4 years, eight months, two days since exile

About two months later, the Caesar was planning on hosting an evening party out in the palace gardens. The parliamentarians, notable citizens, officers of the city garrison and several of the closer provincial governors would be attending. And the Caesar wanted her to be by her side during the celebration.

"Caesar, with all due respect, I'm not a high-class pony. I'm an, an assassin? P-point is, I don't think I'd be the best choice for the position. I mean, you have lictors for a reason, Caesar."

"Yes, I have lictors. However, I think that you would be a better choice for this occasion. I do not have to explain my reasoning, and it is not your job to question it. All you need to know is this is the task I have given to you, and you will follow it. Understood, Voluntatem?"

"W-what about my son? I can't just leave him all evening. He'll-"

"You have Castus, don't you? Let him handle it. Now, like I said, it isn't your job to question orders. Your job is to follow them and to do it without question. Understood?"

"Yes, Caesar."

That night, she met the Caesar just outside the garden entrance. She wore an expensive-looking silk dress, several bits of gold jewelry, and a golden circlet on her head. She looked like she had just taken a bath, well-groomed and clean. With the way she held herself, she would've resembled a Canterlot noble if she were but a unicorn.

Rainbow also had a nicer look to her. She still wore her normal armor and had her holstered weapons. However, her armor had been cleaned to the point that she could see her reflection on the helmet. Her eye and prosthetic forelegs had been similarly cleaned, and she had gone down to a bathhouse to get herself cleaned up. She was also given a few new bits of clothing for the occasion. An officers cloak of red cotton with a gold lace trim, a few feathers to stick in her helmet to act as a crest of sorts, and a golden collar with a carved imperial eagle on it.

"Well, now. Don't you look the part? Come come," the Caesar said. She opened up the doors, stepping out with Rainbow trotting right behind her.

The party also looked like something Rarity would've wanted to attend up at Canterlot. About three dozen people, all in expensive clothes or polished, high-quality suits of armor, mingled among the well-trimmed shrubbery. They talked, drank from cups of wine, or sat at tables, eating dinner. A band stood on a raised platform, their horns, drums, and flutes filling the air with music. When the Caesar entered, all of them stood up or otherwise turned to her, dropping into a salute.

She followed behind the Caesar as she made her way into the crowd, talking with the other guests. She didn't say a word, even when the attention of the party guests focused on her. She didn't really want to interact with them, even if she had no real choice in the matter.

The Caesar came to a stop before three guests. Two were Demigryphs, a well-groomed and somewhat handsome looking male and a rather prissy looking female. The third was a uniformed bighorn, the symbol on his officer's cloak showing him to be of the fifth Regiment, located about twenty miles from the capital. "Ah, Parliamentarian Drusus, Governor Decima, Praetor Sextus. I trust you are enjoying yourselves."

"Of course, Caesar," Sextus said, smiling over a cup of wine. "Your parties are always something never to miss." He then looked past her, looking almost directly into Rainbows' eyes. "So, this is the mare that helped the twentieth out at Savarnai?"

"Indeed, Praetor. She has proven to be a valuable asset to the Empire. One who continues to prove herself." Although the words were complimentary, the way she spoke and the look in her eyes spoke of a different story. One that said: Don't say a word in response or so help me, I'll do horrible things to you. So, instead, she simply bowed her head to the Praetor and the other guests.

"Loyal one, isn't she?," Drusus said, marveling at her. That, at least, stoked her pride a bit.

The Caesar, now a little bit annoyed, said, "Indeed she is. Like I said, a valuable asset to the Empire."

Decima, who had been looking at her with the most interest, then set down her drink, trotting up to her. "Caesar, may I...."

Whatever her unsaid request was, the Caesar had managed to pick up on it. With a roll of her eyes and a light sigh, she said, "Yes, you may." Then, to her: "Open up your wings."

An odd order. But, an orders an order. She complied, spreading her wings to there full span. The governor then began to circle her, eyes soaking up every inch of her. Her light confident smirk then shifted to a nervous frown. Decima then began to run her paws through her feathers, muttering to herself as she did so. She also took in other parts of her body; well-muscled legs, her facial scars, and her short, stiff braid. Suddenly, just when it felt like she was done, Rainbow felt a light tug on one of her feathers.

Her wings clamped shut like a venus flytrap. The governor looked disappointed but didn't press further, apparently alright with the look she was able to get. The Caesar smiled, engaged in a little more small talk, then left to go talk to some other guests. Re-adjusting her helmet and fiddling lightly with the goggles dangling around her neck, she followed after her. This was how the rest of the party was spent: with Rainbow following the Caesar around, listening to the Caesar's small talk, and showing off bits of her anatomy when the need arose.

Rainbow slid open the apartment door at about eight, again careful to avoid waking her son. This time, she didn't have a moral quandary to sort out, and so just peeled off her armor and went over to the table to look at finding some leftovers. And such, she had a quiet dinner of bread, olives, and cold anchovies.

She then trotted back up the stores, again careful to keep her noise level to a minimum. She leaned over his small crib, kissing her son lightly and wishing him sweet dreams. She didn't mind her job but still liked spending time with her little Depressi. But, putting that thought aside for her morning flight, she opened up the nightstand, popping her two crackers into her mouth, waiting for the euphoria to wash over her.

Instead, like that first night, all she got was a feeling of cold water. Maybe she was just building up an immunity; yeah, that was probably it. So, she popped another one into her mouth. Coldwater. Frustrated, she popped in another. Coldwater. Letting out as silent a scream of frustration as she could, she then grabbed about twenty, over half of her months stock of the stim, and began to, one by one, shove them into her mouth.

Finally, after nineteen of them, her rush finally hit her. She fell back against the pillow. She tried to get a line of thought going. One about how she didn't think that drug resistance worked like this. But, before she could get very far along that train of thought, her mind told her it needed sleep. And so, her question unanswered, she passed into the realm of the cold, dark void of dreamless sleep.

Next Chapter: 51~Breaking a revolt Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 35 Minutes