"Princess?"
Her ears perked up. Through the bolted oaken door echoed the dreadfully chipper voice of her appointed hoofmaiden. It was somewhat unpleasant to listen to, especially at this time in the evening. But it wasn't nearly as unpleasant as the sound of quill on parchment, which had overstayed its welcome by now. A brief glance at the clock told her that it'd been over three hours since it had begun making that infernal scratching noise. The nib was clearly chipped, but she stopped caring past hour one. She just wanted this to be over with already.
"Hello?" The voice called again, followed by a loud clearing of the throat. "Princess? I have the form you requested."
And that was another thing. 'Princess'. The title made her feel pretty and demure, sure, but those were apparently the only benefits. Since the coronation, her desk, and by extension, her life, became increasingly populated by letters from ponies she wouldn't have ever needed to talk to otherwise. Just because she was a princess, she was expected to weigh in on every little thing. She didn't care about some mystery baron's wedding. Who did? It was silly. And dumb. He probably smelled funny too.
There was a muffled 'click', and the door swung open. In stepped Lady Raven. A petite mare, with a pristine white blouse that tightly hugged her frame. A pair of wide-rimmed glasses sat askew on her muzzle.
"I thought I locked that," was Cadance's first comment, barely loud enough to be audible. A thin veil of pastel pink magic enveloped the proffered parchment and she added it to the pile. There was a pause, and she moved it to a slightly smaller, fresher pile.
"Yes, ma'am," came the reply, with a hint of smugness and... something else. Cadance narrowed her eyes and turned away from the desk. Raven stood silhouetted in the doorway, with her mane hanging loosely over her shoulders, haloing her head. Her expression wasn't visible at first, but as her eyes adjusted, she could see that the unicorn's lips were set into a straight line. "I came to see how you were getting on."
Cadance stretched her fore-hooves in the air, yawning widely, then slumped against the chair, letting her wings fall beside her. "It's getting there, I think. It should only take a few more hours. Maybe," she chuckled.
"I see," Raven intoned softly, busying herself with collecting a half-dozen empty coffee mugs and setting them on a tray. Some colorful sweet wrappers joined her collection when she plopped them within three of the cups, like robins perched in a birdbath.
Resting her head on a hoof, Cadance turned her focus back to her work. Every now and again, her ears would swivel towards Raven as she shuffled about the room. She was moving things around in some attempt at organizing the clutter. It was more of a job for the maids, but she wasn't going to argue it.
A comfortable quiet settled over the room once again. The scratching returned, but it didn't irritate her as much as earlier. It had become synonymous with progress. Albeit at a snail's pace. No offence to snails.
"You need a new quill."
Cadance squeaked in surprise when Raven was suddenly at her side, taking the goose feather into her own magic and examining it.
"The tip," Raven continued, prodding the suspect part with her hoof. "It's broken. You've been writing with this?"
"There aren't any spares," the alicorn explained. She imagined this was what little Twilight felt like when she'd been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. "I just made do. And I'm busy! I can't just walk away and go buy a new one."
Raven stared, bemused, at the pouting princess.
"I mean, yes, I could. But it'd take longer! I have a meeting tomorrow, you know."
Rolling her eyes, crimson magic swirled around Raven's horn and struck the quill. With a flash, it was mended. It looked pristine. Brand-new. Even the feather glistened a little.
Cadance blinked, astonished. "T-thank you, Raven." She gratefully took the quill back and tested it on new form. The ink flowed precisely and effortlessly, allowing her to sign her name in beautiful calligraphy. "It's perfect."
"Of course, Princess." Raven bowed, as was customary. Her magic flared once again to lift the small pile of finished paperwork. "I'll have these filed for you in a moment. How do you take your tea?"
"Two sugars, please."
Raven returned some time later, with tea set in hoof. The room smelled less of old coffee now, and more of dried ink and candle fumes. Cadance wasn't aware of her entrance yet. The pink pony was hunched over, resting her chin on the desk, huffing irritably as her eyes scanned a document.
The hoofmaiden rhythmically tapped the door to announce her presence. "Any progress?"
Cadance shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea. I keep working, and it all just keeps piling up." She swept her hoof vaguely over the organised stacks, as if presenting them to a grand audience. "It's beginning to vex me."
"I can see you're making some leeway, at least." She gestured towards a completed stack that stood some distance away, wobbling under its own weight. Her magic sprung to life to split it into two before it collapsed. As the ruby red aura dissipated, she offered the alicorn a patient smile. "Are you having trouble with anything?"
"No," she sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I know what to do. It's just a lot of work. More than I've ever had to myself." Cadance pouted, flippantly flicking a hoof at a serious-looking document. It was covered in signatures and bright red stamp marks. "Like this. A border dispute over unclaimed land. Nothing even remotely valuable there. They just want fifteen separate acknowledgements from me to let them squabble over it in court."
Raven hid a giggle behind a fetlock. Silently, a shimmering crystal tea set floated into the room, setting down on an empty table. Tea always helped when the princesses got frustrated.
Cadance hummed as she gently cradled a steaming cup. She brought her muzzle closer, snuffling, then smiled. The aroma was subtle and pleasant, reminding her of her time spent under Aunt Celestia's wing. In fact, it seemed to be an identical blend. She took an tentative sip, and her fur stood on end. Her wings flapped. The powerful kick in flavor reinvigorated her, and stubbornly stuck to the inside of her cheeks. Yes, this was definitely Celestia's tea.
When she looked up, she could see mirth dancing in Raven's eyes, with an amused grin to boot. For the few seconds that their eyes met, there was an unspoken conversation. More akin to an inside-joke. A shared experience between the two. Trotting closer, Raven took a seat beside the princess, taking her own cup into her magic. And when she took a sip, Cadance watched her positively shiver, her crimson magic threatening to wink out for a moment.
"...One always wonders why she doesn't just drink coffee like a normal pony." Raven breathed after a moment, and the two mares giggled. She took a second sip and blanched. "Eternal bearer of the sun. Wise beyond her years. Terrible taste in tea. Bleh."
"It puts fur on your chest, yes. Powerful stuff." She nodded in reply, putting the cup aside for now. At least she could feel her hooves again, which was appreciated. She idly scuffed one on the carpet to stop it from tingling, then brought it to her chin to ponder. "How did you manage to get some? I know Aunty guards her stash of Oolong well."
A knowing grin graced her muzzle and she tapped the side of her nose. "Ah, but that would be telling."
Cadance pursed her lips in a mock-pout. She didn't really need to know, but there was something particularly thrilling about learning of Celestia's secrets. Gossiping with the maids was one of the highlights of her day.
The unicorn saw the pout and bit her lip, relenting. "Oh, fine." She leaned back, looking towards the door, then got in close. "But this is just between you and me," she whispered conspiratorially, winking.
Cadance nodded eagerly.
"Well," she began, taking another glance at the door. "Outside of keeping her bedroom door locked and warded, she does a surprisingly poor job of hiding anything. Once, she had a collection of scandalous magazines just sitting on her bed! In plain view! If you ask me, she wants the maids to gossip."
"No!" Cadance gasped, playfully pushing Raven's chest. "You really think so?"
"It's not my place to say, really." She giggled. "But if the rumors are to be believed, then it's nice to see her playing along with the castle staff. It helps liven things up a little around here."
Raven saw Cadance's wings twitch at that. She blinked, swearing for a moment that her boss's benevolent smile slipped, if only for a second. Did she say something wrong? The atmosphere in the room didn't seem that much thicker. She shook her head and looked away, helpfully gesturing towards the pile of forgotten paperwork.
"Oh! Yes, well, I better get back to work, and so should you, I suppose! It was a nice break while it lasted."
"You know, I think I'd like to have a uniform!"
Cadance nearly jumped out of her fur, her quill piercing through the page just as she went to dot the i. Her pulse raced, and her poor heart hammered against her chest. Turning her head, she glared down at Raven. Her hooves were tucked under her barrel, and her previously-donned shirt sat, folded neatly, beside her. Her gaze was absorbed by the contents of a lengthy tome, occasionally flicking up to meet a pair of royal purple eyes.
"I keep forgetting you're in here. You're too quiet." Cadance huffed, using her magic to prod her assistant's nose. "Cough now and then or something, please."
Raven at least she had the decency to blush, flashing a sheepish smile, ears pinned back. "My apologies, Princess. It's habit. Celestia often asks for some silence while she works."
Cadance reluctantly nodded, conceding. It was a good point. And she doubted Raven really meant to frighten her.
"As I was saying, though! I think I want a uniform. For my job, I mean. What do you think?"
"Don't already have that blouse?" Cadance prompted, motioning towards the discarded apparel.
"Well, yes. But it's not official. And it gets uncomfortable sometimes."
Cadance shrugged. She was already planning on commissioning a set of uniforms for all of her assistants from the royal tailor, but she had a lot on her plate right now. "You could just ask for one of the maid's dresses. I'm sure there's some spares around somewhere," she joked, giggling at Raven's bemused stare. "You practically dote on me anyway!"
The unicorn stuck her tongue out. "No, thanks. As cute as they are, I fear they'll mistake me for one of their own, and have me washing Prince Blueblood's hooves by the late evening."
She shuddered at that, feeling sorry for anyone and everyone who had to go anywhere near that buffoon. "You have a point. Though, I'm surprised, were you not employed as a maid before?"
Raven shook her head. "Accountant, actually. I'm fairly decent with sums, and I've won my share of math competitions. The housework just comes with the territory," she shrugged, fiddling with the corner of a page in her book. "I envy them a little. The maids, I mean. And not just for their uniforms. Sometimes it feels like it'd be simpler. Less stress. You understand?"
"Well, they have stresses of their own, I'm sure. The grass is always greener, as they say," Cadance nodded, putting her hooves together. "But I do understand, Raven. I feel the same way sometimes. I fantasize about opening a flower shop on the street corner, selling roses to passersby. I think that would be nice."
The mare below her smiled, resting her head. "It would. That sounds really peaceful."
They stayed there for a bit, basking in the comfortable silence. Cadance eventually spoke up, letting the mask slip once again, revealing a slight grimace. "But... I can't now, can I? I have duties. Responsibilities. I'm not a filly anymore," she whispered, with a dry mouth.
"You're not, no. Neither am I, for that matter. But, as you said before, we make do. We can't do much to turn back the clock, so there's no point in having regrets. Plus, it helps to have friends to talk to about it."
Her worry waned, but her there still felt like there was a pit in her stomach. "You'd be willing to talk about it with me?"
"Of course! I'd personally like to think we're friends at this point, having worked for you for this long. Any time you want to share how you're feeling, please don't hesitate, Princess."
Cadance rolled her eyes playfully. "Please, call me Cadance."
Raven winked. "I'll try."
They both laughed, and sat comfortably beside each-other long into the night.
When Raven awoke in the office the next morning, sunlight was pouring through the windows, and the Princess was nowhere to be seen. A small note sat on a now otherwise empty table, where piles of papers had once been. A few words were hastily scribbled onto it in fresh ink.
Hey, friend!
Woke up before you, so I decided to finish up and go make breakfast. Come get some when you wake up!
