It was an ordinary day for Twilight Sparkle, newly crowned alicorn princess. It had only been a week since a mishap with a magical book had left her with a new pair of wings and an unclear amount of political authority. Could she sit in for Parliament meetings? Could she send ponies to jail? Who knew? Theoretically, she had the same amount of power as Celestia and Luna, but the idea that she was on their level made her deeply uncomfortable. She wasn't even sure she wanted to be a princess. On the other hoof, with her new princess powers maybe she could do a lot of good for Equestria. She had spent the night before studying a stack of political science textbooks and had fallen asleep while reading Aristallion's "The Republic" at eight o'clock because that book was boring even by her standards. After waking up three hours later she had headed off to bed and fallen into a peaceful sleep. The golden beams of the sun filtered in through her window, covering her room in a gentle light. The light danced upon her eyelids, waking her. Despite being a night owl she always woke up at dawn. It could have had a lot to do with being the personal student of the Sun Princess. After going through her morning meditations, she headed into the kitchen. Spike was already awake and had some hay bacon sizzling on the stove. For his own breakfast he was munching on a sapphire.
"G'mornin' Twilight. Got any plans for the day?"
Twilight levitated over her master checklist for checking her daily checklists. "Hmm...I'm going to keep studying politics then I'm going to have a picnic with Applejack. After that, I have some free time. I'll have to schedule something in. Been meaning to study Mooivelli."
"Mooivelli? Wasn't he kind of evil?"
Twilight shook her head. "A common misconception. Much of what wrote was satirical. Later leaders took his work far too literally. Oh, I know! I'll have plenty of time to re-shelf section E-J. That'll be fun! Maybe I can get some dusting in?" She continued muttering to herself as she sat down at the table. Spike scooped up some hay bacon on a plate and put it in front of her. The smell of freshly fried hay awoke her from her organization-induced trance. Laying aside the master checklist she levitated some hay bacon over and began to nibble it. The sweet taste of hay nearly exploded on her tongue.
"Hmmm...this is so good! Thanks, Spike."
"My pleasure." Spike said. He got a bowl of rubies and sapphires and began munching them down.
Twilight checked off 'eat breakfast' as she gulped down the hay bacon.
"There's some more if you want it." Spike said.
Twilight trotted over to the stove with her plate held in her magic. She scooped up three more hay bacon strips and placed them on her plate.
"Now, Aristallion, there was a snooze fest." Twilight said. "And when I think a book is boring..."
"Wow. Must have been bad."
"I did like his idea of a philosopher-queen though. Think I could be a philosopher-queen? Benevolently ruling over ponykind?"
"Sure." Spike said, taking his bowl to the sink and hopping up on the counter to wash it.
Twilight sighed. "It doesn't matter though. I'll never hold a candle to Celestia or even Luna."
Spike was about to say something to comfort her when there was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it." Twilight said. She walked to the door and open it. A blue coated, silver-maned unicorn was at her door, fully prostrating so that her horn scraped the ground. It was a position of extreme humility, usually assumed when a unicorn felt they had disgraced themselves and wished to beg forgiveness. It was a rarely seen position. Twilight blinked a few times. Who was this unicorn? The silver mane and blue coat was familiar, but she couldn't see her face. There was nopony who had wronged her recently. Maybe she was bowing like that because she was a princess? Twilight winced. She hated the idea of anyone bowing to her like that.
"Get up, please. Who are you, Miss?"
The unicorn raised her head. That was when Twilight recognized her.
"Trixie?"
"Yes, 'tis I!" Trixie said. "Your arch-rival, The Great and Apologetic Trixie!"
The last time Twilight had seen her she was galloping out of town. Trixie was no longer prostrate, but she was still slightly bowing.
"Trixie, please get up. Just because I'm now a princess doesn't mean I want ponies to bow to me-particularly not friends."
"You...you consider Trixie a friend?" Trixie's eyes grew wide and moist.
"Okay, maybe not a friend. Acquaintance? I don't know. What are you doing here?"
"Trixie has been reflecting on her wanton life of sin and debauchery and has reached a conclusion!"
"And, um, what conclusion would that be?"
"Trixie's sins are still un-atoned for! Trixie must make it up to those she has wronged! And Trixie has wronged you more than anypony else! Why, she even drove you from your home! I must make it up to you!"
"That's nice, but I forgave you remember?"
"Forgiveness isn't enough. She must be punished for her to learn her lesson!"
"Trixie, I'm not going to punish you."
"Perhaps, Trixie mis-spoke. Not punishment, atonement. She shall atone for her misdeeds in the tradition of our noble tribe!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "First off, that came out as a little Tribalist. Unicorns are no more noble than any other tribe."
"Yes, yes, mudponies and fly horses are equal and all that nonsense, but unicorns are more equal than others."
Twilight decided to let the racist rant slide. "And what tradition are you referring to?"
"Trixie will make up for her misdeeds by becoming your slave!"
Twilight sputtered. "M-my what?! Trixie, slavery is illegal!"
Trixie shook her head. "The great and powerful Trixie MUST receive a great and powerful punishment for her shameful ways! Especially if that punishment comes from the great and beautiful Twilight Sparkle!"
"The tradition you're referring to has been outdated for-wait, beautiful?"
Trixie blushed. "Trixie thinks Twilight is very beautiful."
"Well, um, wow, thanks. I guess."
"How can Trixie serve her beautiful princess?" She bent down again and planted a kiss on Twilight's hoof. Twilight drew back.
"Please don't kiss my hooves. That feels really weird."
"Yes, Mistress."
"And don't call me mistress." Twilight thought for a few moments while Trixie stared up at her with a look that could only be described as adoration. 'Okay, clearly she is a little mentally unbalanced. There's no real harm in letting her be my sl-servant. Even in my head that comes out wrong. I'll let her dust or something.'
"Twilight, who's at the door?" Spike asked. His eyes narrowed when he saw Trixie. "What is SHE doing here?"
"Trixie has decided to atone by becoming Twilight's slave." Trixie explained.
Spike lightly growled. "Slave is one thing. But serving Twilight is MY job, Trixie."
"Trixie has no intention of taking your job, young nobledrake."
"It sounds like you do."
"Spike, you're not my slave. You get a paycheck and you could stop assisting me anytime you like."
Spike turned to Twilight. "Yeah, but I don't want to. And I don't want some two-bit charlatan taking my job!"
Twilight patted Spike's head. "Oh, Spike, nobody will ever take your place."
"Trixie is not a charlatan. She resents that very much." Trixie growled.
"Alright, Trixie. Why don't you dust some? And you and Spike had best get along."
"Yes, Mommy! I mean Mistress! I mean Twilight!"
Trixie cantered into the library. Spike followed her. "I'm watching you." He hissed.
Spike got a duster and took one side of the room. Trixie got a duster, cast a spell and was soon covered in a form-fitting Prench maid outfit and a pair of blue, striped socks. Twilight's eyes bugged out of her head. Trixie raised her tail and swished it in Twilight's direction before beginning to dust.
'This is going to be a long day.' Twilight though. 'Well, best get started on it.'
...
Two hours later Twilight was halfway through Mooivelli's 'The Princess.' Several notes were scattered on the bed she was laying on. Every now and then she would check on Trixie and Spike. They had taken separate halves of the library and kept shooting dirty looks at each other. Other than that, though, they were not openly fighting. Trixie came into her room, still holding the duster. She hummed a happy tune to herself as she began to dust around the bedroom. Twilight jerked back as Trixie ran the duster over her hooves.
"T-Trixie! What in Equestria are you doing? That tickles!"
"You've been sitting down so long Trixie thought she should dust you." Then she gave Twilight a lascivious look. "Are your wings in need of care? Trixie has had several pegasii acquaintances and knows all about preening."
"If they let you preen them they must have been more than acquaintances."
"Oh, they were."
"I thought you were a Tribalist."
"Trixie is. That does't mean Trixie doesn't occasionally like the feel of a horse fly's warm feather's wrapping around her. Best feeling in the world."
Twilight had received a fair share of wing hugs from Celestia, Cadence, Dash and Fluttershy so she agreed with that sentiment.
"Let Trixie know if she can help with your wings."
There were a few itchy feathers in her wings. Twilight had tried preening herself, but hadn't yet got the hang of it. "Er, maybe I could use a preening session."
Trixie squeed and jumped on the bed. Then carefully, slowly, lovingly, she ran a muzzle through Twilight's wings. She took any broken feathers in her teeth and plucked them out. Twilight had to hold back a moan that came from the pleasure of being preened. Trixie continued to run her muzzle through the alicorn's wings, brushing them and occasionally nipping a stray feather. Soon, there was a pile of broken and old purple feathers on the bed.
"Did Trixie please her mistress?" Trixie whispered into Twilight's ear.
"That did feel good."
"Is there anything else Trixie can do for you? Anything at all."
"You can tell me why you're really here." Twilight said.
Trixie drew back. "What do you mean? Trixie has come to serve her punishment."
"Maybe that's part of it. I'm certain you do feel bad about how things went last time."
"Trixie feels so ashamed. She wants to make it up."
"Trixie, stop denying it. You're in love with me."
Trixie whimpered. "You could never love somepony like me. You're beautiful and kind and now you're a princess. Trixie is just Trixie and she's not as great and powerful as she pretends to be. But even if she can't be your lover perhaps she can be your servant."
Twilight turned so that she was facing Trixie. The magician turned away, trying to hide the fact that she was tearing up. Twilight put a hoof to her cheek.
"Look Trixie. Don't be so down on yourself. You really are good at illusion spells. Better than even me at that branch of magic."
"You're just trying to make Trixie feel better." She smiled. "Keep going."
"No, I'm serious. You are a talented illusion mage. Tell you what, I'll even contact the Princesses and some other nobles I know and see if they need any stage magicians."
"You'd...you'd do that for Trixie?"
Twilight nodded. "It's the least I can do since you did help clean up my house." Her tone turned serious. "But you've got to stop lying. The hoof-kiss, the outfit, the tail flick, the preening. It's painfully obvious you're trying to seduce me."
Trixie whimpered again and stood from the bed. "I'll just go."
Before she could reach the door she felt a hoof on her shoulder.
"Wait. I never said I didn't want to be seduced. Just, I wanted you to be honest with me." Twilight said.
Trixie turned. "You're serious?"
"Yep. But instead of the smoke and mirrors why not just pick me up at eight and take me out to a nice restaurant?"
Trixie squealed in excitement and hugged Twilight, a hug Twilight returned.
"You won't regret it Twilight! Trixie will give you the greatest date you've ever had! She must go make reservations!" The showmare bounced out of the room. Twilight shook her head and smiled after her.
