew a part of this story was fabricated, so I asked the pegasi guards sent with him, who were able to tell me the truth. As they had been stationed just outside Glaze's shop, they had heard everything. I... Corrected this envoy and forced him to make amends when Glaze woke up."

"I hope this 'envoy' no longer works in this castle, then," Luna said sternly, her mouth filled with toast.

"He was... Relocated to another part of Equestria for a while now. Anyhow, When Glaze came back to the waking world, I also came to her room to apologize for this envoy's behavior. I offered to pay a large sum of bits for the physical and emotional distress caused, as well as offered to buy the horseshoe for twice its price."

"And I accepted," Glaze continued. "At this point, I just wanted to get rid of the thing. Princess Celestia also offered me to stay in Canterlot until I felt better, as a royal guest. I stayed in the castle for two weeks, during which I... Became a bit restless. Can't really say why, but I had a hard time not being productive. I just kind of started to... Help the maids and butlers in the castle during the day."

"How strange. I would assume many ponies would relish the opportunity to visit the capital," the princess of the night said as she swallowed the rest of Celestia's toast. Looking toward her sister, Luna finally noticed the annoyed stare Celestia was sending her ever since Luna stole her toast.

"I dunno. Back at home, I always enjoyed doing things myself. It was weird to have others clean behind me, so at first, I just took care of my room, my dishes, that sort of thing. It quickly evolved into cleaning the rest of the castle alongside the royal butlers and maids... It did help that they were all fun ponies to be around."

"Not too long after she began doing so, I noticed my guest's desire to help in these matters," Celestia said as she summoned a new piece of toast out of nowhere, causing Glaze to wonder if Celestia really needed a maid to bring her breakfast. "I came to talk to her, out of curiosity. That is when I learned of Glaze's money issues."

"Yup. As I said, adventuring rarely pays the bills, and I can't expect some noble prick to come to attack me in my shop every month so that the court could pay my rent. Princess Celestia and I had a long talk, and at the end, she offered to hire me as a royal maid, until I got enough bits to live the life I truly wanted. That was roughly two years ago, and that's how I came to work here."

"Interesting. It would seem that fate has offered you a strange path to follow, Glaze," Luna closed her eyes as she thought. "... But since you are quite able as an adventurer, why did you not offer to work for Steady Travels, or as a royal guard? I am sure my sister would have paid for whatever formation would be required, so why not work in a field more closely related to your talent?"

"I thought about it, but decided not to. If I'm going out to dangerous places and doing action stuff, I'd much rather be my own boss. I don't think I'd be able to follow anypony's directions, so I would not have been a good fit for the guard or for Steady. I mean, I already barely pay attention to my superior's order when working as a maid, so can you imagine how that'd work in tense situations?"

"About that, Glaze," Celestia began, "Iron Hoof is still quite angry with you. You should probably try a little bit better to follow his instructions for the next few weeks. I doubt I will be able to convince him not to fire you next time."

"Why not?" Luna asked. "Isn't he your servant as well, sister? How come this 'Iron Hoof' holds such a great influence over you?"

Celestia sighed before answering, her tone emotionless. "Because he is Iron Wing's little brother."

Instantly going silent, Luna understood what Celestia was referring to. Glaze, however, tilted her head to the side, not knowing who the princesses were talking about. "Iron Wing? Who's that?"

"She will be the pony soon replacing Shining Armor as captain of the guard. Given the royal guard's recent failures, as well as due to some confidential matters you are not meant to hear, Luna and I believe there is a need for change in the guard, for Equestria's sake."

"Oh... I see. But..." Glaze hesitated before continuing her sentence, eventually deciding not to question the princesses any further on this matter. "... Right. Anyhow, that's how I ended up working here, Princess Luna. Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

"No, I believe this is enough for today. It is already quite late... Or early in the day, and I must rest now. Thank you for your time, Glaze. We shall speak again soon enough."

"Indeed. My sister needs her rest, and I am already running late for my own daily tasks. Thank you for the breakfast, Glaze. I had missed seeing you every morning," Celestia added with a warm smile.

Nodding, Glaze bowed one final time before the princesses. She turned back and quickly exited Celestia's room feeling a mixture of emotions. This was not how she had envisioned her morning would go. And from the very little she had heard about this soon-to-be captain of the guard, Iron Wing, Glaze couldn't help but feel a strange wave of dread overtake her. Whoever she was, Glaze knew she was about to bring change to her and the castle's residents' lives.

She shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts. "My imagination's playing tricks on me," she argued with herself. "I'm sure she'll be nice... Right?"

Slowly stepping through the castle's hallways, she eventually stopped in her tracks. "... Maybe I should ask Aph' and Steady about her."