Of Maids and Mistresses

They took some time to rest and relax before they began preparing for Applejack’s arrival later that evening, as there was not that much that needed doing. The farmpony preferred simplicity over formal and complicated affairs, and this time there would be no trickery involved either. Instead of a prepared meal they opted for bread and a wide choice of spreads, which were to be served in the living room.

The high table and the chairs were quickly done away with, and soon all they could do was wait for AJ’s arrival. They didn’t have to wait for very long; Applejack was as punctual as always.

“Go open the door for our guest,” Twilight bode Trixie when a knock on the door was heard.

“Right away, mistress,” Trixie replied as she sped towards the door, opening it immediately upon arrival.

“Evenin’,” Applejack said, stepping in past Trixie, “still with the clothes, ah see.”

“M-mistress prefers it that way.”

“Mistress, right.”

Trixie bowed her head for a moment, unsure what to say and thus deciding not to say anything at all; she didn’t want to anger Applejack in any way, and that seemed to be the best way to go about it.

“Right this way, please.”

Together they walked into the living room, where Twilight was already sitting around the food laden table. She looked up at Applejack, and smiled.

“Applejack, I’m so glad you could make it!”

“Well, of course, ah said I would come didn’t ah?” She sat down at the table, opposite of Twilight, as Trixie settled in on the side to Twilight’s right.

The purple unicorn smiled at the earth pony, and after a short silence she said: “Well, let’s eat then, shall we?”

They began eating, and slowly but steadily a conversation started, as Twilight and Applejack caught up with recent wheelings and dealings. The farmpony showed a particular interest in the practical applications of the growth spell Twilight and Trixie had tried out a few days earlier, remarking that she saw more potential in unicorns helping earth ponies personally, rather than by using machines such as the Flim Flam Brothers. To Twilight’s great disappointment, the magical details ended up boring Applejack somewhat, but at least it was something.

Trixie remained mostly silent, only adding her opinion and expertise to the discussion when specifically asked to. Applejack threw a few curious glances in her direction, but the maid always averted her gaze.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Applejack said as the conversation swung towards their mutual friends. “Ah saw Fluttershy and Rarity earlier today... they wanted me t’go to the spa with with them tonight, but luckily ah could tell them you invited me here.” Applejack winked at Twilight. “Ah s’pose ah should thank ya’ll for that, heh.”

Twilight grinned. “Oh come on now, Applejack, the spa isn’t that bad, you’ve been there with us before.”

Applejack shook her head. “It’s a mite different when ya go with just Rarity ‘n Fluttershy, ah tell ya... They go for the... full treatment.” Applejack shuddered, making Twilight laugh out loud, and even Trixie felt confident enough to smile at the earth pony now that her mistress was in such a good mood. “But what ah wanted to say... The topic of Trixie came up. Spike, too.”

Twilight immediately stopped laughing, and a neutral expression manifest itself on her face as she sipped from her tea. “Oh, I see... So what did they, uh... what did they have to say?”

“No need to get all serious like, Twi, it wasn’t bad. Fluttershy seems to think Trixie has got to be a nice pony if you love her as much as ya’ll seem to, and ah reckon that’s a good point. Rarity just spouted a lot of hooey ah didn’t really get and a lot of ‘you know, wink wink nudge nudge?’, for a moment ah thought she was a nutter. She ended up just saying you two seemed to have a good ‘connection’, though, and who am ah to deny that?” Applejack paused for a moment. “Ah don’t know if ah agree with ya’ll leavin’ Spike with Fluttershy, but she wouldn’t hear a bad word spoken about ya on account o’ that, and if she’s fine with it...” Applejack shrugged. “Ah hear he hasn’t been out of Fluttershy’s cottage much, and he refuses to listen when it’s about Trixie, but at least he’s doin’ alright.”

“That’s great!” Twilight shouted out in relief. “So you... you’re ok with this? You don’t mind that we’re dating?”

“Ah well, she’s not spelled doom upon us all yet, so... ah reckon ah don’t have much business meddlin’ in yer affairs, Twi,” Applejack gave Trixie a little smile, “ah don’t think we’re friends just yet... but if you make Twi happy, what manner of friend would ah be if ah complained?”

“You have no idea what that means to me, Applejack... what it means to us.”

“Aww shucks Twi, it ain’t a thing.” She looked over towards Trixie. “Ya doin’ ok there, sugarcube? Ya’ve been awfully quiet.”

Trixie blinked, unprepared for direct conversation as she was. “Ah... it’s... T-Trixie doesn’t have much to s-say... Mistress has s-said everything for Trixie.”

“Huh, ah took you more for the talkative, forward type.”

Twilight smiled. “Didn’t I tell you she changed? She’s so wonderful, she did it all so we could be together without upsetting anypony.” Twilight reached out over the corner of the table and drew Trixie into an embrace, kissing her gently as Applejack briefly averted her eyes. The maid blushed furiously as Twilight withdrew to her place again.

“Ah can see that...” Applejack said, and something in her tone of voice made Twilight frown. It had almost sounded like the mare had her doubts, but wasn’t this what she and Rainbow Dash had wanted from the start? Well, technically they had wanted Trixie gone, but Twilight figured the current situation was close enough, and Applejack had just said she was ok with Trixie.

“Care for some wine, Applejack? I could use some to wash this down.”

“Ah, well, ah don’t usually drink wine, but... ah shucks, why not?”

Twilight nodded in the direction of the cellar, and Trixie rose to her hooves right away, heading off to fetch some bottles. Applejack frowned once again.

“Ya know Twi,” she started, “ah didn’t want to mention this with Trixie here, but this maid thing... ah’m not sure ah like it.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight was on guard right away; she didn’t trust where the conversation was going.

“She keeps calling you mistress, she’s afraid to join in when we’re talking--don’t try ta deny it, ah saw the look in ‘er eyes--ya keep sending her everywhere wearin’ that degradin’ costume with that mark in her neck...”

“Now wait a minute,” Twilight interrupted, “She’s helpful, nice and considerate now, she hasn’t acted arrogant or selfish in days, isn’t that what-”

“Too helpful, too nice, too considerate,” Applejack interjected in turn. “She needed a little lesson in respect when she got here, sure, but that mare... Ah don’t recognize her as Trixie anymore. It’s like ya brought in a complete stranger! Ah don’t know what ya did to get her like this-”

“What! I didn’t use magic or anything if that’s what you’re suggesting!”

“-but ah don’t see how this is still th’ mare you fell in love with. She moves when you so much as breathe in a direction, and that just ain’t right.” Applejack shook her head. “Aren’t ya enjoyin’ th’ charade a bit too much? Maybe it’s time ta-”

“I’m doing this for her own good!” Twilight bristled. “She was rusted shut in her hostile habits, and I found a way to help her! As my maid, it’s only natural that she’d-”

“Marefriends should be partners, not maid an’ mistress!” Applejack said, her voice getting louder to match the unicorn’s.

Twilight threw her mane back over her neck with a haughty gesture that wouldn’t have looked misplaced on the “Great and Powerful” Trixie. “Well, I suppose I shouldn’t expect a workpony to understand the subtle nuances of psychology...”

Applejack’s eyes grew wide, as she struggled to control the anger she suddenly felt rising up inside of herself. “Ah know enough about honesty to tell when somepony is lyin’, at least. Even if,” she added, “that pony happens to be lyin’ ta herself. Ya know yer not doin’ it for her, Twi, you’re doin’ it cause ya get a kick out-”

“How dare you...” Twilight hissed. “Even after all I’ve done, you-”

“S-sorry... sorry for... interrupting...” Trixie said, as she stepped forth from the direction of the cellar, putting two bottles of wine on the table. “B-but Trixie h-heard you shout a-and... Trixie just wants to say...” She swallowed. “P-please don’t yell at mistress... Trixie... Trixie is happy being mistress's, and if you yell at mistress because of Trixie, Trixie will...” She didn’t go into details, but let out a pitiful noise from the back of her throat. “S-so... p-please, y-yell at Trixie instead, if Trixie has m-made you feel... uncomfortable...”

Twilight leaned back smugly, a big grin on her face as she looked back at Applejack. “So, there you have it, she said it herself: she doesn’t mind, so...”

“You monster,” Applejack whispered silently, her face a rigid mask of disgust as she did her best not to look straight at the the purple unicorn.

“E-excuse me?” Twilight managed in the shocked silence that followed. “I think I didn’t-”

“You heard me!” Applejack said as she suddenly looked Twilight straight in the eyes, anger clear on her face. “You’re abusing her! Ah don’t know how it got to this, but it’s wrong. By Celestia, Twi, what in the nine blazes are ya thinking? She talks like you own her or something!”

“You’re lecturing me, in my own house, about something you can’t possibly understand!” Twilight screamed. “Ponyville hospitality may be famous, but back in Canterlot at least guests never had the cheek to-”

“And ah suppose brainwashing’s all right an’ dandy in Canterlot, too!” Applejack stood up, and stamped her forehooves onto the table. “Listen here missy, you-”

“No you listen here, Applejack!” Twilight slammed her hooves down onto the table as well, and the two of them nearly butted heads. “You have no right to-”

Before she could continue, Trixie let out a whimper, drawing their attention. She’d sunken down to the ground, hiding her face under her hooves as she sobbed silently and whispered “Trixie’s sorry... Trixie’s so sorry...” over and over.

“Now look what you did,” Twilight bit at Applejack as she rushed over to Trixie’s side, pulling the maid into a loving embrace. “Sssshhhh...” she whispered. “It’s ok, I’m here... Mistress isn’t mad, it’s ok, it’s not your fault...” She stroked Trixie’s hair gently, as the mare cried against her chest. Twilight threw Applejack a few toxic gazes.

“Ya can’t seriously... this is your fault!” Applejack said incredulously. “Surely you’re not so blind ya can’t-”

“Leave.” Twilight said coldly. “I can at least see you’ve done enough.”

“You-”

“LEAVE!” Twilight screamed as her horn flared with magical energy, slamming open all doors between the living room and the outside, as a gust of wind pulled at Applejack’s mane.

“Hmpfh.” Applejack calmly stepped towards the opened door, before looking back over her shoulder. “Ah told ya ah didn’t mind Trixie no more... and that’s the truth. But you, Twilight... you need ta get your act sorted out, before ya hurt those you hold most dear.”

Twilight didn’t respond, but simply turned her head away as she continued to comfort the shaking Trixie. Applejack disappeared, and half a minute later the slamming of the front door indicated that she had left the building. Twilight quietly fumed for a while longer, but eventually the need to care for her sobbing maid outweighed her anger.

“It’s okay love, we don’t need her...” she whispered, kissing the tears off of Trixie’s cheeks. “It’s okay... it’s okay...”

“B-but T-Trixie r-ruined y-your... p-plans...”

Twilight shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Some ponies... some ponies just can’t be reasonable. In a day or two, Ponyville will know how nice and perfect you are... we can do it without Applejack. Dry your tears.” She smiled lovingly.

“R-really?” Trixie started to rub her eyes, still sniffling a bit.

“Really.” Twilight locked her lips to the other mare’s, kissing her deeply and lovingly, until the both of them were lying breathlessly upon the floor. “I love you, you know.”

The maid blushed. “T-Trixie loves you too, mistress... more than... more than any words can say...”

“Oh really?” Twilight smiled mischievously. “Then why don’t you just show me?”

As her mistress pulled her along to bed Trixie’s heart sang, and all her troubles from before--along with a certain earth pony’s words--were long forgotten.