"Woah!" I said with the utmost of grace, brushing aside her magic, or at least going through the motion, not that her magic was actually moved even an inch by my hand's dismissal. I could feel her on me, casually stroking me as if I'd asked for that at all. The worst part was that some part of me like it. Shit. I was being raped, an awkward situation for a male, let me casually point out. "Stop that! Right now."

"Don't be like that," she cooed, her eyes locked on me as she smiled gently and her horn glowed with her work. "Such a clever stud deserves more... attention, and I have so many other things to offer you."

"Like an open door?" I grabbed for the exit, but the handle jiggled at my grasping, locked as I feared it might be. "This is not how you make friends."

She lifted an ear. "An unwed stallion, so hesitant?" She sat up, her magic ceasing its maddening teasing. "Am I not your type? Do you prefer them younger, older?" Her eyes darted up and down from my midsection to my face. "Fingered?"

"I prefer them to not be creepy stalkers that lock me in a wagon." That seemed like a small request, right? "And I'm not married, but I have a girlfriend, thank you."

Color drained from her face, which you wouldn't think is a thing you could do with a fur coat. "You have a paramour?!" she squeaked, a loud click coming from the door. "I had no idea... I must look the fool... Who is it? Who beat me before I even took the first move?"

"She isn't secret." Not exactly? "I just haven't shouted it from the rooftops."

The mare patted the long bench beside herself. "Tell me of her."

Really, just like that? "May I remind you were just grabbing me?"

"Old mistakes." She waved it away as if it had been nothing at all. "I simply must know. I won't touch you again, unless you want it?"

"I do not," I flatly replied to that, but I didn't immediately flee. Who was this mare? "Who are you and why did you attack me?"

"Attack you?" She fanned her face with a hoof, looking scandalized at the idea. "I may have been a little... forward... but no harm has been done." She cracked a little smile. "Your turn."

"Who I like is literally none of your business." I crossed my arms over my chest, but I still hadn't fled yet. Perhaps I should have? The thought was dancing in my mind.

"Come now, telling me I must not for her sake, but not saying who she is?" She leaned towards me, fluttering her long lashes. "You are not about town that often... Is it that manager of yours? You two are inseparable."

I blanched at the thought of it, but she saw it another way. "It is her! How delightful! How indecent! A stallion making his mare work for her instead of the other way around. Marvelous!" She clopped her forehooves together. "And such a free-spirited common waif. Is that the sort you prefer?"

Did I correct that? It wasn't my job to make sure she better understood my sex life. "I prefer them honest and straight with me." Far better than the scheming energy I felt from this noble(?) mare. "Now, I have to get to work, it's what I'm being paid for, not be entertained--" As if I was very entertained. "--by the local nobility."

"Such a hard worker," she purred. "Yes yes, go on then." She gestured for the door. "But if ever you need a little... distraction... know that the door will be open for you."

"Look!" I suddenly snapped. "I'm trying to be nice but only an idiot would take that offer." I grabbed for the door handle, but her magic was on it, contesting my attempt to open it.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked in a firmer tone of voice. "I've been nothing but welcoming. I know others have not treated you so kindly. Do you mistake me for them?"

Ugh, I should have fled when the chance was there. "You are an unknown player. You want my favor, or to extort. There aren't a lot of other options there."

She suddenly stood up. "What if I actually like what I see, you cad!" She turned up her nose. "Of course I want your favor. What mare does not seek the favor of her chosen stallion?"

"Does that always involve grabbing him between the legs after trapping him nice and close?"

She inclined her head at that. "I was trying to be romantic... You are a strange thing, from a curious place. Are my overtures that bewildering to you?" She suddenly threw open the door with her magic. "Off with you then. We're both hot and bothered. We can meet another day, when our heads have cooled."

I was fairly certain she would have been entirely alright with hot and bothered of a different variety. I would be loyal to Water Lily, however. She was a good working girl and deserved to not be cheated on by the strange man she had faith in. I wouldn't do that to her; certainly not for what seemed to be a bored noble mare looking for a fun new relationship. "Good day. The work's never quite done." With the door open, I threw myself out onto my hooves, striking loose dirt? We were just outside the gate, beside the river.

In the end, she actually had brought me towards my work. I had to credit her that. The wagon driver, and puller, nodded towards me as they were the same pony. "Have a good day, Sir."

"I'll do my best. Thanks for the ride." I nodded towards him and headed for the first project. There was water to move.

Easy waved a hoof tiredly from her bed, not bothering to rise. "Oh! There you are... I was wondering when you'd get back."

"I told her you were working," explained Water with a soft nod. "She's been quite eager to speak to you."

"I can say that on my own," Easy complained, closing her eyes and putting one arm over her face. "That was... just stupid, but it worked out. I had to hop way out to catch that poor worker before he hit the ground. Do you have any idea how hard it is to catch a moving object with a teleport? Any?!"

"Not even the start of a clue," I admitted as I sat down on the edge of her bed. "Are you alright?"

"No." She breathed softly a moment, her talking pausing. "Tired... Anyway, so I catch him, have him in my hooves, and now we're both falling, so what can you do? Again! I never jumped so far and fast, but I have to do it again, or we both smash into the ground and make a mess."

Water hissed softly, shaking her head. "You poor thing. Even one can be so dangerous and difficult if you are not quite well trained. I've heard even then it can be taxing..."

"You're a hero," I offered in a different explanation. "You brought him back in one piece, right?"

"Yeah... So, one more jump, we slam into the ground, but not hard enough to break everything we have." She flopped over, facing me. "And then I fall asleep, right there. He was a polite stallion at least, he took care of me until I woke up, and we joined a caravan heading back up here. Funny thing though, after two jumps like that, must have shook the fear of it off me... When I felt strong enough, I put a hoof on him and jumped the rest of the way on my own."

"And went right back into dead tired," I finished it, imagining the situation in my mind.

"Exactly." She buried her face beneath a pillow. "Can I have a day or two off, Boss?"

"Yes," I blurted without delay. "Of course. Work Pants will be overjoyed, and I already am. You did good." I looked to Soft. "Let's take care of her until she's back on her hooves."

"As if I needed to be told," she said in the gentlest chastising tone. "Any guest in my castle will be treated as a Lady. Now, tea's just beside you." She pointed to a small table where wafting tea did reside. "I'll have dinner ready at the usual time." She looked to me. "Now why do you smell... curiously?"

I thought that had long since faded! "Some crazy noble mare decided to casually try to get into my pants, except she cheated."

Water blinked softly. "I don't know that saying but its possible implications are worrying to say the least. She may have cheated... but did you?"

"No! No... I talked her down, then got away. Her wagon stank of perfume."

"And something else." She raised a brow at me. "You swear nothing happened?"

"Other than me getting angry?" I reached for her shoulder and she didn't shy away. "I told her I was taken, but didn't mention your name, as if she deserved to know it."

Her cautious expression brightened into a little smile. "Good, good... I... know you are of higher station than me. If... ever you did tire of us, I will understand."

I squeezed the shoulder I had a grip on. "I hope that day never comes. Water, I like you just the way you are. I like being with you. Jesus-- I'd want you to do more than timidly accept anything I did that hurt you. You're just as important as me."

"That's a lie, Sir... But a nice one." She leaned in, touching her nose to mine, fur on flesh. "You are a kind pony. Now, I feel certain Easy does not wish us to become romantic as she tries to rest."

"Nah, go on. I could use a distraction." She was watching us with a little smirk. "Don't let me hold you back."

Water's cheeks warmed swiftly. "Easy! I do not know how or why you tolerate... our indiscretions. Do you... enjoy it?" She glanced about nervously. "Listen to me prattle on. How fares your projects?" She turned back to me with that question.

"Well, now we have two, but both are moving where they need to. Ah, ran into one of the ponies that roughed me up before."

Easy's ear lifted at that. "Did you punch him?"

"No! No. Is that how ponies normally behave?" I didn't want to think about ponies randomly slugging one another to get over spats. "He's on the job, back to working. He was afraid I wouldn't want him around."

"And you shouldn't," casually agreed Easy. "But you think ponies are cute little foals that deserve forgiveness even when they hurt you. You're a funny thing, Boss. Never--" She paused to yawn widely, entire body rocking from the explosive noise. "--change." She mostly closed her eyes, going still.

Water raised a hoof to my cheek. "If it helps, I think you are an adorable thing as well, my little furless treasure. She didn't touch you... here did she?" She rubbed softly across my exposed skin, gazing perhaps a bit possessively.

"Her attention was down where the fur was," I noted truthfully. "I didn't actually know a unicorn could grab through things."

Her horn glowed and a recently familiar sensation was felt as she curled her grip around Little Ian. "If we know where it is and nothing too thick is in the way. Your pants do not qualify for that." She leaned in, touching her nose to mine. "But I hope my touch is not unwelcome."

"And if it was?" I asked in a teasing tone.

"Then I would accept what punishment you had in store for me." She half, turned, showing her back end towards me. "We can't have naughty staff working in this castle."

Of the two mares that had grabbed me that day, one of them I didn't mind.

Author's Notes:

The mare claims innocence and curiosity, but how true was that? Still, he got away and back to work, yay! Welcome back, Easy. Your dry wit was missed.

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