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- >As Melancholy leaves the room, you gracefully close the doors behind her, before sealing the locks.
- >With a small spell, you cast an enchantment onto walls and doors, preventing sound from escaping the room.
- >With Melancholy no longer present, you and your Brute are now able to speak with her mother privately.
- >Octavia, hearing the doors close, turns away from Anonymous, and looks toward you.
- >Her ears drop flat against her head.
- >Quickly, she leans forward, and kisses Anonymous’ ring, before walking toward you, and kissing your hoof.
- >She retreats a few steps, and makes her way to the area before you and Anonymous, where Nocturnal stood only moments before.
- >As a stillness overtakes the room, you let the air grow quite.
- >Everypony in the room knows what she is here.
- >She failed again.
- >For the second time, Octavia’s maids have failed to properly supervise the prisoners under her care.
- >One of the maids felt /mercy/ for a guard, and provided him food and drink without approval.
- >While Anonymous was merciful after the first violation a few months ago, this repeat offense was… inexcusable.
- >You watch as Octavia’s body displays hear inner emotions.
- >How her neck is slightly more tense than normal, and her breathe slightly quicker.
- >To an average pony, she would seem perfectly composed.
- >Yet to you she is an open book.
- >And now?
- >Now you shall reminder her of the story which you have written.
- ---------------
- “Tell us Octavia, do you /enjoy/ serving your Empress and Lord?”
- >The tone of your question is neutral, and entirely absent of hostility.
- >”Very much your Majesty…”
- >The question is a simple technicality - a means to begin the dialogue.
- “And do you enjoy being our property?”
- >She makes the smallest of movements, recoiling at your reminder.
- >Undoubtably, the idea of being /property/ still sits poorly with the mare, although she has come to know its truth.
- >”Yes your Majesty, we enjoy being your… property…”
- “And what have we given you in return for your faithful service?”
- >Again, the question only increases her discomfort.
- >”You’ve… given us a lot of things Empress…”
- You speak before she continues.
- “Indeed we have Ms. Octavia, indeed we have…”
- >You lift your glass of wine and take a small sip of the fermented fruits.
- “Without our actions, you would have never met the stallion that sired Melancholy, correct?”
- >Her voice weakens slightly, and she looks away briefly.
- >“Yes Empress…”
- “To think, we could have prevented you from ever bedding a stallion, or filling your womb…”
- “Yet, we were merciful, and let you become the broodmare that your instincts demanded you become…”
- >She is silent, and in a few moments, reestablishes eye contact with you.
- “You see Octavia, we have lifted you - /saved you/ from whatever modest, humble life your parents might have provided you with…”
- >She weakly nods.
- >”Yes Empress…”
- >You move your wine glass through the air, gesturing toward your surroundings.
- “We’ve even provided you a dignified means of laboring for you Empress, and showing your gratitude - becoming our Chief of Staff, Keeper of the Grounds, and Keeper of the Royal Estate. ”
- ---------------
- >Reminding her of her position renews of basic sense of pride, and she picks up her head slightly, and adjust her stance.
- >”Yes Empress, we are very thankful for your generosity…”
- >You snort weakly, and return the glass of wine to the table beside you.
- ”Indeed you should be, such positions were traditionally held by our most respected spymasters and military ponies in the Princessipality of old…”
- >Using your mane, you reach for her necklace, and gently lift it off of her chest.
- “And in light of your recent… failures… we are beginning to wonder if this decision was… ill informed…”
- >She shakes her head weakly.
- >”Empress, I’m certain that, if you give me the opportunity, I-“
- >You drop her necklace back onto her neck - the weight of the impact, even if only a few inches, stuns her into silence…
- >”You aren’t getting fired Octavia, so you don’t have to worry about that…”
- >Your Brute speaks, and gains Octavia’s instant attention.
- >You can’t help but smile at the small expression of relief that finds its way onto Octavia’s face.
- >Anonymous’ relationship with Octavia has always been much more relaxed than your own.
- >”Thank you My Lord, I-“
- >He lifts his hand, and shows his palm to the mare, silencing her reply.
- >”That doesn’t mean that you aren’t getting punished for this failure.”
- >At that, her ears twitch slightly.
- >”This is the second time in two months that one of your maids has fed a prisoner without permission.”
- >”In case you haven't noticed by now Octavia, there are still a quite a few ponies out there who would like to see nothing more than everyone in this castle hung from meat hooks, including Melancholy…”
- ---------------
- >You turn toward Anonymous in mild surprise.
- >It’s not every often that he mentions Melancholy in such a manner.
- >Octavia tries to stumble out a reply.
- >”My Lord, I can assure you, this won’t happen again, this was a new maid, she was only down there for three wee-“
- >”I don’t give a /DAMN/ if she was down there for three minutes Octavia! This is unacceptable!”
- >Just like that, Octavia falls quite.
- >Her reply this time is much more humble, and fitting of her position, just above a whisper.
- >”Yes my Lord… I understand…”
- >”No Octavia, you /don’t/ understand…
- >Anonymous leaks back in his seat, and rubs the arch of his nose, before speaking.
- >”The DawnBringer leader that she fed, Blinding Light, killed one of my officers…”
- >”He was on leave in the Baltimare with his family, when Blinding Light and his men assassinated both him and his wife, leaving his foals orphans."
- >Octavia doesn’t open her mouth, but you can tell that she is troubled by the news.
- >”So we try to punish him, and get some useful information to stop this from happening again, and your maid feeds him, just because he /asked for it?/
- >Octavia tries to placate his anger.
- >”I’m sorry my Lord, I didn’t know - I have many things to worry about, and-“
- >You interrupt.
- “We believe that, over these last few months, your increased interactions with Melancholy may have been… distracting you from your work…”
- >Her fears confirmed, Octavia turns toward you.
- >”That’s not true Empress, please, I-“
- “Tell us Octavia, how many months has it been since we last removed your visitation restrictions?”
- >Octavia takes a moment, and takes a deep breathe, before responding.
- >”Three months Empress, three months…”
- “And these troubles with your maids, they’ve all occurred within the last two months, correct?”
- ---------------
- >Again, she nods.
- >”Yes Empress, but I-“
- “It’s clear that you are being distracted from your work Octavia, and jeopardizing the interest of the Crown with your failures…”
- >You use your mane, and reach for Octavia’s mane, before petting it gently.
- ”We’ve come to realize that, as a simple stallion might obsess over the spilling of his seed, so too might a simple mare obsess over the fruit of her womb…”
- >You gently trail your mane under Octavia’s body, and rub her soft, empty belly.
- >She lowers her head slightly, and in doing so, flicks her mane over her eyes.
- >From her gritted teeth and gentle shaking, you can clearly tell that she is crying.
- “As we might take away the ability of a stallion to seek release, and tame him for our use, so too must separate the mare from the foal, and tame her for our ends…”
- >She desperately peas.
- >”Empress, please, Melancholy and I, we haven’t gotten very much-“
- “You have proven yourself unable of properly managing such a privilege Octavia, and as such, we feel it should be limited.”
- >Realizing that you will not change your decision, she turns toward Anonymous.
- >”My Lord, please, Melancholy’s my daughter! I can’t-“
- >”Do you honestly think that you’re going to change our decision Octavia?”
- >Her mouth hangs slightly open, before closing.
- >”N-no my Lord…”
- >Her response is practically mute.
- >”You won’t be allowed to see Melancholy for the next three weeks…”
- >Octavia wincess slightly, but keeps her relatively calm expression intact.
- >”For the following six, you'll be allowed to eat meals with Melancholy on a daily basis, but you’ll only be allowed spend your free-time with her on weekends…”
- >”After that, we’ll meet again, and reevaluate your situation.”
- ---------------
- >To her credit, she takes the news much more gracefully than you expected.
- >Perhaps Anonymous’ suggestion of allowing some contact over that time has calmed her broodish manners.
- >”I… I understand My Lord…”
- >You look toward Octavia, and can’t help but smile.
- >For such a simple broodmare, you must admit that she has adjusted well to her more… respectable position.
- “Tell us Octavia, do you find this disciplinary action… agreeable?”
- >Octavia turns toward you, and nods weakly.
- >”Yes Empress, we… agree with our punishment…”
- >You smile.
- ”Very well then, you shall continue about your day as planned, and prepare Melancholy for the Gala this evening.”
- >She raises her eyebrow in confusion.
- >”The Gala? But Lord Anonymous said-“
- “Your punishment shall begin tomorrow morn, after Melancholy has been put to bed this evening.”
- >The mention of Melancholy forces a question from her.
- >”How will I explain this to Melancholy? She-“
- >Anonymous interrupts.
- >”Just like last time Octavia. You have work to do, and are going to be very busy over the next few weeks…”
- >”Empress Nightmare Moon and I will make sure she is well taken care of…”
- >With a resigned tone, Octavia replies.
- >”I understand my Lord…”
- >You nod.
- “Very well then, you may take your leave. We have much to do in preparation for this night’s events…”
- >Octavia nods, and comes forward, kissing your hoof and Anonymous’ ring once again.
- “You shall also be attending dinner with us this evening. Nocturnal Nights and Melancholy shall be there, and we understand that you might wish to observe the stallion.”
- >Breaking contact with your hoof, Octavia backpedals, and bows.
- >”Thank you Empress…”
- ---------------
- >As she stands, she looks at the clock handing over the fireplace.
- >”Would you still like your Lunch with Lord Anonymous in the Gardens at 11:15?”
- >You nod.
- ”We would - although you make change it too a light brunch, as Anonymous has already eaten…”
- >You motion toward the scraps of meat on his plate.
- >She nods, and quickly walks over, picking up the tray.
- >”Very well Empress, is that all?”
- >You nod.
- >”Yes Octavia, that is all for now, you make take your leave.”
- >With another tip of her head, she begins to make her way toward the door, which you unlock.
- >However, just as her hoof touches the door, Anonymous speaks.
- >”Octavia!”
- >She removes her hoof, and turns toward you once again.
- >”Yes my Lord?”
- >” I want you to bring the maid in question to my old quarters tomorrow evening, as well as dinner for five.”
- >For a second, a look of confusion appears on Octavia’s face, before it disappears.
- >”I understand my Lord…”
- >With that, she quickly exits the room, and closes the door behind her.
- >You turn toward Anonymous.
- ”Dinner for five Anonymous?”
- >He smiles, and places his hand on your trunk, petting your fur.
- >”The maid was concerned that the stallion didn’t have enough to eat; it’s only fair that I do the same.”
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