New Moon (My Little Pony)

28 The Bloom of Lazuli (7/7)

Tenure Grace did her best to hide her fear when she entered a fancy hotel at Manehattan. It was during the middle of the night when her warden snuck into her room. The warden woke her straight from her sleep and informed Grace that he asked for her presence.

Her lonesome in the elevator trembled the mare. What wouldn't she love more than to just leave? To just run away from it all.

But that was impossible. He held all the leverage over her. Her crimes and her life.

Grace reached a door through a hallway. The sign on it indicated that this was indeed the place he decided to take shelter in.

Grace took a deep breath. She wanted to slow the fast beating in her heart. She can't show fear before him.

Grace inevitably knocked on the door. "Hello," she voiced. "It's me, Tenure Grace."

A moment passed before the door eventually opened. Behind that door stood the stallion that held everything over her.

Ever since they were foals, Grace could barely recall any fond memories she had with him. He always tormented her with his selfish request, being the object for all of his curiosity. And she would always have to endure it because she was raised to be his loyal servant as his father had intended. A shame now that she's just a simple slave that he can flaunt as he pleased. Even without the collar strapped to her neck, she would still be his personal slave

"It's about time you showed up," Gold said. The yellow stallion garnered a black silk robe and a glass cup of red wine in his hoof. "In. Now."

Grace adhered to the stallion's command and stepped inside the hotel room. He guided her to his bedroom where he laid the glass cup atop a dresser. Grace glanced at the bed that appeared ruffled. There was a kirin sleeping quietly inside those sheets. It looked so still that she thought that it died. Probably on the inside it did.

"Tell me Grace," Gold started. "How far have you progressed in your task?"

Grace would have told him to refer to her daily reports that she wrote to her warden, but she knew better than to say that. If Gold asks a question, then you must give him the immediate answer he needs to know.

"I have gained the trust of the mother," Grace answered. "She now feels more comfortable leaving the foals under my care."

"I never knew you to have setbacks," Gold commented. "I advise to not let that happen again."

"Yes Master Gold, of course."

"And have you thought of a way to separate the foals from her?"

"None so far, I'm afraid." To be honest, Grace wasn't really looking. There wasn't much time to think of such strategies when caught under the winds of such a lively family. Something Grace wished she had. "My setback required a week of effort to correct."

"You should make better use of your head then. Else you'll start to look useless in my eyes."

"Yes, Master Gold."

"Moving on, I'm sure you're aware that the foals are your main target. But I did put more emphasis on the filly, didn't I?"

"Yes, because she is of a different breed, correct?"

"Yes, and it also shows, unlike her brother. But, there may be some incredible value in him after all."

"... There is?"

"I happened to discover it last night when I saw him at the nightclub."

"Artemis was at a nightclub!?" Grace was appalled. "But he's just a colt. How could he-"

"Quiet," Gold prodded his hoof to Grace's snout. "There is only one time when I like to hear your voice rang."

Grace paused as the stallion removed his hoof from her snout. He then continued, "that other mare that the mother lives with, Summer Lazuli, had him. She works as a security guard of the nightclub."

"Lazuli..."

"I have to thank her, I never would've seen the true value in that colt if not for her stupidity."

"Are you asking me to report this?" The thought worried Grace. She knew she had to make her advances at some point, but she didn't think it would be so soon.

"That would be so easy, wouldn't it? Expose the failure of mother that this Bud is and remove her custody of the foals because of it. Then, I can swoop as the generous stallion and claim the parentless foals. Except, you forget one thing."

"..."

"Our dear Princess appears to have an attachment to those foals. What is there to stop her from adopting them when they are ripe from the taking? No, Grace, we can't use legal matters to claim them. You will have to use other means."

"Other..."

"Don't act so innocent with me." Gold raised a brow. "I've gotten your hooves dirty countless times. I'm sure you're numb to it all at this point. So, use that brain of yours and find a way to get those foals with no pony growing suspicious of you."

"Yes, Master Gold."

"Good. I will expect to have those foals in the coming months. Don't disappoint me. Unless you don't care about having your freedom."

"I want that more than anything..."

"Then we are in agreement."

Sensing the end of their conversation Grace proceeded to excuse herself and make her way out of the hotel. However, before reaching for the door, Gold grabbed her hind hoof.

"It's dangerous at this time of night," Gold grinned. "You should stay here for a bit."

"I-It's no trouble," Grace stuttered. "I know how to defend myself."

"That won't do," Gold spoke into Grace's ear. "I insist that you stay for that night, for old times sake. You won't refuse me, will you?"

He held all the leverage over her. All the crimes he led her to commit would forever plague her innocence. She would never have a normal life if word got out about her affiliation with that group.

And that debt he chose to place on her after the passing of his father. All those years of care she received from the Jaegar family to prop her as the perfect assistant to Gold was fined in full to her.

It was a ridiculous number of bits that Gold knew for certain that she couldn't pay under normal means.

And that accursed collar he placed around her neck. At any moment, he could end her life with just a single spell.

And so, he made her his pet. His tool that he can use to harm the lives of any creature he wished. An object that he can force all of his desires towards. And he knew that Grace couldn't refuse her. There was never a choice in this matter.

The voice of the kirin and Grace rang that night. And Grace remembered that she was just as dead inside as that creature. What were they without their freedom after all?