Servitude

We made port in Manehattan for a short stop to repair the main mast and patch up a place on the port bow. After about a fortnite we set sail to Canterlot. I...I was scared as I saw as we drew along-side a pier all the rich people and their servants and slaves. The ones I observed were treated like refuse! I grabbed our baggage and hailed a cabby, his royal chancellor Neighsay was able to procure and keep my grandfather's rapier in his possession so I'd never lose the dear old saber.

Neighsay led us upon arrival at his home up a flight of granite steps and we entered the mansion. I saw his family rush to greet him. His son was there and he was a fine looking fellow to be sure and he noticed me and I coursied as is the Equestrian custom from what I could tell. Neighsay began to to speak.

"My son, since I missed your birthday...I do still manage to remember in my 'old' age the day you were born. I brought home a gift for since you are now of age; being of age means it is expected for you to have a personal servant. Now I'd like the family to meet Nocturne." I courtsied and watched for any signal of a need or desire. The daughters looked me over and the eldest, who they called Fleur De Lis saw the remaining scar that I still had on my cheek.

"Let me guess father, this one was spared because she fought with courage."

"Yes Fleur, everyone needs to be patient with her since she lost everything....all because one of my officers went behind my back and disobeyed orders to spare civilians."

"I see father. She's cute and well built and I'd wager she will be an over achiever which my dear brother will have to tell to slow down."

"My lady...." Nocturn began choosing her words carefully, "I will certainly do my best...." She saw other Saddle Arabian slave girls in the main court; Nocturne wanted to express that Neighsay spared not only for her courage but that her rapier bore the crest of her family. At that precise moment Blueblood noticed the rapier.

"Father....is that rapier a trophy from some one you fought?"

"Indeed it is my son! This rapier was in the hand of a skilled warrior. Saw the person still fight even when outnumbered and wounded." Nocturn listened as Neighsay praised her skills without naming her specifically. She saw a slight hand gesture which was directed toward a small wheeled cart with some wine and a several small pastry items on item. She poured the wine and presented to Blueblood.

"Your wine my lord." Blueblood took the wine and sipped the rose pink liquid. Nocturn fought the urge to push away when Blueblood squeezed her from the side in a quick hug.

This was very shocking and that is to spite the fact Chancellor Neighsay warned me about this action. The other Saddle Arabian girls and gentlemen glared at me; then it donned on me! I began to feel apprehensive as I recalled that my father was also a traitor and sold his own people to Equestrian traders to fulfill the debts their families owed him.

We left the main court and walked to where I suppose I was to sleep. The awkward thing was I was to have a nice room across from his and not in the normal servants' quarters. Around midnight he summoned me to his bed chamber. I knocked and I heard a faint come in, I stepped in and was hit with a pillow from both sides. This guy had his studies in the morning at the university! I expressed this concern but was met with a pillow. "C'mon fight back!" Rolling my eyes I joined this fray. The impromptu pillow fight end his Fleur Des Li left and I stood and listened to him read his poetry assignment. I guess I had dozed off because I awoke and found him on this small day bed and I was in his. I leaped out of the bed and bolted for the door and he had also leaped out of the bed and in our still drowsy stupor ran into each other and he had to catch me before I hit the granite floor.

Screw our luck his folks and sister showed up and got us what I assume resembled a dance pose. I was in my head panicking and this must look bad.

Fleur Des Lis walked into the room followed by the sister I hadn't met yet - Sassy Saddles. The pair of them began to joke about us being a couple. I tried to explain what was happening and to no avail when their mother joined in the banter. Chancellor Neighsay regained the control of the situation and asked what the heck was happening.

I told him about what Fleur and Blueblood had gotten me involved in, namely the pillow fight which led into the poetry reading them about falling asleep. The tale brought us to the present -e waking up and trying to get back to my room and he had I colliding.

The chancellor looked at us then to his wife and he had that look of familiarity. "My son....let your mother and I tell you children a story of how we met." The story was gripping and the lady of the house Lady Coloratoura was once Neighsay's personal maid back in the day and romance happened. Later that day as Blueblood had me taking a letter to the post room in the mansion few of the other Saddle Arabian slaves approached me. The most dominant one, Sandstone did the talking and she was brutal with the insults and actually slapped me a few times.

I told them that I was not guilty of my father's behaviors of the past as death had caught up to him and punished him for his cruelty. I begged forgiveness on his behalf and Sandstone still standing over me and knelt down beside me. My nose was bleeding and so was my lip from when Sandstone tried to stop another colleague, a fellow named Iron Will from decking me.

"I will extend the forgiveness you begged for your father's actions to you Nocturn....I shouldn't have takeny anger on you. The others I'm sure will be in agreement that we should've not take vengeance on you." I nodded as a sign that I forgave them as I held my head back. Blueblood around us and he was furious! He naturally assumed Iron Will did the damage and Sandstone tried to take the fall but Blueblood was focused else where. Iron Will was known in the mansion to be a bully to the other slaves and servants. We got my face cleaned up and Blueblood and I went to see a seamstress about getting a dress made to tend to my need of a formal gown for that party I was attending with Blueblood as his personal servant and I didn't know it but it came out that he was also gonna use me as his plus one instead of a servant capacity.