Steamy Stress Relief

“Are you...certain you wouldn't like anything else, Your Highness?”

Celestia looked down at the one walking along beside her: a middle-aged unicorn woman dressed in a pristine white spa uniform, her lavender-colored hair arranged in a professional, yet stylish fashion. The woman was walking quickly to match the stride of the much larger princess; despite this, she managed to maintain a professional air, gazing up at Celestia with a smile of respectful subservience.

In spite of her frazzled brain and her weary body, Celestia gave the woman the same loving, motherly smile she gave to all of her beloved subjects.

“I am quite sure, Miss Repose,” said Celestia.

“Because we have a wide range of treatments available to fulfill your every need and want,” said Miss Repose. “If there is anything else you desire, anything at all, we would be more than happy to provide it.”

“I appreciate your hospitality,” said Celestia, “but...I really would just like to spend some time in the sauna today.”

“Oh...as you wish, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose.

The woman did her best to maintain her upbeat appearance, but Celestia still managed to see the disappointment in her eyes. Celestia wished she could have avoided causing her further grief, especially after everything that had already happened that afternoon. Showing up at the spa with hardly any advance notice had been bad enough, what with the terrific scramble she had incited amongst the staff. Any other day, she would have gladly announced her visit well in advance; unfortunately, her daily supply of patience had already been used up long before she had walked through their door. She had offered to provide additional compensation for the trouble she had caused them, but Restful Repose, the manager of the establishment, would hear nothing of it. Not only had she immediately put herself and her staff at Celestia's disposal, but she had refused to accept any compensation from the princess, even at their standard rate. Apparently, the spa had never had the honor of catering to a princess before, and the staff seemed to consider the opportunity to do so to be more valuable than any number of bits, at least in Miss Repose's mind. The poor woman's enthusiasm only made her disappointment that much more painful to see.

“But perhaps...I could come back another day and try some of the other treatments you were telling me about?” said Celestia.

Miss Repose's face lit up upon hearing Celestia's words. “Oh...yes, Your Highness!” she said. “Of course, Your Highness! We would love to have you back whenever you wish!”

As much as she enjoyed seeing the ecstatic look on the woman's face, Celestia was less ecstatic at the thought of following through with her suggestion. Truthfully, Celestia's idea of relaxation did not include being waited on hand and foot by a small army of devoted servants; she got enough of that back at the castle. Massages, pedicures, and all of the other treatments that involved yet more people hanging on her whims, desperately seeking her approval, did not seem particularly attractive to her. To sit in a sauna, however, to be completely alone in a quiet, peaceful setting, was a much different matter. No servants, no petitioners, no paperwork; just her and a room full of hot steam caressing every inch of her weary body. She could hardly wait.

Celestia allowed herself to fantasize about the experience as she and Miss Repose made their way down one of the spa's large hallways. She absentmindedly pored over the soothingly off-white walls, and breathed in the mildly flower-scented air. Her golden sandals clicked softly on the polished marble as they walked, right alongside the pitter-patter of her hostess's heels. The rhythm of their feet might have been calming to the ear, had it not been overshadowed by the loud clanking of the golden armor worn by the two royal guards walking closely, but not too closely, behind them. Doing her best to put the cacophony out of her mind, Celestia continued on down the hall, passing a number of doors on either side.

“Are these your saunas?” she asked.

“Yes, Your Highness,” replied Miss Repose. “Regal Radiance boasts over thirty luxury steam rooms of the highest caliber. You will not find a more satisfying sauna experience anywhere else in the city.”

“I am thrilled to hear that,” said Celestia. “Which room may I use, then?”

“Oh, you would not wish to use one of these rooms, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose.

“Oh?” said Celestia.

“Oh...please forgive my presumption, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose, “but...my staff and I have already prepared our VIP room just for you. The...Royal Room, as it were. I believe you will have a much more satisfying experience there...but if you really wish to use one of these rooms, I'm sure I can make arrangements.”

“No, no,” said Celestia, not wanting to cause the poor woman even more hassle. “That's quite alright. I'm sure whatever you're arranged for me will be lovely.” She threw in a calming smile, which seemed to have the desired effect on the overly accommodating spa manager.

“Very well, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose. “I am certain you will find the Royal Room to your liking.”

A short distance later, the hallway came to a short stairwell which led up to the floor above. Celestia and her escorts ascended the stairs, arriving at an area positioned above the other sauna rooms. The room they stepped out into was wide in all dimensions, and was noticeably more luxurious in design than the rest of the spa. Elegant furniture was carefully arranged throughout it, including fine couches, chairs, and accent tables. Large windows in one wall opened up onto the skyline of Canterlot, providing a gorgeous view of the city sparkling in the afternoon sun. Rich carpets of ornate design covered the marble floor, and lush plants housed in beautiful pots provided a lived-in atmosphere. If Celestia hadn't known any better, she would have thought she had just walked into one of the many sitting rooms of her castle.

“The waiting room, Your Highness,” Miss Repose explained as they crossed the room. “We have quite a queue for the Royal Room on some days, so we've taken it upon ourselves to make the pre-sauna experience just as enjoyable as the sauna itself.”

“Well, it certainly is luxurious,” said Celestia. “Although...I can't help but notice that there's not much of queue at the moment.”

Truthfully, apart from their party, the room was completely empty, but Celestia opted for a more diplomatic phrasing.

“Oh, not today, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose. “No one else has made reservations for this afternoon, so you should feel free to spend as long as you wish in the sauna...within safe limits, of course.”

While her face did not betray any dishonestly, she had, in fact, been stretching the truth a bit. There had been a few reservations made for that afternoon, but an inconvenient “steam shortage” had forced her to cancel those. While she may have annoyed the spoiled rich girls and little lordlings who frequented the room, she considered it a small price to pay for having the princess bless her humble establishment with her presence.

“Well, thank you very much,” said Celestia, “but I probably won't be spending too long in there.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose.

As they reached the far end of the room, the group arrived at a set of double-doors made of polished stone and inlaid with sparkling gemstones.

“Here we are!” said Miss Repose. “The Royal Room. Let me just get this unlocked...”

From within her pocket, she produced a keyring with enough keys to have given the average locksmith a headache. She quickly rifled through the keys, picking out a large, golden one and inserting it into a lock built into the doors. A twist of the wrist, and the lock opened with a dull thunk.

“There we are,” said Miss Repose. “Now...allow me to escort you inside and show you what the room has to offer.”

Taking hold of the door handles, she gracefully pushed the doors open, clearing the path to the space beyond.

“If you'll just follow me, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose, preparing to step through.

Before either she or Celestia could budge, however, their came the loud, authoritative voice of one of the guardswomen standing nearby. “Security sweep!” she barked out.

As fast as lightning, two golden forms zipped past Celestia and through the doors, the wind they kicked up rustling her hair. Miss Repose stood frozen in shock at the sudden commotion, her eyes wide and her mouth agape; Celestia, on the other hand, didn't even bat an eye.

“I must apologize for my guards,” said Celestia. “They can sometimes be a bit...overzealous.”

“Oh...that's...quite alright, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose, the woman managing to regain some of her composure.

“Overzealous” was a bit of an understatement, thought Celestia. Ever since her most recent kidnapping at the hands of the changeling queen Chrysalis, her guards had been paranoid to the point of absurdity. Even with the queen having been replaced by her son Thorax and no longer being a threat, the guards had refused to relax, seeing new enemies around every corner. It had taken a long time before they had felt comfortable about her leaving the castle again, and even then, her escorts had stuck to her more closely than ever. She had hoped that she might be able to spend at least one afternoon in peace without having to deal with yet another security sweep, perimeter check, or some other ultimately unnecessary precaution. Even more so, she had hoped that Miss Repose and her staff would not have to deal with any more of her guards' somewhat embarrassing behavior than they already had.

“Erm...sergeant?” said Celestia, peering through the doors. “Is this...really necessary?”

“Yes, Your Highness!” came the voice of the sergeant from somewhere within. “We must make sure that this location is secure!”

Celestia sighed inwardly. She could probably have put a stop to her guards' antics if she really wanted to, but she had found that doing so was typically more of a pain for everyone involved than simply letting them do their jobs. Therefore, Celestia waited patiently, listening to the clanking of armor, the gruff vocalizations, and the occasional loud banging noises that emanated from within. Miss Repose waited as well, doing her best to keep up her unperturbed appearance, although it was clear from looking at her that she would have gladly dragged the two guardswomen out of the sauna herself had Celestia not been there. Every slight wince she made upon hearing a particularly worrying thump or bang just made Celestia feel that much more guilty.

“You will be...compensated for any damages, of course,” said Celestia, grinning the most reassuring grin she could manage.

Miss Repose looked as if she were about to refuse the princess's money yet again, but a sudden thud seemed to make her reconsider. “Erm...y-yes, Your Highness,” she said.

After several long, awkward moments more, the two guardswomen finally reemerged, standing at attention before Celestia and saluting. “Security sweep complete, Your Highness!” announced the sergeant.

Finally.

“Thank you, sergeant,” said Celestia, managing to hide her annoyance. “As you were.”

The guards saluted once more, then quickly resumed their previous positions a short distance away.

“Well, Miss Repose,” said Celestia. “Shall we?”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose before tentatively making her way through the doors.

Celestia followed close behind her, the tall woman bowing her head slightly to get the tip of her long horn through. As she looked around, she saw that the room they entered into superficially resembled a locker room, what with the large locker-like containers that lined its perimeter, the long benches that ran through it, and the abundance of full-length mirrors that hung from its walls. However, comparing it to those dirty, smelly places found in gyms and public pools would have been a serious insult to the room, its architect, and the spa as a whole.

The place simply oozed luxury, and would not have looked out of place in the residences of the most ostentatious of aristocrats. Its white marble “lockers” would have more appropriately been called wardrobes, so huge and ornately carved were they. The nearby benches were made of marble as well, and featured decorative flourishes inlaid with gold leaf. On each side of the room, a passage led away to some unseen area, one passage marked with the tasteful silhouette of a distinctively masculine form painted on the wall, the other passage with a feminine one. In the ceiling were set a number of subtle electric lights which gave the room a bright, but not harsh, level of illumination. Ahead of them, on the far wall, was situated a sliding door made of rich, flawless wood light in color. Most impressive of all, however, was the floor, which was covered in an elaborate tile mosaic depicting an image of a big, yellow sun over an abstract background of gentle blues, greens, and pinks. It did not take Celestia long to realize who the room's designer had drawn their inspiration from.

“Here we are,” said Miss Repose, stepping into the center of the room and turning to face Celestia, “the Royal Room. First, we have the dressing room. You may feel free to use whichever locker you wish to store your garments. And to cover yourself...” She quickly opened a nearby cupboard as luxurious as the rest of the room, displaying its contents of thick, fluffy towels to Celestia. “Our finest towels, already pre-warmed for you. Feel free to use as many as you like, Your Highness.”

Closing up the cupboard, she led Celestia down the passage marked with the feminine silhouette. “And here...we have the powder room, so to speak,” she said, escorting Celestia out into a grand bathroom containing marble sinks and an enormous glass-walled shower with golden fixtures, as well as the more typical restroom amenities.

“Last, but not least,” she said, leading Celestia back into the dressing room, “we have the sauna itself, right through this door.” She showed Celestia to the wooden door, demonstrating how to slide it open. “I would advise you to keep the door closed as much as possible, Your Highness, or else the steam will escape.”

“Of course,” said Celestia.

“Well...I believe that's everything,” said Miss Repose. “The sauna has already been heated to the ideal temperature, so you may enter whenever you wish. If you would like the temperature to be adjusted, or if there is anything else my staff and I can do to make your experience more enjoyable, anything at all, you can summon us with this.” She gestured towards a velvet bell pull set into a small alcove in the wall. “Ring, and one of us will be here in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Otherwise, we will leave you to your steam. You won’t need to worry about my staff, or anyone else, bothering you. Once you lock the doors, you will have complete and total privacy, alone and unheard.”

“Unheard?” said Celestia.

“Oh, yes!” said Miss Repose. “We had the sauna magically soundproofed a few years back. Some of our more prestigious guests...celebrities, government officials, and the like...felt concerned about being eavesdropped on while here. Our guests’ comfort being our top priority, we took measures to ensure that their conversations would not be overheard by anyone, accidentally or otherwise. Rest assured, Your Highness, you may be as loud as you wish, and no one will hear a peep.”

“Thank you, Miss Repose,” said Celestia, “but I don’t believe I will be making too much noise while I am in there.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose. “Is there...anything else I can do for you before I go?”

“No,” said Celestia. “Right now...I would just like to enter the sauna.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” said Miss Repose. “Please enjoy your treatment, and on behalf of all of us here at Regal Radiance, I would like to thank you again for visiting us here today.”

“You are quite welcome, Miss Repose,” said Celestia with a smile. “And I would like to thank you for arranging this for me on such short notice. I am most impressed by your facilities, and I am certain I will enjoy my time here.”

Miss Repose beamed at the compliment, but managed to keep her cool. “Thank you, Your Highness,” she said, giving Celestia a deep curtsy. “Until later, Your Highness.”

She quickly backed out of the dressing room, returning to the waiting room. Celestia gave her one last smile and a nod as she carefully closed the double-doors behind her.

Celestia relaxed, letting out a gentle sigh. As friendly and accommodating as her hostess had been, Celestia was glad that she had finally left her to her sauna. Finally, she could undress, slip into a fluffy towel, and step into the beautiful steam room she had been waiting to experience the entire long carriage ride over, now that she was alone...well, almost alone.

She looked over at her guards, the two women still standing nearby, patiently awaiting their princess's command.

“Sergeant,” said Celestia. “You two may go now.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” said the sergeant. “We will be right outside the door if you need us.”

Celestia hesitated. Given how antsy her guards had been lately, she was somewhat apprehensive to have them stationed so closely to herself in such a setting. All it would take would be a single suspicious feeling from the paranoid guardswoman, and she might come barreling into the sauna, seeking out the nonexistent attack on her princess. If Celestia were in a less-than-presentable state at the time, and her guards' antics drew others to the scene...

“Erm...perhaps you two could guard another area,” said Celestia. “I don't think it will be necessary for you both to be so close.”

“Your Highness,” said the sergeant, “please forgive me, but...it is imperative that we remain nearby at all times. There's no telling when an enemy might attack.”

Celestia groaned inwardly. “Well...what about the stairwell?” she said. “You and your men have already inspected the entire building, correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” said the sergeant.

“And the stairs are the only way to access this part of the building, correct?” said Celestia.

“Yes, Your Highness,” said the sergeant.

“Then you should be just as capable of guarding me from down there as from up here, correct?” said Celestia.

“Well...yes, Your Highness,” said the sergeant.

“Then it's settled,” said Celestia. “Take your positions down there, and if I have need of you, I shall call for you. Understood?”

The sergeant did not look entirely enthused about the princess's command, but she was not the sort to disobey a direct order. “Yes, Your Highness,” she said, she and her fellow guard saluting before swiftly turning and marching out of the dressing room.

Celestia waited until they had crossed back into the waiting room, then closed the doors shut behind them, immediately twisting the lock closed. As the clanking of the guards' armor was silenced by the heavy door, leaving Celestia alone in serene quiet, her lips stretched into a small smile. She turned around, sighing with relief as she surveyed the dressing room, her eyes quickly falling on the door to the sauna.

Not wanting to waste a moment of her precious alone time, Celestia quickly made her way to the lockers, choosing one arbitrarily and opening it. The locker was as spacious on the inside as it appeared on the outside, and could easily have stored an entire week's worth of her wardrobe, complete with shoes and accessories. Satisfied that it would be sufficient for her needs, Celestia stepped back and began the process of disrobing.

First was her crown, which she reverently removed from her head and placed on a shelf within, followed by the matching golden amulet that hung from her shapely neck, which she stored alongside it. To remove her golden sandals, she carefully placed one foot at a time upon the nearby bench, quickly undoing the clasps of the shoe that contained it, then slid the shoe off. The relatively cool air of the dressing room felt marvelous upon the soft, warm skin of her feet, especially after a long day of work. She took a moment to caress her smooth heels, her high arches, and her plump little toes, each one of which boasted a perfectly pedicured nail painted with the same soothing colors as her hair. The large woman flexed and scrunched her equally large feet, then returned them to the floor once again.

Leaning down carefully, Celestia grasped the bottom of her long, flowing, ankle-length gown, then slowly drew it upwards, baring her goddess-like form inch by beautiful inch. Her long, shapely calves quickly came into view, the combined sight of which would have been enough to fill the minds of even the chastest of men with perverse thoughts. Even if those same men managed to keep a hold of their higher brain functions, their remaining mental faculties would almost assuredly have been lost to them as their eyes roamed upwards and beheld the two enormous thighs that sat just above. Those two tree trunks boasted so much plump, pillowy flesh that they could not help but jiggle slightly with every little movement she made, a single step being enough to set them both wobbling enticingly. Only a handful of incredibly fortunate individuals had ever been blessed with the opportunity to lay their heads upon those heavenly thighs, and every one of those few had shared the assessment that no other pillow, no matter how plush or warm, could ever possibly compare.

As Celestia's gown was drawn further upwards, there came into view the truly awe-inspiring sight of her huge, motherly hips. Despite having never been used for that purpose, those hips could have easily outmatched those of even the most productive of mothers in terms of their sheer jaw-dropping girth. Stretching across those hips, clinging to her plump flesh just snugly enough to highlight its thickness, was a pair of chaste panties as pure white as her gown. That pristine undergarment honorably protected the precious treasure between her legs from sight; the same could not be said about that which it tried in vain to contain on the other side of those hips.

Jutting proudly from Celestia's body between her thighs and her back was possibly the biggest, roundest, plumpest, most perfect posterior to be found anywhere within the magical land of Equestria. Two identical globes of caramel-colored flesh combined to form a celestial body as magnificent as the sun, and twice as hot. Each one of those beach-ball-sized buns boasted more squishable, squeezable goodness within them than some women had in their entire bodies, a reality that filled the hearts of those women who gazed upon her with envy, and in many cases, lust. Despite the best efforts of her panties to contain it, that astounding ass had a mind of its own, wibbling and wobbling to and fro like gelatin as she moved, refusing to bend to even its owner's whims. She had tried, of course, to reign in her colossal can through careful diet and exercise, but her accursed sweet tooth had ensured that her mouth-wateringly chubby cheeks received a steady diet of cake, pastries, and other sweets to keep them topped off with soft, feminine plumpness.

As her gown moved further upwards, Celestia's wide hips made way for the thin waist that gave her an hourglass figure of truly divine proportions, a figure the likes of which women dreamed of possessing, and which men dreamed of wrapping their arms around. Every inch of her smooth, flat stomach was soon revealed, complete with the adorable little belly button that sat at its center. A quiver of carnal delight passed through her as her fingers grazed the sides of her belly, the incredibly ticklish nature of which was a closely guarded secret that had only ever been known to a few.

Before her gown could move any higher, however, Celestia was forced to move it a significant distance forward in order to pass over the sheer enormity of that which it still covered. Like a pair of radiant suns rising up over the horizon, there came into view a true masterwork of the feminine form, without rival and without equal. Two titanic teardrops of soft, warm flesh were slowly revealed, every inch of their vast acreage as beautifully sun-kissed as the rest of her. Free from the confines of any humble brassiere, those twin oceans of feminine flesh were able to wibble and wobble as they wished as Celestia worked her gown up and over their steep slopes, soon passing over the pair of thick pink nipples that sat at their crests, each one boasting a perfectly round areola as wide as a tea saucer. Despite each beautiful breast being massive enough to put even a prize-winning watermelon to shame, the two held their picturesque, perky shape with an almost supernatural perfection, neither sagging nor otherwise deforming beyond the near-constant jiggling they partook in as Celestia wiggled her gown up and over them.

With one final burst of effort, Celestia managed to pull her gown past her shoulders, then up and over her head, carefully avoiding the pointed tip of her horn. She slid each of her shapely, feminine arms out of the gown one by one, then took hold of her thick, multicolored tresses and pulled them out as well. Finally free of the gown, she carefully stored it in her chosen locker, hanging it neatly from a golden hanger. There remained, however, one last piece of cloth clinging to her form, one last thin barrier preserving the decency of her beautiful body. It was this meager undergarment that Celestia now reached for, slipping the long, rounded nails of her feminine fingers, each one painted to match her toes, into the waistband. Taking a firm hold of those panties, she slowly pushed them down over her hips, revealing the holy of holies of her divine body.

From the fertile soil of her tanned flesh grew a patch of downy fuzz of the same shimmering colors as the hair on her head. Those silken hairs had been meticulously sculpted by her own hand, trimmed into a rounded trapezoid that angled downward, directing the nonexistent eyes in the room towards the legendary lips that had held a place in the fantasies of Equestria's populace for centuries. Only one living soul had ever gazed upon that mouthwatering, matronly womanhood, seen those thick, plump lips that boldly announced the femininity of their owner to the world, and those delicate pink petals concealed just inside the tight purse they formed. Coincidentally, that indescribably lucky individual was also the one who had to bear witness to the myriad of fantasies those lips featured in on a nightly basis, and was of the firm opinion that not even the most imaginative of dreamers had ever come close to conceiving of their sheer perfection.

Celestia slowly bent at the waist as she led her panties down the long length of her legs to the floor, where she carefully stepped out of them. After standing up again, she carefully placed her undergarment within the locker, where it sat, safe and sound, right next to her crown. With that final business taken care of, she closed the locker once again, then turned to face the room.

Despite her solitude, and despite the locked door standing between her and any potential observers, Celestia could not help but feel a bit exposed as she stood there. It had been a long time indeed since she had been in such a vulnerable state outside the safety and privacy of her own bedchambers. The thought of someone strolling in and seeing her, a princess of Equestria, as naked as the day she was born terrified her...yet it made her heart flutter from the sheer thrill of it. A sinful smile crept onto her lips as she turned to face one of the long, golden mirrors nearby.

Celestia pored over her body, inspecting herself from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. She slowly turned and twisted, taking in every angle, leaving not an inch unseen. She allowed her hands to roam, her curious fingers gliding across her flawless skin, seeking out the most eye-catching parts of her anatomy. She gently sank her fingers into the plump flesh of her breasts, gauging their weight and consistency. A small frown made its way onto her face as she took a few probing squeezes of her pillowy soft ass cheeks, making a mental note to skip dessert that night.

Tearing her eyes away from her prodigious posterior, Celestia leaded in towards the mirror and adjusted her hair, those flowing locks framing a truly angelic visage, the radiant beauty of which had served as the inspiration for countless works of poetry and art over the centuries. Full, feminine lips as soft as clouds sat beneath a shapely, elegant nose and alongside a pair of warm, rosy cheeks. The most striking feature of all, however, was her shimmering pink eyes, eyes as deep and mysterious as the most esoteric of magical lore, but as warm and loving as those of any mother who had ever lived. After making the final adjustment to her hair, Celestia batted the long, full lashes that framed those eyes, then smiled at the face in the mirror.

As exciting as she found it to bare herself in a relatively public place, Celestia was not feeling scandalous enough to enter the sauna without at least some bit of covering. So it was that she quickly made her way over to the nearby cupboard and withdrew one of the fluffy towels it contained. She unfolded her feathery wings, extending them slightly to make way for the towel as she wrapped it around herself. A soft moan escaped her lips as she felt the soothing warmth of the cloth seep into her skin, a titillating preview of what was to come. While she did her best to preserve her modesty, the tall princess found that even the sauna's large towels were not quite big enough to cover her as well as she would have liked. She manged to stretch one edge down far enough to cover the spot between her legs, and the other up high enough to conceal her nipples, but nothing more beyond that. She briefly considered employing another towel to make up the difference, but decided that it was ultimately not worth it; she would be alone in the sauna, after all.

Besides, after waiting for so long, Celestia hardly had the patience to wait even one more moment for the soothing warmth she had been promised. After taking a quick peek over her shoulder to confirm that the door to the waiting room was indeed locked, she quickly made her way to the sauna's wooden door, grasping it and sliding it fully open. She let loose a reflexive gasp as a thick wave of hot, humid air spilled from within, flowing over her soft skin. Smiling gleefully, she stepped forward into the sauna's warm embrace, sliding the door shut behind her.

A dense haze of steam filled the sauna from corner to corner, slightly impairing Celestia's vision, but not so much that she could not take in the luxury of her surroundings. The room was huge, so much so that she imagined it could have comfortably housed an entire platoon of her guards at once. Wood paneling of the same exquisite quality as the door covered the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, evoking a paradoxical air of rustic refinement that she adored. Multiple tiers of wooden benches stretched around the room, somewhat reminiscent of stadium seats, and in the center, a large fire pit sat, its surface covered with a number of dark grey stones. All of this was bathed in the soft illumination of the sauna’s electric lights, which shone with an intensity comparable to warm, soothing candlelight.

Celestia took in all of this in an instant, for as soon as she had been fully enveloped by the sauna's steamy touch, her eyelids fluttered closed, and a long, breathy sigh escaped her lips. She had known what to expect, of course, but that did not do anything to diminish the staggering pleasure of that wet heat as it lovingly consumed her. Like stepping into a hot bubble bath, that incredible heat quickly radiated through her flesh, planting its soft kiss upon every tender inch of her body. She surrendered to its influence, smiling gently as it carried her away into a world of much-needed comfort and relief.

Cracking her eyelids, Celestia slowly padded over to the far side of the sauna, carefully lowering herself down onto the lowest bench. She leaned back against the high wall formed by the next tier of seating, her huge, fluffy wings forming the perfect cushion, and stretched out her long, curvy legs.

“Oh...yes,” she sighed, as she allowed her eyes to fall closed.

Heavenly. Just...heavenly. This heat...this quiet...this solitude. I should have done this ages ago.

Celestia lay there, savoring the steamy touch of the sauna, thinking to herself that nothing could possibly ruin that perfect moment.

The hallway echoed with the rhythmic footsteps of a pair of modest, white, short-heeled shoes, which strode confidently through the winding passages of the spa. Accompanying the modest footwear was an equally modest spa uniform that clung snugly, but not tightly, to the feminine form of the one who wore it, highlighting her modest bust, her thin waist, and her small, round posterior. Two deceptively slender arms held a basket of fluffy towels before her as she walked, providing a convenient excuse for her presence. A spiraled horn light blue in color poked through the bangs of the short, reddish-brown hair that sat atop her head. Her practiced smile was remarkably unremarkable, unlike her deep green eyes, which busily scanned her surroundings as she went.

It should be close now. What did that map say? Was it this corner?

Coming to a crossroads, the woman made a right turn, stepping into a long hallway painted in a soothing off-white and lined with doors on either side. Her sharp eyes quickly ran the length of the hallway, detecting the stairwell that sat at the far end of it, and the two golden-armored guards that stood to either side of it. She did not break her stride, casually advancing down the hall as if nothing were amiss, despite the unforeseen hiccup in her plans.

Shit. There's guards here too? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. There was a whole gaggle of them outside.

If she hadn't been in such dire need of stress relief that afternoon, she probably would have turned tail and walked back to her dingy apartment upon seeing the wall of golden metal that surrounded Regal Radiance. Granted, it hadn't been that difficult for a certain little bug to buzz her way right over the heads of the guards and through one of the spa's many open windows. After that, it had been a simple matter of blending in with the myriad of spa patrons and workers running about, something she had a significant amount of experience doing.

However, the high level of security had forced her to alter her plans somewhat. While at first having intended to forge a reservation in the spa's books for a full-course meal of relaxing treatments, she realized that it might be more prudent to partake in something a bit more subtle and a bit more private. She had come there to relax, not to spend the afternoon constantly looking over her shoulder for guards after all. After cursing whatever ambassador or duchess had dragged such a serious escort to the spa with them, she had decided to partake in a quiet, solitary, out-of-the-way sauna session, something that would minimize potential interactions with either the staff or the guards. That decision had led her there to that particular hallway, the doors to the spa's famous steam rooms lining the walls beside her.

She could have easily ducked into one of those empty rooms and had a nice, long steam session to herself, leaving before anyone even knew she was there. Had she not glanced at a map of the sprawling facility and seen the name of the room located directly above that hallway, she might have done just that. As it was, the idea of spending time in one of the puny steam rooms that any pathetic commoner might use was abhorrent to her, now that she knew there was a much more enticing alternative. She was a queen; she deserved a sauna room as grandiose, as magnificent, and as regal as she was. Hopefully, this “Royal Room” lived up to its name, or else she might have to have a little chat with the manager of the establishment.

It had been an easy matter to sneak through the spa's hallways, avoiding passersby whenever possible, and eventually make it to the manager's office. Thankfully, the manager had been absent, no doubt off kissing the feet of some stuffy noblewoman, allowing her full access to the reservation books and the spa's spare keys. A quick look at the books had revealed that, miraculously, all of the Royal Room's reservations for the afternoon had been canceled, every name on the list having been crossed out. Taking it as a sign, she had snatched up the large golden key from its peg and made her way, slowly and carefully, to that very spot.

I just need to deal with these fools.

She was quickly nearing the end of the hall, drawing closer and closer to the two guardswomen standing there. She briefly considered changing into a bugbear and cracking their skulls like walnuts, but she eventually decided to take a more subtle approach. Wiping the smile from her face, she adopted an expression of carefully measured concern, then approached the guard whose ornamentation identified her as being a sergeant.

“Halt!” spoke the sergeant, glaring down at the little woman in white. “State your business.”

“Oh! Um...I'm...I'm sorry to bother you, officer,” said the woman, “but...I think I saw something...suspicious in one of the steam rooms.”

“Suspicious?” said the sergeant, suddenly looking very interested.

“Yes,” said the woman. “I think it was one of those...creepy bug things that attacked the city a few years ago. I saw a weird green light and—”

“Where?” said the sergeant, her eyes wide. “Where did you see it?”

“Uh...room twenty-three, I think,” said the woman, nodding towards one of the nearby steam rooms.

The sergeant locked eyes with her fellow guard, and the two nodded in agreement. The other immediately ran off down the hall towards room twenty-three, while the sergeant remained to address the woman again.

“Thank you for the tip, ma'am,” said the sergeant, before taking off as well.

The woman took a moment to watch the two guards barreling down the hallway at top speed, grinning wickedly.

Fools.

She turned and casually made her way up the stairs, listening to the clanking of armor, the shouts of “security sweep”, the crunch of a door being kicked down, and a masculine scream of terror.

At the top of the stairs, she emerged into a large room decorated with expensive furniture and opulent carpets. Huge windows in one wall opened up onto the skyline of Canterlot, and on the far wall, there sat an impressive-looking set of double-doors that sparkled with gemstones.

“That has to be it,” she muttered to herself.

Casually discarding her basket, she strolled across the room, soon arriving at the doors. She swiftly retrieved the golden key from her pocket, slipping it into the lock and giving it a twist. A satisfying clunk sounded out as the doors unlocked, and she quickly slipped through, opening and closing the doors as quietly as a mouse. She locked the doors behind her, then turned and surveyed the room she had entered.

If she had not been living in a city of white and gold for as long as she had been, she might have retched at the gaudy color scheme of the luxurious locker room she found herself in. As it was, she merely sneered, eyeing the familiar yellow sun that decorated the floor with particular contempt. She strolled up to it, opened her mouth wide, then spat upon those gleaming, golden-yellow tiles. After making a mental note to have the room torn down and redone in black and green once she conquered the city, she walked further into the room, soon arriving at the beautiful wooden door that stood before her.

“Well then,” she said, smiling, “I suppose I should get changed.”

The walls of the room flashed green as that unremarkable woman was suddenly enveloped in a column of light, which faded away just as suddenly. The gentle lights of the locker room shone down on the one standing before the door, someone who was most definitely not the petite little ex-barista who had just walked into the room. No, the one who brazenly stood there, naked as the day she was hatched, was none other than Chrysalis, former queen of the changelings, her Amazonian form on full display for the nonexistent audience around her.

Two meaty, yet feminine feet were planted firmly on the ground beneath her, their jet-black-painted toes flexing in anticipation. Those silken soles and dexterous digits could have effortlessly extracted moans of pleasure from any man fortunate enough to feel their touch, and could have just as easily crushed the skull of an unfortunate one, depending on the mood of their owner.

Complimenting those powerful feet were an equally powerful pair of long, curvaceous legs, two trunks of thick, rock-hard muscle buried beneath a soft layer of feminine plumpness that concealed their true nature. The deceptive appearance of those juicy thighs and shapely calves had lured many a foolish creature to their sensual doom over the years. The sight of that warm, creamy flesh jiggling as she walked would lure them in, but once she had them in her grasp, they would be trapped, caught like a puny fly in the web of a hungry mama spider. With those powerful thighs at her disposal, thighs strong enough to have crushed an entire farm's worth of melons between them, it was a simple matter to do the same to the empty head of whatever perverted man she had snared. On the other hand, if she were in a particularly good mood, she might simply squeeze him like a lemon, keeping him teetering on the edge of consciousness while she used those skillful feet of hers to tend to him down below.

At the summit of those powerful pillars was an even more impressive sight, if such a thing was even possible. If those legs of hers were enough to make a man drool, then to gaze upon those room-filling, pelvis-crushing, babymaking hips would have sent him into a howling fit of lust. Nothing could possibly hope to match the sheer, raw femininity those huge hips projected, hips befitting of a mother whose innumerable brood had almost conquered the most powerful nation in the world. Those big breeding hips slowly swayed from side-to-side, reflexively presenting an erotic display the soft, warm flesh that clung to her rear.

Two mountains of muscle and soft, feminine plumpness sat there, buns of steel as big and as round as a pair of prize-winning pumpkins. She couldn't even remember how many pathetic souls had been mesmerized by the slow, sensual shake of her truly astonishing ass, losing themselves wholly and completely to its spell. Those fortunate few who managed to survive her legs, in one sense or the other, had universally met their ends at the hands of the most powerful cheeks to be found on the backside of any milf in the world, either smothered by the acres of warm, plush flesh that covered them, or mercilessly crushed between their mighty muscles. Whether those endings were “happy” or not was largely dependent on her mood, and on how much delicious love she was capable of wringing out of them.

Directly above that jaw-dropping ass sat a waist whose incredible thinness only further accentuated the girthy hips beneath it. Her soft, creamy flesh was pulled taught over her toned tummy, revealing the faint outline of the abs that lay just beneath it. An almost unfittingly adorable belly button was nestled amongst those abs, almost begging to be played with, presenting a tantalizing challenge that no one had ever been foolish enough to attempt.

Overshadowing that impressive washboard, both literally and figuratively, were the two mouthwatering, motherly mammaries that hung from her chest. One might struggle to imagine how a body as hard and strong as hers could boast the sheer volume of plush, tender flesh those twin teardrops contained. Even one who did succeed in conjuring up that mental image would not have come close to conceiving of the matronly majesty of those beautiful breasts. Those titanic tits hung freely from her chest, maintaining their shape with remarkable firmness, considering their substantial weight. They subtly swayed, wiggled, and jiggled as she moved, and if they happened to collide in just the right manner, the two pink nubs that stood proudly at their crests, each one as thick as a coin, would let out a few tiny droplets of the creamy goodness her hyper-fertile body still produced. Truly, there was no woman within a thousand leagues whose breasts could rival hers, either in sheer mass, or in overt femininity...no woman except one, that is.

However, there was one asset possessed by that other woman, a woman who happened to be much less than a thousand leagues away, that could not hope to rival its counterpart on Chrysalis's body in terms of raw sexuality. Way down below her breasts, her stomach, and even those insane hips of hers, nestled snugly between her thick thighs, lay her greatest weapon, a weapon that had served her well in the bedroom and, by extension, on the battlefield. That warrior-queen was perhaps the only woman in the world who could have once claimed that she could field an army out of her panties, and she had the key to that military might sitting pretty right there, framed by a wild bush of unkempt hair the same dull blue as that on her head. The aura of feminine power exuded by those big, plump lips and the thick, pink folds that peeked out from between them was as terrifying as it was mind-numbingly erotic. It was, of course, only fitting that the most powerful woman in the world possess the most powerful pussy, one as soft and pleasurable as a silk pillow, but strong enough to ensure that anything that happened to pass between its walls would not be passing back out again unless she wished it.

She knew all of this, of course. She was fully aware of just how much power, both sexual and otherwise, her body possessed, and she loved every bit of it. Catching sight of one of the tall mirrors nearby, she turned towards it, poring over the body as curvy as a scimitar, and even more deadly.

Her hands rested casually on her hips, each one boasting five slender, feminine fingers with short, black nails. Despite their frail appearance, those hands had more than enough strength in them to have crushed the bone in a man's leg, and enough skill to have played the bone in his undergarments like a concert flutist. Those hands slowly wandered up and down her body, feeling for themselves the many slopes, curves, and crevices it boasted. Despite that body being the masterwork of the feminine form that it was, the gentle squeezes and soft slaps she treated it to did not lift her spirits.

As one would expect, the thing that a woman like Chrysalis, a woman who valued power above all else, resented more than anything is the loss of power, and Chrysalis had indeed lost a great deal of power recently. It was not long ago that she had sat on her jagged throne in the depths of her twisting hive many leagues away, not long ago that she had had an army of loyal subjects to provide her with a constant supply of sweet, nourishing, fattening love. Decades of consuming it had been very kind to her body, blessing her with enough plush, feminine flesh to rival even the fat-assed sun princess herself. Unfortunately, it had been much more difficult to get a decent meal in the wake of her unceremonious ejection from her hive. Living on the run had put the voluptuous queen on a forced diet, gradually sapping away all of that sexy plumpness she had spent so many years building up. Despite still possessing more curves than almost any woman who had ever lived, she felt that she would not be content until she could once again hear the clap of her ass with every step she took.

Pushing those annoying thoughts out of her head for the time being, Chrysalis reminded herself of the relaxing experience awaiting her just behind the nearby wooden door. The ragged, translucent wings that sprouted from between her shoulder blades twitched in anticipation as she imagined the touch of the sauna's soothing heat, and a spark of green light arced up the jagged horn on her head. Her full, feminine lips stretched into a smile beneath her small, thin nose and her bright green eyes. Against the backdrop of her flawless, pale skin, her sculpted features exuded an almost alien beauty that simultaneously attracted and unnerved. It was no great mystery why that exotic queen had served as the inspiration for the coining of the phrase “scaroused”.

After brushing a hand through her long, bluish hair, hair as soft and as strong as spider silk, she turned from the mirror, preparing to make her way back over to the sauna door. She paused mid-step, however, realizing her mistake.

“Oops,” she said, reaching up and grasping the small, black-and-blue crown that sat prettily atop her head. “I almost forgot.”

She swiftly opened one of the nearby lockers, carefully deposited her crown within, then closed it again, nodding in approval. Having finished disrobing, her attention then fell on the large cupboard hanging from the wall near the sauna door. She walked over to it, opening it to discover, as she had suspected, a number of thick, fluffy towels within. Her lips pursed as she debated taking one of the towels. On one hand, she would be alone in the sauna, and would just end up discarding it anyway; on the other, the sauna would probably be a bit chilly until it had heated up properly. Erring on the side of caution, Chrysalis quickly snatched one of the towels and wrapped it around her body, finding it unexpectedly, but not unpleasantly warm. Stretching the cloth over her impressive curves did prove a slight issue, however, the towel clearly not having been designed for someone of her towering height. Not particularly caring about such things as decency, she made a token effort to cover herself, managing to conceal most of her wide areolae as well as her plump pussy.

With that final bit of business taken care of, she strolled over to the sauna's wooden door, took hold of it, then slowly slid it open. She gasped softly as a wave of dense steam flowed through the open door, washing over her bare flesh. Even her powerful body could not help but shiver as that soothing heat seeped into her skin, her wings buzzing reflexively.

Huh. Someone must have forgotten to turn off the steam. How fortunate.

Chrysalis quickly stepped into the warm embrace of the sauna, sliding the door closed behind her. She allowed her eyes to fall closed as she stood there, taking a moment to savor the intense heat as it gently caressed her weary muscles. Her plush lips stretched into a satisfied grin.

Yes. This is what I needed. An afternoon of relaxing solitude in my own personal sauna, just me, myself, and I. Nothing could possibly ruin this.

Celestia reclined peacefully in her seat, the sauna's soothing touch having lulled her into a state of serene drowsiness. Her ample chest rose and fell softly as she breathed, allowing that wet heat to warm her up from the inside. Her long legs slowly stretched, her little toes scrunched, and her feathered wings lay limply behind her. Her pillowy lips formed a soft smile on her face. Truly, she was the model of relaxation, but she was not so deep in her stupor that she could not hear the soft sound of the sauna door being slid open.

Hmm?

She roused slowly, her faculties gradually returning to her.

Was that...the door?

She cracked her heavy eyelids, peering through the dense haze of steam that filled the room. Through the vapor, she was able to detect the form of a person standing by the now-closed door to the sauna. She blinked rapidly to clear her blurry vision.

That's not one of my guards. Is that...one of the spa staff come to check on me? No...it can't have been more than a few minutes, surely they wouldn't...

Celestia's train of thought suddenly derailed as her vision came into focus and her groggy brain recognized that the towering, Amazonian figure by the door was neither one of her guards nor an employee of the spa.

At the same time, the curvaceous ex-queen of the changelings sighed contentedly, opening her big green eyes once more. Those piercing eyes took in the room in an instant, seeing the large fire pit at its center, the wooden benches that stretched around it, and the towel-clad figure sitting just a few yards away from where she stood.

Time seemed to come to a screeching halt as those two motherly matriarchs locked eyes with each other, both princess and queen freezing in place. Meanwhile, the walls watched on silently, waiting to see what would happen next.