We Share Everything (Part 8)


                                            Previous Part: https://ponepaste.org/7366


                                            Part 8: Coming under the effects of the flower tisane, Anon slept deeply through the day. Before going to bed he received a letter from Luna requesting that he begin work early that evening. Accordingly, he requested that the servants wake him up with sufficient time to spare. A particular mare now enters the scene, one which is to play a roll in fateful events to come.


                                            Anon awoke to a knocking on his door. "Yes?"

                                            >Servant: "Master Anon it's time to wake up." a mare's voice cheerfully sang from the other side of the door. "I have dinner for you too."

                                            Anon recognized the voice as belonging to Breezy Leaves, one of the usual servants who worked in this part of the palace. "Alright, just a moment." Anon jumped out of bed and threw on his robe. He was grateful she had brought dinner. An early start to work meant he would likely miss normal meal hours and it was kind of her to perceive his need. Now looking respectable enough to receive the servant, he opened the door and allowed her to enter with the tray.

                                            >Servant: "Would you like me to place it at your desk Master Anon?"

                                            "No. You can leave it there at the table by the window" said Anon yawning. Anon's small chambers were consistent with his station, having lesser opulence than those of the princesses or their direct councilors. White walls were complemented by dark oak floors, paneling, and scrollwork to impart to the room a sense of professional distinction. Paintings depicting Equestrian history hung on the walls and the vaulted ceiling, painted as a cloudy day with the sun shining through, was ringed at the bottom with crown moulding that bore elaborate painted sun emblems. Matching furniture completed the room, including a desk, dressers, bed, several bookshelves, and the small table and chairs to which Anon had referred.

                                            >Servant: Setting down the tray, Breezy remarked, "We had heard that you were working for Princess Luna now. Don't worry. We'll adjust things to accommodate your new schedule." she declared in her perky voice.

                                            "Thanks. I appreciate that." Anon smiled at the forethought. He appreciated Breezy as a friend. She was trustworthy, cheerful, and had a heart of gold. She had put in an application to be a mare-servant to Princess Luna and he had proudly written a recommendation extolling her virtue, trustworthiness, strong work ethic, and devotion to Equestria. Last he heard, the application was under final review. "And how is your family, Breezy."

                                            >Servant: Breezy replied as she tidied up a few things around the room and flung open the curtains after acquiring Anon's approving nod. "They're great! said the affable mare. "My younger brother finished up his glass artisan apprenticeship and is starting as a journey-pony working on the renovation of the east tower! My older sister is still working at the Canterlot Municipal Archive. She likes it. And my little brother and sister are still in final school. Pops is about to retire from his ironwork job and my mom is looking forward to seeing more of him Everything's good!"

                                            "Glad to hear that Breezy! Maybe I'll see your brother around the palace. Occasionally, I pass by the east tower." Anon happily remarked as he sat down at the table.

                                            "Wasn't your older sister getting married too?"

                                            >Servant: Now fluffing pillows and making the bed , Breezy was luminous with excitement as she replied. "Yes, but they changed the date to the Autumn! They liked the idea of getting married when the leaves change color!" Breezy looked up to the ceiling as her imagination transported her to the romantic scene.

                                            After a few bites, Anon asked with a wily smile, "And what about that stallion you like?" He took a sip of the coffee-like pine tisane as he awaited her bashful reply. She was a pretty mare and Anon felt many stallions would be smitten with her.

                                            >Servant: Breezy was still working on the bed and humming happily to herself when the question landed. In the equivalent of a pony blush, Breezy turned her head sideways, cast her eyes down diagonally, and tried to stifle a goofy grin. "Oh, he hasn't noticed me, but I feel like I'm in the clouds around him. Every time I get the courage up to talk to him, I lose my nerve at the last moment." She looked dejected following her confession.

                                            Breezy was his friend and Anon's heart was pricked with compassion. Nevertheless, a solution presented itself to his mind. "You know Breezy, he works on Princess Luna's Ministry of State staff. I could, if you like, give him a nudge in your direction."

                                            >Servant: "Would you? That would be amazing Master Anon!" said Breezy, biting her lower lip while her eyes widened in astonishment.

                                            "Consider it done Breezy! You've helped me many times. Now I can repay the favor. It would be a pleasure, really!" He observed with contentment, her bright smile in response. Changing topics, Anon asked, "How are things elsewhere with the servant sections?"

                                            >Servant: Putting the final touches on the bed and smoothing it out, Breezy took the liberty of sharing the gossip with Anon. Based on previous experience, she felt she could trust him implicitly with such knowledge. "Well, the servants in the Lunar Wing are all a-buzz about how happy Princess Luna is. They mostly think it's because she is relieved to have you on her staff. You know, we Solar Wing servants have a sense of pride that we get to work with you since you are so kind and skilled. So, we told them in no uncertain terms, 'That's Anon for you! He'll put that staff in order and set them right! You can't keep him though. So don't get any ideas!'" She laughed cutely while squinting an eye and pointing her hoof to mimic the referenced conversation. "I guess I shouldn't poke too much fun since I've put in an application to become a mare-servant for Princess Luna myself. Can you imagine being the personal servant of a princess? It would be amazing!" Breezy shook with giddiness at the last thought.

                                            "You heard all that?" said Anon, genuinely marveling at how fast news traveled in the palace.

                                            >Servant: Moving on to straightening some picture frames, Breezy answered, "Oh yes, word travels rapidly among the servant ponies in the palace Master Anon." The gossipy mare continued, "I have a friend among her normal servants. She said Princess Luna had a totally different air about her late last night when she saw her in the corridors. She said it was like a happy, loving glow. Anyway, Princess Luna being happy can only be a good thing, right?" She hesitated before speaking again, calculating her words. "The rest is speculation really. Some in the kitchen staff insist she must have imbibed an enchanted tranquility potion. A few of the cleaning staff theorize that Princess Celestia secretly cast a calming spell on her. One of the laundry ponies, for some crazy reason, thinks that she's in love. Only the mare-servants would know for sure, but they just say that it's true that Princess Luna is happy to have your help." She refrained from telling Anon that the one laundry pony was her friend and that she had washed Princess Luna's sheets late last night, noticing certain oddities about them. She had only told Breezy about it, and Breezy had replied by telling her it would be best to tell nopony else for now. Breezy had her own theories and now she watched Anon to see the effect of her words. Picking up nuance came to her naturally, which is another facet that made her a good candidate for mare-servant.

                                            Anon had noticeably stiffened at the last speculation. After a moment of accelerated thought, Anon carefully replied, "Well, those do indeed sound like some outlandish speculations." After a moment, he shrewdly added, "Breezy, remember that you aspire to be a mare-servant. I hope you are not spreading rumors. That would be counter to the principles the mare-servants aspire to."

                                            >Servant: Now speaking with absolute candor Breezy replied, "I promise I haven't! I haven't said anything except to you Master Anon, and I don't intend to say anything to anypony else either." She added, a little sheepishly, "I just thought you ought to know about the speculations floating around, since you are working on Princess Luna's staff now."

                                            "Well, thank you Breezy. Let's keep these things under wraps, shall we?" Anon suddenly felt an urgent need to have Breezy continue on her duties elsewhere. "Anyway, I must get ready now. Will you please let Princess Luna's mare-servants know to inform her that I will shortly be on my way?"

                                            >Servant: "Right away Master Anon!" Breezy had indeed only told Anon and really meant it when she said she would not spread rumors. She loved the princesses and would never do anything that could hurt them. But, she had to know Anon's reaction for herself. He became rigid when she spoke of the speculations. The first two were ridiculous. Princess Luna's mind was too powerful to be affected by somepony else's clandestine calming spell, even Princess Celestia's. Also, Princess Luna did not believe in temporary solutions, like tranquility potions. Anon also knew this, which meant his reaction was to the last speculation. The normal servants would not put two and two together, even her laundry pony friend could not. However, Breezy cleverly put the clues together to form a coherent picture. Princess Luna's love life was her business. Yet secretly, Breezy was jubilant it was her friend Anon and not some other pampered palace stallion. Those stallions would not give Princess Luna the love, care, attention, and support Anon would. That he was also Celestia's lover, something Breezy had figured out long ago, did not matter in the slightest. She knew Anon. Her experience with him and her intuition told her he had a good, pure heart, and more than enough love for both princesses. It was a rare quality in a male and prized by both royal siblings.

                                            Once Breezy left, Anon finished dinner and made himself ready. While doing so he reviewed the progress he had made on the Ministry projects Luna had given him, checking against a few references in his library. He also could not help pondering Breezy's gossip. What did they know for certain and not just by suspicion? Have they connected the dots? Would they tell Celestia? Would Celestia overhear something? He felt calamity approaching and his mind's gears continually churned away at schemes to avoid revelations of the truth. But if the mare-servants knew, it was already too late.


                                            Next Part: https://ponepaste.org/7368