A Little Vice

I awaken alone in bed, refreshed and calm without a yawn. I scoot to the edge and feel the soft pressure of carpet under my hooves as I roll out. A shiver runs from my withers to my tail and it feels very good.

I open my wardrobe and gather my clothing before trotting to the bathroom for my morning events. Emerging dressed and clean I am ready to enjoy this day to the limits and as I open the door I notice sunlight in an unusual place on the hallway carpets. I notice a stallion wearing an apron in a room as I walk the hall.

“Stallion?”

“Yes, Master?”

“What time is it?”

“Nearly eleven, Master. Mistress Fleur de Lis insisted you be allowed to sleep in.”

I grumble gratitude as I hurry to the stairs and descend them with haste. My morning is gone and I have to make my social rounds. Don’t I? I don’t think I’ve ever spent a day in just because I could. I say, even the last time I slept in isn’t fresh in my mind, yet having a set routine read each morning by Grey Withers is.

I reach the base and bump into Fleur. “Oh, no no no, you get back to bed this instant, I’ve breakfast on the way. Tut-tut, before you begin, at least go and lay so you can eat what I’ve prepared before you begin your day,” she urges and turns me, pushing me with hooves and magic. I relent and return to bed to wait for my missed meal. To be honest I am rather famished.

I lay in bed for a few minutes before Fleur opens the door with her magic, a tray of food in her aura. “Where’s that mare that’s supposed to be helping us; Wing Flapper, or whatever?”

“I haven’t the foggiest, however if she isn’t here then she forfeits her job and title,” I say as I roll to my belly. Fleur places the tray before me and I smell the delight that is brunch. I lean my muzzle down and begin to eat without a hint of magic. “Oh, this is delightful. I haven’t eaten like this in ages, it feels like.”

“Aren’t you going to use your spoon?”

“Why? I feel like a colt again, after all that happened yesterday. I feel so free, in my heart and mind,” I say lowering again and eating some fruit, “that I haven’t a care in the world at the moment. Once I leave this room, it’s back to being Fancy Pants, the lord of land. Pragmatic and powerful pony. The philanthropist extraordinaire.”

“You sound more pessimistic than pragmatic at the moment.”

“What happens in my room stays in my room,” I huff as I eat a whole hard boiled egg in one bite, “and between us, right?”

“Oh, pish-posh, you know I won’t say a word. Now, about the day…”

“I haven't a care of such at the moment. Tomorrow is the weekend and I've only a few tasks ahead of me. Personal, you understand?”

“Yes, but what about us?” She asks nervously, poking at a spot on the carpet.

“Well, I think we'll have to make time to plan for next weekend. Just us, perhaps a flight to the coast.”

She smiles wide enough for me to see her teeth. “Really? Next weekend, us?”

I chuckle. “Of course, I wouldn't have you on my yacht without me.”

“Oh, Fancy, you're the best! I'm going to try on some necklaces, if you need anything just call and I'll have a servant fetch it.”

“Now that we know we can't rely on Wing Rider, I suppose I'll have to fill her position. I believe Grey Withers will fit nicely.”

“Is that what the two of you spoke of yesterday?”

“Among other things, but yes. Perhaps that's why she isn't here. Competition with her superior wouldn’t be prudent to the future of her success.”

“A noble can’t be seen swapping the help, either,” Fleur added turning away, “lest they be seen as indecisive.”

“And they lose the respect of those they need,” I add.

She smirks. “I’ll be down the hall in the guest bedroom I’ve turned into my closet. If you need me…”

“Yes, yes. I’ll call your name, however, I feel the need to stretch my legs. Perhaps a trot around the garden would wake me up.”

“Either way, Darling, take time for yourself. The other nobles will survive without you for most of a day.”

I don’t say another word as she leaves and the only sound that I care about is the sound of my chewing. My jaws grinding the fruit to a pulp, the squishing of the eggs, the sound as I gulp and my breath hitches naturally so I don’t breath the food into my lungs. I smirk as a thought, a plan, crosses my mind.

I grab some fruit in my magic and finish my oats before I leave my bed and pronk to the door like a coltish fool in love. I make my way down the hall, past the improvised closet that would have fit a family of three for the night and past servants going about their duties so intently that they don’t notice me as I prance by.

I stop in the kitchen and take a bowl of fruit that was sitting idly and nopony is paying attention at the moment anyway as I sneak into the basement door and descend the stairs. The light from my horn illuminates a path I know by heart and I open my room. She’s asleep, the lights have gone out, but she’s still on the table I can see. I set the fruit inside, and seal the door again.

This should make for a nice treat when I return later.

I close the door and make for the stairs, ascending quickly and make my way to the foyer to look at the door for a moment. I don’t know why, but it seems like something I must do. I turn away and am met with three servants eating and enjoying themselves.

“Master!” one shouts and they all look to me in surprise.

“Don’t pay me any mind, you’re allowed to enjoy yourselves, after all.” A mare moves to leave her seat while staring at me. She chews slowly. “Sit,” a leer at her, “and enjoy yourselves. I’m not some monster to be feared. I’m a pony like you lot,” I say to them all while peering into her eyes.

She moves back to her cushion and gulps her mouthful. “Yes, Master. How can we serve you?” she asks.

I roll my eyes. “Do you think nothing more of me than your master?”

The look uneasily between each other. “It’s not that we disrespect you, Master. You just haven’t spoken to us.”

“In how long?” I inquire.

“I’ve been here six years,” a stallion states, “and I’ve never shared this many words with you, Master.”

“Again with the ‘master’. I am growing tired of hearing that at this moment. For now, call me Lord, or Lord Fancy Pants, or something of the sort. I don’t believe it’s very noble of me to not know my staff after so long,” I look down and scuff the floor with my hoof. “May I, join you? I would love to know about you lot, and the rest of the staff as well.”

They smile and a filly, maybe almost a mare’s age gets up from her cushion and pats it before she moves to another further down. “Welcome to the group, Lord Fancy Pants. Can I call you LFP? It’d be easier?”

“Well, we may try it, but I don’t think it’ll be a common occurrence. So… what are your names and how long have you worked in my home?”

I prance into the room that is now a closet and to the mare that’s looking at herself in a mirror, clothes strewn across the princess size bed, to nuzzle her under her chin. She moves away with a snort. “Darling, your horn got too close to my muzzle. Please, be mindful. What has overtaken you with such good spirits?” she moves to nuzzle me but I move around her to look her over.

“You look marvelous, we should take a trot down the street to show you off!”

“Fancy, have you taken herbs since I left you?” she jests, “I thought you were going for a trot around the yard, didn’t that help?”

“Nay, I spoke with some of my servants and I actually feel,” how do I explain this? “welcomed, I guess is a way to put it.”

“Welcomed? In your own home?” she smirks to me, “I don’t follow.”

“Yes, and no. I always felt there was a floor of separation between myself and them, but sitting with them and laughing at the supper table about things that I didn’t know we had in common! Like Little Hopper, a filly that’s been working in my home for a year, lost her mother and was taken in by Grey Withers and works in the kitchen.”

“And you relate to her because of your mother?”

“No, it’s because she likes toffee! I like toffee too, but I never thought a servant would! What else can I learn about them,about the lower classes?!” I exclaim and pounce onto the bed, rolling over to my back and looking at the ceiling.

“How about inviting them to supper with us, then? It would be nice to see more chairs of that table filled. It seats what, twenty?”

“Thirty two, I haven’t that many servants… but what of their families? I’ll find out if they have families and invite them all over. I’ll have the meal catered and… Oh, yes! Octavia can help arrange some music and I can call a couple friends to fill in seats, but they have to be talkers, you know?”

“I’m glad to see you act this way. It sounds like it isn’t a common occurrence, is it? I’ll support you however you need. When is the swarray you’re planning for?”

“Why not tomorrow? Bring a friend or two, as well. Conversationalists and the like.”

“Isn’t that ground stomper coming tomorrow through the weekend, though?”

I turn to her and blink, gulp, and sigh. “Then he shall be one of my guests… Perhaps he’ll bring Braun, and thus our conversations will be most adventurous indeed!” I laugh haughtily.

She snorts at the thought. “As long as she reigns in her brazen personality, I don’t see any problems.” I smirk. “What, you’re not going to invite them to bed with us, are you?” she muses.

“Not a chance, but I know another pony I’ll be inviting, should she be free. And, she’s quite important, if I must say so.”

“Ooo, and who might that be?” she bats her eyes at me.

I roll to my side and look straight at her. “You’ll be happy to see her, trust me.”

She gulps at the seriousness I bring to the moment then nods. “I look forward to meeting her, may I have a hint? Perhaps her mane style?”

I smirk and close my eyes in thought. “Okay, her mane style is… stylish.” She shoves me lightly and I grunt from the pressure, but we’re in very good spirits as I remove myself from the bed. “I believe clothing is in order, then I’d love to take a trot, just to see what’s happening around the area.”

“Very well, I’ll see what I can wear.”

“Do be quick, Darling, time is of the essence, you know.”

“Go, I’ve only got a couple outfits to choose from and won’t be but a minute.”

After nearly an hour the mare descends the stairs wearing a necklace of various jewels and a dress that doesn’t seem like it took that long to put on. She stands before me and fluffs her hair once. “So, what do you think?”

The urge to scold her and ask questions as to why to took her so long to choose something so meaningless is overwhelming, however I hold my tongue. “You look splendid, are you ready to depart?”

All I want is a trot around the area, is that too much to ask?

“Nearly, I must go before I go,” she says. As she turns I raise my hoof to my head and sigh. This is love, as I understand it. Just, wait for her and learn how she operates and how to gain time to yourself, Fancy Pants. Just, be patient. I turn to exit my home and stop after I open the door. I see Grey Withers slowly walking closer.

I trot from the house and gallop over to him. He looks up and smiles, picking up his pace before I stop before him and pull him close to me, embracing him in a hug that surprises him enough to gasp. “I missed you, and you have your old job back. I hope to never lose you again,” I tell him.

“What has happened to you over the past days to open your heart so much?”

“So much, I have so much to tell you when we have time.”

“I look forward to it,” he says with one last squeeze from his returned embrace. “So, am I to clean up?”

I sniffle and release him, then shake my head. “I’ve only just begun with her. Perhaps by Tuesday?”

He raises an eyebrow in surprise. You’ll wait until Tuesday to play?” then he cocks his head at my smirk.

“No, but I may finish by then.” His eyes widen and he gulps at the prospect. “I’ll be taking my time with my first, I want to know how long it can last. Between Fleur and the creature on my table, I’ve never felt so alive.”

He smiles awkwardly. “At least you’re in good spirits. Shall I head in and take my old position now? Cleaning up after you, like old times?”

“Indeed! It’s been a long two days without you, I shan’t be without you again,” I wink to him, “by any means.”

With a nervous nod he begins to walk around me, not breaking eye contact until he was far enough away to gallop to the house and past Fleur. After a short greeting he disappeared within the shadows and the doors closed in Fleur’s aura. “Well, it was nice to see him back, but he was certainly nervous. I hope he’ll stay with you this time, did he ask for more money?”

“No, just for his job back. Nothing else. Now, shall we?”

“You look splendid as well, by the way. Quite dashing, if I must say so.”

“Yes, I’ve always looked good in grey.”

We take our trot, heads held high as we make our round, then I turn and take the trot further out. I see ponies I know, introduce them to my lady, Fleur, and invite them to various events over the next week. A few offer us the same. To simply have us at a party of theirs would make them the highlight of every topic for the following day. I believe I will capitalize on this. I am famous, in some regards, but I really must be more public to expand my influence. I’ve taken an earth pony as a lover and word will travel, I must get ahead of this.

“Yes, it’s very nice to have run into you. And, I look forward to boating with you next week. We’ll discuss the details between our charges, farewell,” I nod to the gentlecolt after he does so. I notice Fleur spending a long time leaning against my back, but I’m quickly getting used to her affections and flaunting our affluence.

“Darling, I have a special guest to invite. That’s part of the reason we’ve walked this way, would you mind giving me some time to myself? We can meet at the park again in two hours.”

She pouts but nods, kissing and nuzzling me goodbye before she leaves with a grace that fits her so well. I quickly turn from the main street and make my way to Photo Finish’s apartment. The mare is up and coming, certainly unique, and very full of herself. But, she’s skilled and networked enough to make my Fleur’s dream come true.

…

After spending time in the cramped apartment, standing as I dare not sit, I bid my farewell with time to spare so I go to the park, with a stop along the way, and waited for her to arrive. Photo Finish will be at the gathering and will take Fleur as her model, everypony will be so pleased!

She’s early, thankfully, and finds me on a knoll where I’m lying by several flowers. “Fancy, did your meeting go well?”

“Fabulously. All is in order, and now I believe these are for you,” I pull a wrapped bunch of various flowers from a nearby bush and present them to her. “Oh, I love them, they’re scrumptious looking. I’ll have them later,” she takes them from me and places them beside her as she lays beside me. “So, the plan for the evening?”

“Ah, they day has gotten away from us, hasn’t it? I believe we should return home and relax ourselves before bed. It’s certainly been a lazy day, has it not?”

“Well, when one of us sleeps in until lunch, the day does seem to be wasted,” she leans against me, “but well worth it. From what I’ve heard around Canterlot you’re quite reclusive, only socializing publically. Now you want to host a party for your servants? This will certainly shake the opinion most have of you.”

“Yes,” I take a flower into my mouth and chew it up, “and it’s about time. I’ve lived in the shadows long enough, it’s time to be the stallion I was meant to be. Not the one I have made myself into.”

“Very well said, Darling. Let’s just take some time to enjoy the park before we part, and remember that I have an appointment tonight and might be out late.”

“Oh, that. I remember now. Do try to enjoy yourself and I’ll see you tomorrow at the latest?”

“Hopefully tonight before midnight,” she sighs.