The Handmaiden

Twilight dismounted her guard's horse, waving him away to return to his post at the castle. As she was within the walls of Canterlot, the very heart of the city, as a matter of fact, she no longer had need of an escort. She watched the guard gallop away a bit before heading down the cobblestone path leading to Rarity's home just as she had so many times before. Forgoing the door, Twilight elected to simply go round to the back, where she was certain her friend would be.

Sure enough, Sweetie Belle was in the yard, slaving over a cauldron set over a makeshift fire. She turned upon hearing Twilight's steps against the grass, and she smiled her gnarled, twisted, ruined smile with enough kindness and genuine joy that it almost distracted from all of her scars.

"Hello! I hope I didn't keep you waiting?" Twilight smiled back to Sweetie as she approached, giving her a loose, gentle hug to avoid hurting her. "I tried to be quick about it, but my escort…"

"N-no worries. I was j-just finishing up this draught. At least, as m-much as I can…" Sweetie peered at her bubbling brew, appraising it from a distance. "It won't be d-done without s...some more things."

"We can pick them up after the bathhouse, then. Are you ready to go?"

"Mh-hm. Just need to grab a bucket to p-put out this fire."

"Allow me," said Twilight with a grin. She stepped past Sweetie and pointed a lazy finger at the flames. "Irrigo minora."

A dense misting of water rippled in a wave away from Twilight's hand, making contact with the fire and putting it out instantly. The pair grinned at one another, and after hooking arms, they carefully made their way across the yard to the small stable. Opalescense whinnied as they approached, calming considerably as Sweetie raised a frail hand to stroke the mare's mane. Twilight pulled open the stable to allow Opal to slowly trot out, and she boosted Sweetie up onto the horse's back before pulling herself up and grabbing the reins.

"Hyah!"

Opal sauntered off, carrying the pair away from the Chancellor's homestead and into the golden inner city of Canterlot. Twilight had feared the grand city, once. With its great many people, each with their own sense of power and importance, it was easy for a simple, humble farmgirl to become overwhelmed. But, after studying under the most powerful and important woman in the country, even the humble farmgirl had to admit that she was a simple farmer no more.

Many passersby waved or called out their greeting to the familiar faces of the handmaiden and the alchemist, greetings that Twilight and Sweetie politely returned. It wasn't uncommon for the Empress to send her pet into town to fetch something for her, so Twilight had at least a passing familiarity with most of the merchants and shopkeeps in the city, though she never got the chance to meet any of them to any real degree. The simple fact was, aside from Sweetie and perhaps the Chancellor, Twilight simply didn't have time for friends or acquaintances.

It wasn't a long ride to the bathhouse, just a bit down the road from the Chancellor's. It was a large structure, resembling the inn that sat across the way in both its size and construction. There was a hitching post for horses just out front, and Twilight brought Opal to a stop before it so she could go about tying the mare down. As a reward for her cooperation, Twilight gave Opal a carrot from her satchel before grabbing her bag and helping Sweetie down. Standing near her friend in case she needed help, Twilight led the way into the bathhouse.

Upon entering, Twilight merely had to flash her collar in order to get where she and Sweetie Belle needed to be; a special bath for the house's more prestigious customers. It was near the back of the building, and though Twilight knew the way by now, she still followed behind the attendant who was there to show them the way. As they ventured deeper into the bathhouse, the heat and humidity rose, until they arrived at the bath itself. A stone-lined hole in the ground filled with steamy water, large enough for a dozen or more bathers to relax comfortably. Twilight and Sweetie slipped behind the nearby partition to unrobe before slowly easing into the warm water.

"Gods, that's n-nice…" sighed Sweetie, sinking down into the water.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" asked the attendant.

"If you have any honey wine, I would be eternally grateful," said Twilight. The attendant nodded and gave a tiny bow. "Thank you so much, Lotus."

"Tis my pleasure, Madame Twilight."

The attendant bowed once more, kissing the sun to Twilight and Sweetie before disappearing from the room to gather the wine for Twilight. She smiled in spite of herself, taking some sort of satisfaction at the display. A year ago, someone like Lotus wouldn't have spat in Twilight's direction. Now, she was bowing and saluting, treating Twilight with a reverence typically reserved for the nobility. Though she was somewhat ashamed to admit it even to herself, Twilight enjoyed that reverence, now that she had it.

"Remind me to leave her a tip on our way out," said Twilight. "She's very good."

"Mh-hm. She always has the water at j-just the right temp-p-perature." Sweetie sunk down a bit more beneath the water. "Helps with the p-pain."

"I wish we could do this more often. These last few weeks especially, I feel like I never get to see you anymore."

"Comes with the t-territory. You're the Royal Handmaiden, after all. Not to mention being the Empress' st-star pupil," said Sweetie with a smirk. "I'm frankly honoured you ha...have any t-time for this decrepit old witch at all."

"Oh, don't you start with that. You know how important you are to me," remarked Twilight, matching Sweetie's scarred grin with one of her own. "I do feel like the Empress is working me a bit harder lately, though. I try to keep up, but some concepts are actually quite difficult, and when it comes between my studies and recreation…"

"Your lessons c-come first. I completely understand." Their conversation was briefly interrupted by the attendant, bringing a cart carrying a jug of honey wine, two sturdy wooden steins, and a platter of bread, jam, cheese, and berries. The attendant bowed and kissed the sun yet again before leaving the two to their chat. "So, you mentioned difficult c-c-c… lessons? You're having tr-trouble with sorcery?"

"The sorcery is the easy part. A few months ago, the Empress started alternating my magick lessons with lessons about law and history," explained Twilight. "How to read and declare legislature, the true jurisdiction of the colonies and the other kingdoms, that sort of thing. Can't imagine why she's suddenly interested in teaching me about taxes…"

"She likely j-just wants you t-to be well-rounded. Have a m-more complete education." Sweetie Belle watched as Twilight floated a mug of wine into each of their hands with just a gentle wave, and she raised her glass in salute. "Ch-cheers. I remember when I was younger, R-Rarity made me learn a bit about magick, even though we knew I was incap...incapable of s-sorcery. It was awful…"

"At least she didn't shoot lightning at you for answering incorrectly."

"F-f-fair enough," giggled Sweetie. She sat her wine down on the floor beside their bath, sliding down a bit deeper into the water. "Sp-speaking of the other kingdoms… The Matai is meant to visit soon, isn't she?"

"That's what Rarity said. Something about renewing the terms of their alliance, though I'm not certain exactly what that entails," said Twilight. She tossed a berry into the air with her magick and caught it with her teeth. "It's not much of a treaty negotiations if one side holds all of the power."

"No, not especially. S...still, the Empress doesn't want to deal with a war. Even if she is certain to win."

"Hm. I suppose so," said Twilight with a nod. "War is something I can confidently say I'd do without."

"What's a beauty like you doing, worrying yourself with thoughts of war?"

Twilight arched her brow at the man's voice, turning with a frown to see who was interrupting. She was unfamiliar with the man in question, but she quickly surmised that she wasn't fond of him. He had a grin that oozed viscous arrogance from its every facet, strutting into the room in nothing but his towel, yet with the swagger of a man clad in the finest of silk and furs.

"I was just strolling past when I saw you here, all alone," said the man with a smirk. "I thought you might do for some company."

"I'm afraid to s-say, but you aren't meant to be here," said Sweetie, frowning slightly at the interruption. "We've reserved this room for the d-day. It's very k-kind, your c-compliments, b...b-but—"

"Don't flatter yourself, cripple. I was talking to your pretty friend," scoffed the man. He grinned, taking another step towards Twilight. "Why bother keeping company with such a frail, shriveled little thing like—"

"Ariesalta minora."

A quiet incantation from Twilight, as well as a flare of mana and a flick of her wrist, sent a weak, mostly invisible flare of magick forward. The man's legs went out from under him, sending him tumbling down to the ground and knocking the wind from his lungs. Sweetie gasped in a horrified sort of amusement, covering her mouth to hide her giggles as the man's towel flew aside, leaving him as nude as the day he was born.

"L-looks like I'm not the only one 'f-frail and sh-shriveled', hm?" snickered Sweetie. "You know, we have p-potions the help you with your… little p-problem, if you l-like."

"You little b—"

"I strongly urge you to reconsider what you're about to say, friend," said Twilight firmly. She turned and boosted herself a bit in the water, just enough to show her collar clearly. She pointed to the leather strap, particularly the golden sun emblem. "You see this? This means I am the handmaiden to the Empress of all of Equestria, and if you disrespect me or my good friend here ever again, I will be sure that the High Queen hears of your deplorable behavior. I can only imagine the punishment she'll decide on for offending her handmaiden." Twilight snapped her fingers, conjuring a ball of flame in her palm and scowled. "Assuming there's anything left for her to punish by then."

"What in three hells?" The man scrambled back, covering himself as best as he could. "Witch! You're a witch!"

"The foulest witch you'll ever meet. Apologize to my friend and leave, before the Empress has your arse."

The man scurried to his feet, muttering a bitter apology under his breath as he ran from the room, leaving his towel behind. Twilight stared daggers at the man as he retreated, only lowering her guard when she was absolutely certain he was gone, and only then did she turn to check on Sweetie. She seemed fine, a dark, bittersweet smirk on her face.

"You didn't have to d-do that," said Sweetie quietly. "But thank you."

"No one talks to you like that," said Twilight. She lowered herself down into the water once again, taking a sip of her wine before breaking the silence with a question that had been plaguing her mind for some time. "If you don't mind me asking… I was talking to Rarity earlier, and she mentioned that she took a vow of chastity. My guess is that you have no such vow?" Sweetie gave a slow, taciturn nod. "Then… Is there a Mr. Sweetie Belle?"

"Heh. I th-think I should be flattered…" said Sweetie darkly. "You must have f...forgotten that I only have half a f-f-face."

"I just mean—"

"No, I know. You've always treated me like a normal person, but… Well, not many men are interested in courting something like me." Sweetie gave a dry chuckle. "Makes this whole th-thing rather ironic…"

"How so?"

"I… Please, keep this between us. It's… embarrassing." Sweetie shook her head, grabbing up her wine and draining her cup entirely. Twilight refilled her cup, before doing the same for her own. "Before my accident… Even then, I wasn't as p-pretty as my sister. I had this great big b-beak of a nose, and a crooked sm...smile. And there was a lad I f-fancied. He was strong, handsome, brave, yet… k-kind, compassionate. I was smit… smitten. But he wouldn't want someone that looked like me, so I set off to cook up a potion to fix my… disappointing features."

"And?" asked Twilight.

"To be f-f...f-f-f… To be honest, I don't know. None of the ingredients I meant to use were p- particularly reactive. If I mixed them wrong, the result should have just been a rotten batch of s-soup. I must have switched up some herbs, put in something that I thought was s-something else… Boom, b-bang, burned face."

"I thought your accident was from a potion for the Empress."

"I may have f-fibbed." Sweetie shrugged. "Felt less embarrassing than to say I c-crippled myself to impress a boy who didn't even know I existed. That's actually what I wanted to go shopping for t-today. I've been developing a recipe for a d-draught that I think might f-f...fix my injuries. That’s what I had s-started when you picked me up. I just need your help to mix it."

"For you, anything. I'm not especially good at potion mixing, but I'll gladly lend my assistance any way I can," promised Twilight. "When I get back to the castle, I can ask the Empress and Rarity to—"

"No. Rarity c-can't know. If she hears what I'm have p-planned, she'll try to stop me," said Sweetie. "The p-potion, it's untested. Never been brewed before. It might be d-dangerous, but I have to t-t-try something. Rarity means the best, and she's t-trying to help, but she doesn't get it. I can't k-keep on living like this. Can't walk, can't t-talk, can't even s-sleep through the p-p-pain."

"Oh, Sweetie…" It always broke Twilight's heart, to hear Sweetie talk about her injuries. It was one of the reasons she had such admiration for the alchemist; to suffer through so much pain and tragedy, to fight through it and come out the other side with a smile showed power that Twilight couldn't ever replicate with magick. It reminded her of Pinkie.

"The only thing I've ever been any g-good at, that I liked and wanted to do… One mistake st-stole that from me." Sweetie let herself sink down a bit in the hot water as she finished her wine, waving Twilight off when she went to refill it. "Despite the cir...ci...c…" Sweetie struggled and fought with her own tongue before finally letting out a frustrated grunt. "Damn it all. Even though it was a bad t-time, mixing in the castle after the attack on C-canterlot… It made me feel alive again. And from then on, I decided. I'd get b-back in the castle's apothecary or d-d-die trying."

"Then what are we doing sitting here?" Twilight smiled, pushing herself out of the water and stepping out of the tub. She reached down, offering her hand to Sweetie, who accepted it with a grin. "We have a potion to mix."

"Top marks, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight looked up from her work, genuinely surprised by the Empress' praise. She was not confident in her performance at all, especially given how much of her time she had devoted to studying alchemy in order to assist Sweetie. She was certain that she had done poorly on this test, if not outright failed it, and yet the Empress claimed the exact opposite. The High Queen approached, offering a cup of tea to Twilight from her cart before pouring one for herself.

"You look surprised," noted the Empress. She sipped her tea before rounding the table to show Twilight her grade. "After all you've accomplished, some people might have expected a bit more confidence from you, if not outright arrogance."

"I always worry about getting the dates wrong," said Twilight, accepting the parchment from the Empress. Sure enough, each of her answers were marked as acceptable by the Empress herself. "And you're certain I passed?"

"With flying colors. You need to have more confidence in yourself. A young woman as brilliant as yourself should have more assurance in her abilities." The Empress' tone was equally stern as it was proud, like a strict mother to her child. "You are far and away the most gifted, talented, intelligent student I have ever had study under me." Empress Celestia braced Twilight's face with a hand, gently patting her cheek with a thumb. "You are allowed to act like it from time to time."

"Empress…" Twilight stared up at her teacher, her Empress, and a chill ran down her spine. There was a look in her eyes, a smoldering flame beneath her otherwise cold, indifferent gaze. After a moment, Twilight felt her cheeks flush, and she averted her eyes. "I thank you for the kind words. I'll try to be more confident."

"Good girl. Once you learn how to stand like a true queen…" The Empress smiled, her cold demeanor slipping in that way Twilight had become familiar with. "Then others will soon bow."

"I'm afraid I don't know how, Empress. I'm not like you. You were born into royalty, you were always someone special." Twilight shrunk down somewhat. "No matter how much magick I learn, no matter how many fancy dinners I attend… I'm still just a dirty peasant at heart. I don't know if you'll ever be able to stamp that out of me."

"Stand up, please," said the Empress. Uneasily, Twilight pushed herself to her feet, standing beside her mistress. "First, your posture. You fear attention and the scrutiny that comes with it, and you desire not to disappoint peoples' expectations of you, so you slouch in hopes that you are overlooked entirely."

The Empress slid into position behind Twilight, straightening her back. Twilight hadn't realized it, never giving it much thought, but it appeared the Empress was right. She did slouch, and standing up straight seemed to make her profile stronger, bolder.

"Chin up. Peasants and commoners bow to you, and never the other way around. The only person to whom you should be bowing is me." The Empress tilted Twilight's face up, leaning to rest her own chin on Twlight's shoulder, to see what her handmaiden saw. She gave a nod and placed her hands on Twilight's hips, taking note of the way the girl blushed. "Tsk. That won't do. You are beautiful. You are desirable. If I'm a strapping young lad passing by, you should expect my stares, my adoration for your perfection. Anything less than worship is akin to treason, for you are the most beautiful thing in whatever room you walk into.

"E-Empress…"

"While I, of course, find your flustered stuttering adorable, perhaps we save that for another time. Now is not the time for that shy, humble, anxious girl. You shove her in a dungeon and you take her place. Let the real Twilight Sparkle stride forward. Show me who you really are," said the Empress, squeezing Twilight's hips. "Repeat after me. I am beautiful."

"I… am beautiful."

"No, no, no hesitation!" Twilight let out a yelp as the Empress swatted her on the behind, more surprised than pained. The Empress barely struck her at all, but Twilight wasn't expecting to be touched in that way by anyone, least of all her Empress. "Again. I am beautiful."

"I am… beautiful."

"Are you asking me or are you telling me?" The Empress spanked her apprentice again, a bit harder this time. "Again."

"I am beautiful," said Twilight, stiffening up somewhat. She couldn't see the High Queen, but Twilight could almost feel her smile. "I am beautiful."

"Good. I am clever. Say it."

"I am clever."

"I am powerful."

"I am powerful!"

"I am desired." The Empress' voice dropped, her normally strong, even tone replaced by a slithering satin whisper. Twilight barely paused, maintaining the fire the Empress had lit inside of her.

"I am desired."

"Yes, my dear, you are desired, indeed. My guards think I cannot hear them, how they tell tales of your beauty and charm." The Empress stepped around Twilight, looking down on her, challenging her to break. Twilight stood firm, looking up at her mistress with assurance and steadiness. "Escorting you is one of the most coveted assignments on the schedule, and most every guard in my army desires it, because they desire you. Their desire for you is so strong that it blinds them to the fear they should find in their hearts. Fear of me, for you are mine and I do not like to share."

"Surely you exaggerate," said Twilight, still looking her Empress in the eye. The look she received very nearly caused her facade to crack, the fiery, bubbling infatuation and desire in the Empress' eyes sending tremors through her body. Twilight may have even called that expression lustful.

"You are much more important than you realize, Twilight Sparkle. In this world, there are the powerful, and then there's everyone else. You and I… We are the powerful. We are the strong. We are special." The Empress tilted Twilight's face up, looking down on her apprentice and cracking a grin. "And the powerful are better. We are better than everyone else. It's an ugly truth, but a truth nevertheless. Call it arrogance, call it superiority, call it whatever you like. I call it divine order. It is the divine order of the world that we rise above, while our inferiors serve us from below. That is confidence, Twilight Sparkle. Confidence in your appearance, in your abilities, in the natural order of the world."

"You and I…" murmured Twilight. She looked Empress Celestia in the eyes, speaking a bit more plainly. "You really believe that I am like you?"

"Only the best parts of me. My intellect, my thirst for improvement. My power and will." The Empress wrapped her arms around Twilight's waist, gripping her behind a bit more tenderly, in contrast to the gentle slaps from before. "My hips."

"While appreciated, I take no shame in admitting that my hips are not as nice as yours, my Empress."

"Oh? So that means you've given them thought?" The Empress laughed airily, her voice seeming to raise the temperature of the room. "But not just my hips, I presume? What else have you been thinking of?"

"My thoughts and opinions, especially of my Empress, are as chaste as a saint's," said Twilight, her cheeks just barely tinged red.

"Lying is unbecoming, Twilight Sparkle. There's no shame in finding me attractive. You certainly would not be the first." The Empress swiped a lock of hair from Twilight's eyes, her eyes passing over her small, mousey features the way one would inspect a fine gem. "Your mouth says one thing when your eyes say another."

"How do you mean?"

"Let's just say that I can tell where gazes linger. When you are bathing me, your gaze very rarely meets my own." The Empress laughed. "My ‘chaste’ little handmaiden seems to be quite the pervert, after all."

"Says the very same woman ordering me to bathe her to begin with," countered Twilight. Her head felt as if it were aflame, her body melting in the High Queen's grasp. "Before I became your handmaiden, you did that for yourself. I am no faster at cleaning your body than you, yet you insist that I assist you anyway. It's almost as if you want me to touch your naked body."

"Sharp and observant as ever, Twilight Sparkle. I do not make it any secret that I desire you in my bed."

"You could have ordered me to please you during the night and I would have no choice but to obey."

"Where's the fun in that? Of course, I could make you, but why spoil the hunt?" mused the Empress. "I am confident that you will come to me willingly. For now, I'm simply enjoying the chase for my prize."

"That's what Spearhead said."

"I think you'll find me to be much better looking than Captain Spearhead…" Empress Celestia leaned in, briefly pressing her lips to Twilight's. Unable to shake the fire in her chest, the longing, the loneliness she felt, Twilight could do little more than allow herself to be kissed, and kiss her Empress back.

The door to the study swung open and, in a rare display of surprise, the Empress jerked away from her handmaiden just as the chancellor entered. Twilight was just as startled, perhaps even moreso, and she clutched her chest from the surprise. Chancellor Rarity looked to the Empress, then to Twilight, her eyes lingering on the handmaiden's lips. The frown Twilight received made her consider things, and she very quickly wiped the faint crimson stain of the Empress' lipstick from her face.

"So sorry to interrupt," said Rarity curtly. She raised a scroll of parchment, bound in a scarlet ribbon. "But we just received a letter. It's marked urgent, as you can see."

"And so you rush in and interrupt my student's lessons?" asked the Empress, arching her brow.

"Well, your Eternity, it is marked urgent." Rarity held the note forth. "Shall I read it now?"

"Very well. Hurry up, Chancellor." The Empress took a seat, lazily tapping her finger against the table. "Twilight Sparkle and I have much more to cover."

"Of course, my Empress. Right away." Rarity removed the ribbon on the letter, unrolling the parchment and holding it in front of her. "Empress Celestia, Divine Ruler of All of Equestria, your loyal soldiers report disturbances in the southern region of Equestria. Explosions were heard, initially thought to be the results of mishandlings at a nearby mine."

"If I find out that you interrupted my student's private lessons all because some dalcop dropped a torch on a black powder barrel, I am going to be so incredibly cross," remarked the Empress.

"Our scouts sent forth to investigate soon found this not to be the case, instead learning that the explosions were the fault of a small contingent of… hunters." Rarity's eyes went wide, as did Twilight's, and the pair both looked to the Empress in search of her expression; they were met with cold indifference. "These men were soon confirmed to be the last members of the Children of the Night preparing to mount another assault."

"Oh, no…" sighed Twilight. The Empress sighed as well, bringing her teacup to her lips.

"We tracked the Children to their camp atop a large mountain, formerly uncharted on our maps and—"

"What?!" The Empress snapped suddenly, her cold gaze melting into a fiery glare. "Where? Where is this mountain, Rarity?"

"I… south of the Appleloosa colony, your Greatness," said Rarity after searching the letter. "About a half day journey from there. Empress, is—"

"I am going to make this very clear, Rarity. Are you listening?" The Empress held onto her teacup, setting her saucer down onto the table. "This cup of tea is about three-quarters of the way full. You will put together a caravan of two Daybreakers and enough supplies for two people to make the trip to the colony and back. You have until this empty teacup touches my saucer to have this arranged, or else I will break all ten of your fingers." The Empress took a healthy sip of her tea. "And perhaps a few toes, if I have the time."

Rarity paled considerably, but quickly rushed out of the room to obey her Empress' orders. Twilight watched the High Queen carefully, taking note of the way she tried to contain her fury. It wasn't exactly rare that the Empress threatened her underlings, even Rarity, but she normally did so with a sense of humor, no matter how twisted. There was no such humor in her voice just then, just pure venom and disdain.

"Empress?" Though Twilight was certain that the Empress would not turn her rage on her, she still spoke carefully, to avoid further upsetting her. "What is—?"

"You may not ask me questions at this moment, Twilight Sparkle," said the Empress darkly. "I was already irate that we were interrupted by my idiot Chancellor, and now I hear this… It would be better if you followed quietly for now."

"Of course, Empress. I live to serve." Twilight offered her leash, which, after a moment, the Empress accepted, gripping the leather tightly. The two raised their tea, clinking their cups together before sipping the smooth, spicy, warm tea. Twilight hoped that the tea would calm the Empress somewhat, and the expression from the High Queen seemed to indicate that it had.

Then, it occurred to Twilight that a calm Empress may very well be even more terrifying.