Crisp Sheets paced nervously, her hooves clacking on the hardwood floors.
She was a pale lavender unicorn pony, with a light build that was perfect for her work as a maid. She kept her dress a half-size too small at the advice of her previous master, who thankfully had never seemed to notice her. She normally kept her long, yellow mane tucked within a bonnet, but due to her duties today she had it up in a ponytail. She'd also taken the time to weave a tailbow in. She hoped it'd help.
On the other side of the door, she knew Queen Chrysalis was waiting. Crisp wanted to be anywhere else.
But that wasn't really an option. If she ran, they'd find her. She wasn't sure if "they" would be the Maid's Guild, the Canterlot Guard, or the changelings. Her job, right now, was to satisfy her Maid's Guild duty and pledge herself to the manor's new master. Or at least she thought. There weren't bylaws about changeling invasions. But there were very bad stories about maids who left their posts.
She thought she'd always be happy to make Head Maid, but this wasn't how she anticipated it. Just a few weeks ago, she'd met a cute mare at a cidery who took an interest in her plight. They got to talking, one thing led to another, and Crisp found herself giggling in bed with her snout in a stranger's crotch before she blacked out. Now she understood why that mare was so alluring. She'd nearly fell out of the bed when she woke up to find a changeling snuggling with her. In the moment, agreeing to help boot out her jerkface of a previous master seemed like a great deal, especially with a promotion. Now she was starting to wonder if it was worth it.
Nah. It was worth it. That changeling knew her way around the bedroom. Crisp heard whispers the changeling considered her a "pet". She didn't know what it meant, but so far all of them had given Crisp a wide berth. She wasn't a stupid mare. She was going to take any advantage she had. Plus... that changeling was really good at what she did. Crisp couldn't deny she hoped for another round or two.
But now there was one terrifying hangup. The Maid's Guild rules were clear. A new head maid must introduce herself to the manor's keeper in a ritualized pledge of fealty. Normally it was a boring exchange and over in a few minutes. But this time, the "master" wasn't a pony. She shivered.
The doorknob clicked, and she recognized the face that peeked around. That one changeling kept its pony form around Crisp. It exited the room and smiled.
"She's ready for you, Crispy. Remember everything I told you. She is above us all. Respect that, and this will go well."
Crisp took a deep breath. "Is she in a good mood? Ugh, no, wait. Seriously, do I do this casually or do I act terrified?"
The changeling-as-pony pinched her cheek. "She can see your heart. Acting would be unwise. Just get your sweet cheeks in there and make her feel like you're not a snitch. Easy peasy!"
With that, the changeling smacked Crisp's flank, causing her to jump. "Stop, you'll make me mess up my dress!"
She smoothed it out, took a gulp, then opened the door and entered what was now the Queen's chambers.
It was the same old boring room it had always been.
The previous master kept it furnished, of course, but he wasn't a reader, so there were no shelves full of interesting books. He wasn't a painter, so there was no art. He was just a spoiled brat, so it was decorated with whatever he felt was expensive. Suits of armor? Sure. Finely upholstered but uncomfortable furniture? Yep. The only feature of the room Crisp had ever liked was the oversized fireplace with its ornate brickwork.
It was now the only light in the room, as the Queen had installed blackout curtains over all of the windows. The roaring fire formed a good backdrop for the imposing form of Queen Chrysalis, who was glaring at Crisp with a gaze that could cut diamond. Crisp gasped, and immediately dropped into a kneel, her head touching the floor. For good measure, she collapsed and let her belly hit the floor. As she laid there, her eyes shut tight, she noticed the room smelled different. It was stale and boring throughout her tenure, but now... the air carried something she couldn't place. It was sweet, but not like any pastry shop she'd visited. The tried to keep herself from hyperventilating.
The Queen seemed to enjoy this, or at least, it made her laugh. The sound was sinister, and made Crisp's heart pound. She could feel the overwhelming presence of the Queen's will turned upon her. If she weren't already prone, she'd certainly be weak in the knees.
"Look at you, little pony! You have done well, selling out your kind that I may enjoy this mansion."
Crisp heard the Queen's hooves approaching, but kept her head down.
"Had you not kept one of my closest servants so... entertained, I might have just eliminated you. But she seemed convinced there is value in the maid staff. I understand you are here to prove that?"
Crisp stayed quiet.
"Ah! She has trained you well. You may speak, little pony, if I ask you a question."
Crisp inhaled slowly, remembering some talks she'd had about this with her changeling... friend?
"Queen Chrysalis, oh great and terrible, as I am head maid, and you are the mistress of this manor now, I... I must make a pledge to you."
"Right, the Maid's Pledge?" Chrysalis snickers. "Do you know how many have pledged themselves to me? Nonetheless, it's always amusing. You won't leave me alone until you've made it, will you?"
"Ah, I cannot. The Maids' Guild would hear of it, and they'd come to investigate. I sense... that would be unacceptable."
"Quite. But I wanted this place as a haven for my brood... ugh. This isn't working. I'm going to get a creak in my neck staring at you on the floor like this. Get up. Gaze upon me."
Crisp quivered. She knew what her next lines were to be, but she just couldn't. Her heart was pounding, and from what she'd felt through the floor Chrysalis must be inches away from her, looming above. Honesty. Surely honesty is worth something?
"I... can't. I'm... afraid of you. I promise I'll just keep up with the manor and never tell anypony, just don't hurt me!"
Laughter was not what Crisp expected, but Chrysalis seemed to be enjoying herself.
"I only enjoy the fear of ponies I wish to crush. I know not what I plan for you yet. Get up, little pony."
Crisp stood, keeping her head bowed low and eyes squinted shut.
"Chin up. Eyes open. If you are going to pledge yourself to me, then take me in."
Crisp knew it was do or die. The Queen was being more charming than she'd imagined. She willed her eyes open and got her first close-up view of Queen Chrysalis, though it was just a pair of shapely forelegs with holes in them. She gasped, having not really believed the whole "holes" thing was real. She'd been told to raise her chin, so she did.
That brought her gaze to the Queen's chest carapace, which was draped with her blue mane. Crisp knew to expect an alicorn-sized body, but being so close made it intimidating. She gulped and kept her head moving, tracing the strangely alluring outline of the Queen's neck to a head that was staring down at her like a mantis considering its prey. The moment her eyes met the Queen's, she shivered.
"There you are," the Queen's voice took on a softer tone, "Am I so bad? Surely I'm not as horrible as you've heard."
Crisp couldn't put her hoof on why, but Chrysalis was right. The pony had seen pictures, and they all made the Queen look terrible. But up close... no, what was she thinking. There was no way this big bug could be... attractive? What was that smell?
The Queen spoke. "I can see your heart now, Crisp Sheets. It is no different than any other pony's. But you are confused, yes? I'm sure by now you imagined I'd be examining your insides."
Crisp felt a small bit of courage. "A-actually... I thought you'd just steal everything that felt good from me."
"Hmm..." Chrysalis tapped her chin and began to walk around Crisp, who found herself enraptured by the long, slender legs of the changeling queen. "I admit, from time to time, I've had to take without permission. But I have so many mouths to feed, isn't it a shame that so much love goes to waste?"
The Queen had slipped behind Crisp, who decided it would be best not to crane and follow. What was happening. The pony stammered an answer.
"W-well, I never really heard it that way, but now that you say it--"
"Nice tailbow, by the way, it really accentuates your features," the Queen tugged at the bow playfully, "and you're a little pony, but that dress is too little. Was that something... your last master dictated?"
"Ah... er...", Crisp blushed at the tail-tug, "he... dictated it, but nopony ever figured out why? He seemed interested in nothing but himself."
Suddenly, Crisp found herself with a faceful of Queen Chrysalis, who had leapt across her body in a single bound, twisted and landed silently in a crouch to put her head at the level of the pony's, gazing into her eyes again. Crisp shivered.
"Did you want him to be interested in you?"
The smell was her. Somehow, it was like walking into a combination toy store, pastry shop, and one of those Hearth's Warming stores with too many potpourri displays. Crisp was finding it harder and harder to remember her goals.
"He was gross."
"Hmm."
The Queen abruptly broke her gaze, turned, and walked towards the fireplace. She wasn't swinging her tail, but Crisp caught herself craning her neck. From what little she could see, Chrysalis was sporting an ass that rivaled Luna's, though she was ashamed and amazed she was considering it. Shouldn't she be afraid? Or should she reach out and--
"You will think I'm gross. You speak ill of your former master."
Words, Crisp! Words! She struggled to find them. She remembered her maid's oath.
"He mistreated the manor, which broke our pledge."
"How so?" Chrysalis levitated a poker and picked at the fire's embers, sending a shower of sparks upwards. She stayed silent for several moments, then spoke.
Crisp felt bold. "We did our best to make him happy, but he never gave anything back. He never rewarded anypony for good work. He was a miserable wreck of a pony and took it out on us. That is why I thought we'd be better off--"
What was happening to her self-control? Why did she say that? In an instant, Chrysalis was back in her face.
"Better off under me, the great deceiver? Your worst enemy? How am I to accept a pledge from one who has sold out her own kind?"
"I--"
"Don't interrupt me! I see the selfishness in your heart."
The Queen's face, while fearsome, was taking on a new quality to Crisp. She was terrified of what it meant, but felt her self-control slipping away.
"I put on cute dresses, and put up my mane every day, but for what? Nothing! I worked hard to get his attention, and I was going to die alone! I was terrified of that, and I wanted to get him back for it. Yes, I'm terrible! Do what you will to me. Just... let the other maids be. I led them into this."
For the first time Crisp could remember, Chrysalis smiled. It lifted the pony's heart, though the sharp teeth and forked tongue it revealed should have made her feel otherwise.
"So we do see eye to eye. Doesn't it hurt to be unloved?"
"Yes." Crisp did not hesitate.
"Then perhaps we have an understanding."
Crisp's head was spinning. She couldn't tell if she was doing well or if she was doomed. Every breath she took filled her nostrils with that scent, and it made it harder and harder to think. Suddenly, she blurted out a bad idea.
"...you noticed more than my tailbow."
The Queen's lips curled slightly. "And you admired my Queenly ass. You have a choice, little pony."
Chrysalis's horn glowed, and shortly after Crisp heard the doors behind her swing open.
"Walk out, and never cross my path again. Out there, the ponies guide your fate. Or stay, show me you know your place, and see what else they have lied to you about."
It only took Crisp a moment to decide.
Crisp's horn glowed. She reached out with her magic, found the knobs, and pulled hard. The doors slammed, much harder than she intended. She had no clue what she was doing, but in the moment, another pony was the last thing she wanted to see. She'd been studying the eyes of the Queen, and there was something... kind within them she'd never noticed. She dared to break the silence.
"May I touch you?"
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"
Crisp thought carefully, her mind felt a million miles away. She wanted to ask what she was thinking, but she knew what she was thinking. She felt she really understood the Queen, and had something that could make her feel better. It terrified her, yet she felt compelled.
"I... want to show you I know my place. But first... you don't have a coat. That is strange to me. I... want to get over it. I can't serve you if I'm afraid of you, right?"
The Queen tilted her head. "You may."
The Queen didn't specify where, so Crisp was left with a difficult choice. Her face seemed... dangerous. It's a vulnerable place. So, too, could be the neck? There was that armored backplate? Crisp decided the belly was right out, as well. No, curse her eyes, Crisp felt there was only one logical place to start. She couldn't figure out why, but it was the only thing she could think about anymore. She took a cautious step forward, followed by another, and brought herself alongside the queen. She took one deep breaths. Two deep breaths. She reached out a hoof...
...and planted it firmly on a royal flank, right where a cutie mark should be. It was sleek, hard, and she was more surprised by what bothered her than anything else.
"Oh..."
"What is it?"
"You're... so cold..."
"Excellent deductive reasoning. I've got no coat! Why do you think I keep the fire blazing?"
Crisp frowned, and moved her hoof a little. The sound was a little unnerving, but she found herself enraptured. The Queen's scent was amazing, and the moment her hoof contacted chitin, she felt electrified. She couldn't... possibly enjoy the things she was thinking. She hadn't even noticed, but she'd been moving her hoof further along the Queen's flank, towards her tail. She'd done it. She was doomed. She was rubbing the changeling queen's ass with her hoof. But she wasn't dead yet? The smell was even stronger, and only one thought formed in Crisp's mind.
"I... am sorry. It must be hard. Is there anything I can do?"
Chrysalis's tail twitched imperceptibly. "Is that not your task?"
Something about that tail swish broke Crisp. She knew what she needed, and in a moment decided she'd take the consequences if it was wrong. Her horn lit, and she carefully lifted Chrysalis's tail. She waited a moment, but only just, for a protest, then took a step forward and turned to view her prize.
It wasn't the first time she'd seen a mare on display, but it was the most powerful and dangerous mare she'd ever met. The matte black of Queen Chrysalis's carapace gave way between her legs to a softer, skin-like marehood that was a pleasant shade of green. Crisp had never seen such a beautiful sight in her life. Her breaths were heavy, and she felt her own body responding with absolute desire. It was all she could do to choke out a phrase.
"May I?"
"Is it your place?"
"I... need it to be."
"Then you must."
Crisp shoved her face into the Queen's most private place, opening her mouth and abandoning all pretense of shame. The moment her tongue hit flesh, she was greeted with the most pleasant taste she'd ever experienced. It was like the cleanest water, the sweetest honey, and the warmest milk all combined into one. For a moment, she lost herself, then she was reminded there was a greater being than her at stake. Slowly, she felt around with her tongue, happy that the landscape was as she expected. She started at the top, nearest what she hoped was the Queen's clitoris, failing to stop and ask if the Queen would even have a purpose for one. As she lapped downwards, she felt the Queen push back with her hindquarters, so she felt she must be doing something right. No way was she going to make this short.
The Queen had closed her eyes, slowly lifting her head in pleasure as the pony attended to her needs. "Yes... love me, little pony... and perhaps I can find a place for you."
Crisp let the Queen's tail go with her horn, letting it drape around her head as it would no longer be in the way. She took a deep breath and used it to spread the Queen's lips, letting her shove her tongue deep into the Queen. This got Crisp her first moan, and she treasured it in a way she'd never felt before. She felt the Queen's muscles clenching around her tongue, and took that opportunity to withdraw, dragging her tongue slowly upwards and swirling it around the Queen's clit again. This seemed to have an impact, as one of the Queen's hind legs twitched.
Suddenly, the Queen moved away. Crisp nearly fell face-first, but found herself suspended in Chrysalis's magic. The Queen had turned around and leveled her face with Crisp's.
"So eager to give... I like that, little pony. But you were enjoying it a bit too much. If you serve me, the pleasure is all mine. And that means your pleasure is mine also. Would you give your pleasure to me? If you fight back at all, I shall never trust you."
"Take it." Crisp had no time to think, nor could she resist while suspended in Chrysalis' magic. "Take it, Queen, I am yours."
Chrysalis stripped the dress from Crisp in one motion. In a blur of movements she couldn't comprehend, the pony found herself pressed onto the grand bed on her back with each hoof bound by something the Queen had produced, unseen. Crisp was beyond caring. She could still taste the Queen on her lips and smell her in her nostrils and--
Now the Queen's breath was upon her folds, which she hadn't even noticed were soaked with her own desires. There was a slight, blissful probing of the forked tongue before it shoved itself deep inside. Crisp threw her head back and strained against her bindings. The Queen's tongue was electrifying, probing her in places no stallion or mare had ever touched before. How long could it be? She felt it pushing against her, finding her most sensitive places, then as suddenly as it had been thrust, it withdrew, lapping towards her clitoris and causing waves of pleasure to short-circuit any attempts at conscious thought. She had no clue how long it had gone on before she arched her entire body. An explosive orgasm, stronger than any she'd ever felt, rocked her. Her juices gushed onto the Queen's face, and she felt her thighs squeezing the Queen's head as the relentless assault continued.
Just as the waves passed, she felt a great weight pressing upon her and opened her eyes to find the Queen standing above her, leering, Crisp's fluids dripping downwards. Crisp panted heavily.
"I... wish... I... had... enough... to... give..."
"You are in your place, little Crisp, that is enough." The Queen dragged a hind hoof down Crisp's belly.
"ANYTHING." Crisp wiggled, desperate for the hoof to connect.
"Then bring me more ponies, one pony's love is just not enough for me."
"Yes, my Que--"
The Queen quickly lowered herself, kissing Crisp directly on the lips and draining what was left of the pony's emotions. Crisp's eyes rolled back into her head and she took a long, shuddering breath before they closed and she fell into a deep sleep.