He was coming by any moment, now.
Princess Celestia waited in her chambers for—the polite term would be “her night escort”, she supposed—to arrive. Being the ruler of Equestria gave her almost no time for any fun, and the type of fun she liked best was difficult to come by already. It was a constant struggle to keep it secret; her favorite activity needed to be kept behind closed doors. Who knows how quickly word could spread that Celestia, Princess of Equestria, had such taboo interests? The most difficult aspect of all: getting somepony to “assist” her in her nighttime escapades.
But after thinking it through for a good few years, Celestia finally had a plan in mind for getting what she needed. Tonight was going to be wonderful. She had rehearsed everything she was going to say to her company tonight, and she was sure to check under her bed several times for the device she'd crafted just for the occasion. Using magic to do this worked well enough, but it was clumsy and weak, and wasn't nearly as good as when it was done by another pony. Preferably, a stallion.
A tall, handsome stallion with strong legs, who could strike hard and make it sting . . .
She heard a knock at the door, and her heart started racing. Keeping the calm and dignity of royalty, Celestia took a deep breath and responded, “Enter.”
The door opened, and Steel Saber walked into the personal chamber of the princess. Maintaining professionalism, he observed Princess Celestia sitting in a corner of the room, and the steel-gray Pegasus stallion felt his feathers stand on end—as old as she was, she was still breathtaking to the eye. Nevertheless, he kept his soldier's dignity, and gave a respectful bow, “You sent for me, Your Grace?”
Princess Celestia smiled at the title she was given, and bade him enter, “Yes, Steel Saber, come in. Glad you could make it. Your duties as Deputy Captain of my Royal Guard must keep you busy quite often.”
Steel Saber shook his head, “It's no trouble at all, Your Grace. My duty is to the crown, no matter when or where it is needed.”
“I'm glad to hear you say that,” Celestia replied, “It will make your . . . 'duties' . . . that much easier tonight.” She then crossed the room with a lengthy, elegant canter, “I'm sure you must be wondering why I called you here tonight.”
Steel Saber thought about it for a moment, and found that she was right; he had been a bit confused as to what the princess of the sun could possibly want so late at night, and from such a high-ranked officer. “I suppose I am,” he admitted, “In fact, I found it kind of unusual that you didn't ask for Captain Armor. He would likely be far more qualified, seeing as how he is my superior officer.”
Celestia nodded, admitting,“I did think about Shining Armor at first, but . . . he's married.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, nothing,” Celestia playfully rolled her eyes before continuing, “I should explain why I called you here tonight. You see, Saber, being the princess of Equestria makes me rather . . . high up in authority.”
Steel Saber nodded, “The only pony in Equestria that matches you in power is Princess Luna, my lady.”
“Indeed,” Celestia nodded and continued steadily, “I am also known for my longevity. You may not know it, Deputy Captain, but I am very old. Centuries old, in fact.”
Steel Saber didn't know how to answer this, but stayed respectful, “And you are still as lovely as ever, Your Majesty.”
“You're too kind, Saber. But you see, these things raise problems for me. You see . . . even though I am an esteemed and respected monarch, I tend to make mistakes.”
“As we all do, my lady,” Steel Saber replied, starting to feel unsure of where this was going, “As beloved as you are, nopony is perfect.”
“You don't understand, Saber,” Celestia stopped where she was and turned toward him, her face showing fret, “I have to be perfect. My subjects depend on me. My student, Twilight Sparkle, looks up to me. I cannot show weakness, malice, or incompetence as a princess. And yet, I tend to be a bit irresponsible, prone to mischief and deliberate negligence. In fact, the palace staff tries to hide one of their special nicknames for me—'Trollestia'.”
Steel Saber couldn't help but feel sympathy for the princess. “That's awful!” he replied, “My lady, I can't imagine how that must make you feel.”
“Your chivalry is well-noted, Saber, but please, let me finish. There is a simple solution to this problem, you know. All I really need is guidance. Direction. Boundaries. That's where you come in.”
“Me, my lady?” Steel Saber asked, suddenly aware of a creeping nervousness he couldn't explain, “But, what could I possibly do to help you?”
Celestia smiled and slowly approached the Deputy Captain, “Well, I have reminded you that, despite my lengthy life, I should know better by now. I've said that, even though I'm of royalty, I act like a petulant foal on occasion. Finally, I've established that all I need is a firm hoof to guide me and keep me in line.”
As Celestia's smile widened, Steel Saber became very awkwardly self-aware. He was sure he could figure out the rest for himself.
“Steel Saber,” Celestia suddenly announced, “I hereby appoint you as my personal disciplinary officer.”
Steel Saber felt his heart leap up into his throat. Did he hear that correctly? “Uhh . . .” he began, struggling with a response, “Y-Your Grace, I . . . I don't believe I'm the pony for this job. I mean, this is certainly a task for a higher-ranked officer—”
Celestia stopped him with a hoof gesture. “First of all, Saber,” she explained, “When you are acting as my disciplinary officer, you will not address me by titles. Until such time as my discipline is carried out in full, you will refer to me as simply 'Celestia'.” She leaned in for a second, and Saber could swear there was a leer in her eyes, “Or 'Tia, if you like.”
Now, Steel Saber was very nervous. Still, he couldn't let his princess down, not after she had appointed him with such a lofty (if dubious) honor. “Well, all right . . .” he conceded, unsure of what to say, “. . . umm . . . . Princ—uhh, I mean . . . Celestia?”
Celestia sat down on the floor and bent down low, almost submissively. “Yes, sir?” she replied, her tone matching her body language.
Saber could feel his heart rate climbing; this was getting more bizarre by the minute. “Well,” he pressed on, “you, uhh . . . your behavior lately has been very . . . uhh . . . irresponsible. Your . . . childish, devil-may-care antics have gone on long enough. So . . .” he tried to think of a worthy punishment, something that would fit the 'crime', “. . . . uhh . . . no sweets for a month!”
Celestia stood up straight, looking at Saber with a skeptically raised eyebrow, “Are you serious?”
The role reversal had snapped back to normal as quickly as it had been made, and Saber fought to keep his footing, “Uhh, I mean . . . y-you must groom Philomena for a whole year!”
“Is that the best you can do, Saber? Please, I need you to be a bit stronger, here.”
“Uhh, okay . . .” Saber thought even harder, and came up with a new one, “Uhh, lines! You have to write lines. 'I will be a good responsible princess', ten—no, fifty-thousand times!”
“Really?” Celestia continued to eye him with that skeptical gaze, “Is that all?”
“Uhhh, we-well . . .” Saber was quickly running out of options, and comfort in his new position, “Uhh . . . repaint the entire palace?”
“Try again.”
“Uhh . . . corner time?”
“Not a chance.”
“Oohhh . . . uhhh . . . . . back to magical kindergarten?”
Celestia finally groaned in frustration, “Oooh, just how dense are you, Saber?!” She then seized his shoulders and drilled into his eyes with hers, “Don't you understand?! I need a punishment that will be effective! One that I am guaranteed to remember, and that will always motivate me to better my behavior! I don't need to be scolded, or chided, or given chores or have privileges taken away! I need to be spanked!!”
Steel Saber's eyes bolted open at this revelation. He could swear he'd gone crazy for a moment; there could be no other explanation, “What?! A-are you serious? But . . . but . . . but—”
“Exactly!” Celestia quipped, nailing the timing of Saber's words.
“I . . . well . . . Princess Celestia, with all due respect, I can't possibly—”
“What did I say, Deputy Captain?” Celestia interrupted, pressing a hoof to Saber's mouth, “No titles until you have given me a satisfactory spanking. I will not be referred to as 'Your Highness', 'Your Majesty', 'Your Grace', 'Your Worship', 'My Liege', 'My Lady', or even 'Princess'. Only 'Celestia' or 'Tia' will do. I am not Your Highness!” She removed her hoof and crept up close to Saber again, that same leering look in her eyes, “Tonight, you are my Highness.”
“But, Your Highne—I mean, Celestia,” Saber corrected himself, now unable to do anything about it, “I just couldn't spank you! Striking a princess of Equestria? That might as well be treason! If word got out, there would be a scandal! Your reputation would be almost irreparable! I would certainly lose my job! Captain Armor would be so disappointed in me! And I can't imagine what they would say about you! I . . .” he stalled, hardly able to go on after this fearful rant. Finally, he finished, “I'm sorry, Princess, but I can't do it.”
Celestia sighed, and her wings dropped to the ground at her sides. At first, it seemed as though she had given up, but as she spoke, her disposition gave the opposite impression. “I was hoping you would help me,” she said tonelessly, “I hoped you could see reason. I was counting on your loyalty to the crown. But if I must force us both into an awkward situation, then so be it.” She then staunchly stood in front of Steel Saber and made another announcement, “As crown princess of Equestria, I order you to fulfill your duties as my personal disciplinary officer and give me a spanking.”
Steel Saber felt his heart drop. He couldn't think of a worse dilemma: either spank the princess, or deliberately disobey her. He wasn't willing to degrade Princess Celestia like this, no matter what she wanted or thought was right. But then again, to disobey a direct command from royalty was unconscionable. It would mean going against his oath to serve the royal family of Canterlot. It would betray the very principles his job—his life—was founded upon.
That, and he didn't want to be banished to the moon.
With a shaky, defeated breath, Steel Sabre replied, almost in a whisper, “As you wish, Your Grace.”
Celestia grinned that same amorous grin and spoke low in Saber's ear, “I knew you wouldn't let me down.” She then turned and trotted to her bed with all the energy of an excited school-filly. She bent over low and rummaged around underneath the bed, and a thrill suddenly shot through Saber's body. What was she looking for? Was it part of the process (or game, or trial, or whatever)? Were they starting now? Was this her way of allowing him to begin?
And why was he suddenly aware of how perfect Celestia's backside was?
As Steel Saber approached, reaching a hoof toward Celestia's bottom as if touching gold, he quickly froze up when he heard her gently admonishing voice, “Ah-ah-ah, Deputy Captain. Don't get ahead of yourself, now.” She finally stood back up, her horn aglow, and floating next to her head, coated in the same magical glow, was the strangest object Saber had ever seen. It was a round, flat plank of wood, moderately sized in width, length and thickness, attached to what looked like a bracelet or a gauntlet of some kind, meant to be worn on the hoof.
Celestia took Saber by the hoof, held it up, and gently lowered the device onto it, fixing it firmly into place. “This is what you'll be using on me, Saber,” she explained, “I had this made for just such an occasion.” Once the specially-designed paddle was tight on Saber's hoof, Celestia took a step back, returning to seriousness, “I will take charge of this process one last time tonight, Saber. As I said before, you are to give me a satisfactory spanking. You will not pass off a couple of love-taps as a punishment and expect me to call that 'satisfactory'. You will swing hard and fast, and you will keep hitting me until you see red under my fur. In fact, don't stop until you're properly tired. Is that clear?”
Saber felt his knees buckle, and could swear his heart could be heard by all of Canterlot. There was no going back now. “Uhh . . . yes, Your Grace,” he agreed, his reluctance still strong, but manageable.
“Good,” Celestia grinned, brushing her hoof against Saber's dark-gray mane affectionately. She trotted giddily back to her bed, propped her front half on top of it, and stuck her bottom out, sure to brush her tail to the side to give Saber a clear target. “I know I said I didn't need it before,” she added, lifting her back legs onto the tips of her hooves, “But, I very much enjoyed hearing you scold me. If you could do that again, I'd very much appreciate it.”
Saber nodded, “Yes, Celes—” but he stopped when he remembered something. He was the one who was now in control, not the princess. He was free to say whatever he wanted, now. He was in the position of power, if only for that one, strange night.
“Who's the authority figure here?” Saber asked, his voice much firmer than before, “I . . . I'll have you know that you are in no position to ask favors from me, Celestia. I will be the one asking favors, here.” Feeling another sudden jolt as he spoke, he quickly added, “A-and you'll know when I ask, because . . . because i-it won't be a request! It will be an order! Understood?”
Celestia seemed to be suppressing the urge to giggle; she buried her face into her sheets and jerked slightly. She was steady again as she came up, and her answer was loud and clear, “Yes, sir.”
“Celestia,” Saber continued, starting to enjoy his power trip, “Your behavior lately has been atrocious! You frequently play pranks on other ponies, many of them your own loyal subjects! You're neglectful in your teachings, and Twilight Sparkle has repeatedly put her own life on the line for this kingdom! For you! There were times when you could have helped her and you didn't! It was reckless and irresponsible, and you must answer for it!”
“Yes, sir!” Celestia replied clearly; the feeling that she was enjoying this a bit too much grew stronger.
But Saber didn't care. He was now officially lost in his authority high and couldn't pull himself out. “You'll be answering for your attitude tonight, Celestia,” he kept on scolding her, “And you will learn to behave like a proper princess when I'm done with you! Understood?!”
“Yes, sir!”
And finally, Steel Saber approached Celestia's presented plot, readied his implement, and took careful aim. It was amazing how perfectly shaped the paddle was for Celestia's backside. It was starting to become much clearer, now—Celestia had no interest in atoning for her misbehavior. She was not interested in guidance or boundaries. She just wanted to have her plot paddled. Saber started to hesitate. As if it weren't bad enough that Celestia had asked him, of all ponies, to punish her, now it wasn't even for a punishment. It was just for fun. And obviously, for pleasure. Saber's mind began to rush, thinking of a way out of this situation.
That's when Celestia arched her back and jutted her butt out just a little bit more. It was a captivating movement, enticing, teasing in a way. In fact, it was downright coquettish.
Saber could no longer stop himself. He didn't even remember that first swing.
CRACK!
“Oooh!” Celestia squealed, jumping slightly. She wriggled in her spot a bit, as well, and it only served to fill Saber with desire. The desire to make every second of his temporary authority worth it.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Ten times the paddle struck Celestia's upturned backside, and the princess of the sun squealed with each lick. She wiggled on the bed a little more and rubbed her back legs together, and her breathing started becoming heavier. She seemed exhausted, but Saber saw the smile on her face, still there after all that paddling. It thrilled him even more to see that she was indeed enjoying every second of this punishment, but in a way, it also made him feel angry. He had been appointed 'disciplinary officer' to the princess to make sure she learned her lesson—a smile meant that no lesson was being learned, here.
Saber swung the paddle ten more times, and Celestia was far more vocal this time around:
“Ahh! Oh, yes! AHH! Oh, Steely, you're good! OW! Oh, Steely, keep going! Don't stop! OUCH! That's it! That's it! More! More! AHH!! Oh, my goodness, that smarts! OWWW!! Harder, Steely! Harder, please, harder! AHH-HAAAH!! That's the way! Punish the naughty princess! OOUUCH!! Oh, that's what I need! That's exactly what I need! AHH-HAAA-HAAAH!!! Oh, my me! OOOOOOOWWW!!!”
Steel Saber began to feel his front leg ache from these harsh strokes, but the sight of Celestia, crown princess of Equestria, writhing on her bed and squealing in euphoria, was too good to pass up. She may have been enjoying this so-called 'punishment', but the longer it went on, the more he was beginning to enjoy it, as well.
“Don't slow down on me, Steely!” Celestia moaned, “Keep going! I need it lower, on the backs of my legs! My flanks, too! Please, don't stop! Please, for the love of Equestria, don't stop!!”
And stop he would not. Saber pressed on, aiming another swing for the back of Celestia's right leg. CRACK!
“AAAAAHHHHH!!”
CRACK! Another swing, this time on her left flank.
“Oh, sweet sunrise, that's good! Again, Steely! AGAIN!”
CRACK! Same spot as before.
“AHHH-HAAAOWW!! Ow, ouch! Oh, owww . . . . .”
The next was on the right flank; they were both starting to glow pinkish to accompany the golden sun cutie mark on either side. CRACK!
“OW-OW-OW!!”
CRACK! Left leg.
“OUCH!! Oh, my gosh, that burns!!”
CRACK-CRACK!! Two in a row, aimed directly in the middle.
“OUCH! OWW! Oh, it's sooooooo good . . .”
Another two in a row, one for the left flank, one for the right. By now, Celestia's entire back end was twitching and thrusting against the side of the bed, and her back legs were vibrating without end. CRACK-CRACK!!
“AHHHH-HAAAAAH!!”
Another swat to make another full ten, across both legs, right where the thighs met the plot. CRACK!!
“OWW, GOOD LORD!! Oh, it hurts! Gracious, it huuuuurts!!”
After a few seconds of admiring the view, Saber finally decided to step up his game. Celestia wanted this spanking, and now she was about to get a lot more than she bargained for. Whether she could take it, only time would tell. Steel Saber jumped up onto Celestia's bed, sat down on her back, facing her butt, and slammed the paddle down repeatedly on the reddening, bruising canvas of flesh and fur. He spanked her from the top of her bottom to the ends of her thighs, from one flank to the other. He stopped only long enough to reach down, wrap her luxurious tail around his free hoof, and pull on it hard, pulling her bottom out further. Celestia was now screaming at the top of her lungs; she thrust her pelvis harder against the bed and kicked her back legs as Saber yanked her tail. He whacked and whacked, each whack making her squirm and buck under Saber's weight.
It only excited him more, and he spanked on. On and on and on . . .
“Yes! Yes, Steely, yes! Ow-ow-ow! OW! That's it! Harder! Faster! Make it hurt! Make it burn! OUCH! OW! OH, YES!! Yes, that's it, Steely! Spank me! Punish me! I need it! I need it soooooo much!! OW-OW-OW-OWWWW!! AHHHHH!! AHH-HAAA-HAAAH!! OOOUUCH!!”
After a few more minutes, Celestia's plot was a deep crimson color, clearly visible under her white fur. But Saber found he was unable to stop himself. In fact, he even resorted to waiting until Celestia was steady enough underneath him in order to improve his aim, and he continued to yank on her tail and swat her backside long after he was told he was allowed to. Celestia made no effort to stop him, or remind him of how red her bottom was. She didn't even make an effort to form intelligible words—all she could do was scream and moan now.
Saber had lost count after seventy-five whacks, and he still went on, until Celestia, very suddenly and very roughly, pushed herself off the bed and stood on her hind legs, releasing an ear-shattering squeal:
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!”
Saber, still on top of her, was sent flying off the bed and into Celestia's closet, breaking through the door and colliding into a pile of ornate royal garments. He hadn't even bothered to keep his grip on Celestia's tail; it had slipped off his hoof as he flew.
Celestia stood back on all fours and kept rubbing her back legs together, seeming a bit agitated at the noise Saber's landing caused. That on top of her screaming would almost certainly bring some unwanted attention to her chambers. Sure enough, a few seconds later, there was a knock at the door. “Sister! Are you all right?” a voice called from the other side, the strong, imperious voice of Celestia's younger sister, Luna.
Taking calming breaths, Celestia kept her legs squeezed together as she replied, “Yes, Luna, I'm fine!”
“I was just on my way out when I heard sounds,” Luna's voice called back, “Slapping sounds, a loud crash. And I also thought I heard you screaming. Are you sure everything's all right?”
“Everything's fine, little sister!” Celestia answered, “Please, don't shirk your nightly duties just for me. Go and keep watch over the night. I insist!”
There was a short pause, then Luna's voice spoke up again, “As you wish, sister! But if there is something wrong, be sure to tell me, all right?”
“Of course!” Celestia called back, now audibly trying to conceal her panic. After that, no other sounds were heard from behind the door. Luna had gone. They hadn't been caught.
From the broken mess of wood and expensive cloth in the corner, Saber stirred and picked himself up. He had a fluffy wrap around his neck, a negligee covering his back, a bra hanging off his right wing, and a pair of skimpy panties on his face. Dazed for a moment, he realized what was covering him, and panicked immediately, shaking it all off. Since the spanking was now obviously over, it felt that much more appropriate (and comforting) to return to his role as a meek, humble servant of the crown.
“Oh, princess!” he begged, “I—I didn't mean . . . forgive me, Your Grace! I was caught in the moment! I don't know what came over me! I—I lost my head, I didn't . . . oh, you must be in agony right now! Oh, and your closet! All your private things! Oh, my lady, please accept my humblest apolo—”
“Relax, Saber,” Celestia calmed him, her voice belonging once again to the calm, dignified monarch she always was, “We both got a bit carried away.” Her horn began to glow, and with her magic, she raised the pieces of the broken closet door and the clothes that came from it up in the air. The door reassembled itself in midair and flew back to its place on its hinges. Saber saw a plethora of different clothes circling the air—many of them more, naughty little accessories that should definitely be kept secret—before they went flying back into their proper places inside the closet. The newly-repaired closet door then slammed shut by itself, and it was as if Saber had never been near it.
The feeling of guilt weighed heavily on Steel Saber. Even with Celestia facing him, he could see the redness of her butt from where he stood. The dark crimson shade spread all the way to her flanks, half covering her cutie mark on either side. Her legs still shook slightly, and her breathing was still slightly harsher than normal, but strangely enough, she was smiling. Saber couldn't even bring himself to look his princess in the eye. After what had happened tonight, he deserved punishment, as well.
He'd even be fine with being banished to the moon.
Saber felt Celestia's hoof lift his face up to meet hers, and when their eyes met, the princess moved forward and kissed Saber on the cheek. “Thank you, Saber,” she whispered benignly, “Thank you so much. You've performed your tasks beyond satisfaction. And you've made me very,” she stopped for a moment to take a deep, rather shuddering breath, “very happy.”
Still feeling guilty, Saber voiced his concerns, “But, Princess what about your . . . I mean, how are you gonna . . . well . . . cover it? You know, your . . . .” he felt himself reddening in the face before he could even say it, “. . . your . . . uh, th-the redness.”
Celestia giggled a bit before answering, “Oh, Saber, don't you worry. I'll just have to wear a long dress for the next couple of weeks or so. And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a nice, soft, fluffy pillow delivered to my throne room. Ha-ha! 'Wouldn't hurt'! Well, that would be the point, wouldn't it?” She laughed a little more, and it set Saber's mind at ease. He found himself smiling a bit.
Saber was unsure of what to say now that all of this was over, “Uhh . . . will that be all, Your Grace?”
Celestia patted Saber's shoulder, “Yes, Deputy Captain. That will be all. You may go, now. And for your services tonight, you may take the rest of the night off, if you wish.”
This made Saber's smile widen more still. “Thank you, Your Grace,” he said with a bow, and the two parted. Celestia returned to her bed, and Saber slowly made his way to the door. His thoughts were a mixed, confused jumble, and his feelings were even more tangled and messy. Did he enjoy what he'd done to Princess Celestia? Was he supposed to have enjoyed it? Did he feel bad about himself? Used? Dirty? Ashamed? He wasn't quite sure.
But he had enjoyed himself. And the princess had, as well. That much was perfectly clear.
“Oh, Deputy Captain?” called Celestia, and Saber turned to answer. She was back in bed, lying on one side and bending the other way, inspecting her vividly reddened and bruised rump, and vigorously rubbing it with one hoof. “You still hold the position as my royal disciplinary officer,” she reminded him, “so our times together will be a little more frequent. Especially if I'm deserving of my punishment. Oh, and I insist we keep my little . . . 'sessions' a secret for now. Am I clear?” she gave Saber a flirty smile as she added, with that same low, alluring whisper, “Steely?”
Steel Saber felt that same thrill fill his whole body as he watched Celestia move, heard her speak, saw the beautiful shine in her eyes. Saber found himself spellbound, a feeling not unlike what he felt while he spanked Celestia, and he bowed in respect. “By your wish,” he answered her, slowly looking back up to meet her eyes, “. . . 'Tia.”
Celestia seemed surprised for a moment by his use of her nickname, but it made her smile even more, complete with a blush that was almost as deep as the redness on her plot. She continued rubbing her butt with one hoof, and responded with a playful wink.
At last, Saber left Celestia's chambers, that image of his princess lying on her bed, rubbing her brutally spanked behind and winking at him, cemented in his mind forever. Feeling foolish as he walked through the palace corridors, it finally occurred to him—not because of Celestia's cutie mark, but of how it must feel for her right now—why the palace staff had another nickname for their princess that they tried to keep secret: Sunbutt.
How appropriate.
Turning a corner, he stopped suddenly in front of a pony in his way. Not just any pony, either—Princess Luna stood there in front of him, a stern expression on her face.
“Caught you,” Luna's voice was low and accusatory.
Saber panicked, but tried to stay calm. “Uh, Princess Luna!” he greeted her with a bow, “Lovely to see you tonight, Your Grace. Uh, is there anything I can do for you toni—”
“Dispense with the facade, Deputy Captain,” Luna kept her stern voice, “We are fully aware of your activities tonight. You've just come from my sister's private quarters after I clearly heard a disturbance.” Her eyes narrowed and her face slowly moved in toward Saber's, “She's doing it again, isn't she?”
Saber's heart sped up, and his front legs shook a little, but he struggled to maintain serenity. “Uhh . . .” he tried to reply, “I don't understand what you mean—”
“You most certainly do, Deputy Captain,” Luna refused to let up, “'Tia enjoys having her plot paddled. She always has. She has kept this secret for centuries, thinking nopony would discover it. But we have known about it for quite some time, and we find it quite unsettling that she would abuse her authority by hiring unsuspecting stallions like you to deliver her little guilty pleasures!”
The guilt Saber felt before returned with a vengeance, and Saber felt his wings droop at his sides. “I'm,” he began, his voice weak with shame, “I'm sorry, Your Grace. It was not my place to do what I did, even if I was asked by Princess Celestia. Forgive me, my lady.” He suddenly remembered the promise he'd made to Celestia, and hastily added, “Oh, Princess Luna, please! I beg of you not to tell anypony about this! Princess Celestia swore me to secrecy! If anypony found out, I'd never forgive myself! Please, my lady, keep this between us! I'll do anything!” He dropped himself down to the floor, picked up one of Luna's front hooves, and began to kiss it.
Saber kissed Luna's hoof for a good few seconds before she responded to his pleading, “I suppose I can keep a secret. But under one condition, Deputy Captain.”
“Name it, my lady!” Saber urged, “Anything! Anything you wish, I'll do it!”
Luna eyed Saber steadily as she explained her terms. “As I've said, Deputy Captain,” she began, “I've known about my sister's dirty little secret for quite some time, now. I've always been somewhat repulsed by it, but I've also spent long nights wondering what she sees in being spanked. What possible pleasure could be taken in feeling such pain? I've had quite a bit of time to think about such things during my banishment on the moon. In fact, I've had quite a bit of privacy, as well. Privacy I've used in order to . . . . assess the question for myself.”
“What do you mean, Your Grace?” Saber asked, confused, “What is it you want from me?”
Luna suddenly looked as guilty as Saber looked seconds before; she blushed vividly and pointed her gaze downwards, tracing a circle on the floor with her hoof.
“We . . . . . . . we would like to be spanked, as well.”
Steel Saber's jaw almost hit the floor.
