Bloodfeather finished preening the primary feathers in her right wing in my Equestria dreamscape. She paused to admire how her crimson feathers shimmered in the light. They glistened like beautifully lacquered wood.
 
Turning her head she looked at herself in the large mirror attached to her vanity table she was sitting in front of. Slipping a brush onto a front hoof she started to slowly run it through her brilliant yellow-orange mane. She’d almost finished when there was the muffled sound of a toilet flushing from the master bathroom attached to her bedroom. Then one could hear another pony washing their hooves. The mare smiled at the mirror. At least this mandatory down time had its benefits.
 
A few second later the bathroom door opened and a rather handsome, middle-aged, deep purple unicorn stallion trotted over to the mare and gently nuzzled her neck. Bloodfeather made appropriate sounds of appreciation.
 
“So.” Said the stallion into her ear in a smooth baritone voice. “Would you like to get a bit of lunch. We probably could get a patio table at the Silver Bowl no problem. It’s going to be a gorgeous day so the view should be spectacular.”
 
Bloodfeather reached up with a front hoof and ran it through the stallions light violet and silver two-toned mane. Turning her head slightly she looked over at him.
 
“Sorry Purple. I already have a scheduled appointment in an hour. I’m meeting with Quick Silver and we’re getting some lunch and then we have an afternoon of clothes shopping on our itinerary.”
 
Purple Mountain sighed. “Oh well. Do you have any plans for tonight?”
 
The younger mare looked at him in the vanity mirror and smiled. “I was hoping to get all hot and sweaty with you again. Do you have a performance at the hall tonight?”
 
The unicorn sat down next to Bloodfeather as she continued brushing her mane. “Yes I do, but I should be available after 22:00hr. So does that work for you?”
 
The mare grinned. “Yeah I can work with that.”
 
Purple Mountain was a professional singer with the Canterlot Opera House but he also performed routinely at the Royal Palace. As such he had undergone a full security background check. For that reason Bloodfeather felt comfortable with having him spend the night with her in her own apartment
 
Her apartment wasn’t palatial but it was definitely spacious for one pony. It was 2 bedroom affair with 2 bathrooms as well. It even had a modest kitchen with a gas stove and couple of burners and an icebox. Along with gas lighting and a hot water radiator it meant the place was comfortable and well-lit even during the cold, dark Canterlot winters. The apartment had been refurbished in last 10 years. As such its decor was much more inline with the more clean, art nouveau style that was in fashion now. The mare appreciated it to the rather ornate and busy baroque ornamentation that made up much of the palace.
 
With her grooming completed she turned an gave the stallion a quick kiss on the lips and then looked him in the eyes. “You should probably be going yourself. Don’t you have rehearsal at 14:00hr?”
 
The stallion pulled a sterling silver pocket watch from the front pocket of his deep navy blue vest. After a quick glance he retuned it to it’s home in the pocket. “Yeah I’ll be rolling out here in a bit.”
 
Bloodfeather retrieved a purse of deep cherry red leather from the vanity table. Snapping open its gold clasp she did a routine inspection of its contents. Wallet of matching red leather with bits for the days shopping. A tortoise shell mane comb and matching small coat brush. Flight goggles if she needed to fly for any length of time. A tin of breath mints. Next to them was small moleskin notebook with gold fountain pen slipped into pocket on the moleskin. A tiny flask of perfume round out the items commonly found in mare’s purse. The other three items were a bit more unusual.
 
The first item was stashed in an interior pocket of the purse. A manrikigursari carefully coiled up and stored. It was 2yds long made of fine, but strongly linked chain with small, heavy, diamond patterned weights on the ends.
 
The second item was nestled in its own purse pocket as well. It was a slim bifold of rich violet coated paper embossed in gold and silver with the Royal Seal of the two sisters on it. In it were her identification papers and security pass printed. The papers had several wards to prevent counterfeiting, altering, detection, or damaging. Not only did they grant Bloodfeather access to most areas of the palace. It also stated what authority she had over local government officials and members of the military.
 
The third item was fitted into a concealed holster on the back side of the purse’s exterior. Inside was a Tribuzio-style, magazine fed, manual repeating pistol. The pistol had a spring clip arrangement that allowed weapon to slipped onto either of her front shoes that were fitting to Bloodfeather hooves. It could even clip to the soles most of the hoof wear she wore. The weapon was fired by means of a small stud fitted to inside edge of both her shod front hooves and many of her hoof wear.
 
Withdrawing the weapon from its holster she did a quick visual inspection of it to confirm it was ready for use. Pushing a side plate on the left side forward revealed the magazine. A quick visual inspection confirmed that 6 stout, .38 caliber, blackpowder, rimfire cartridges were waiting for use. Satisfied with its condition Bloodfeather returned the pistol to its holster.
 
Purple Mountain watched all this and smiled. He was aware of the mares rank as a Scale Bearer, and that she was very much qualified for the job, but in light of her recent, constant string of assignments he was worried about her safety at times. At least she had two other mares backing her up who were at least if not even more capable of carrying their weight in a fight.
 
Inspection of purse finished Bloodfeather slipped a gold chain around her neck from which hung the Scale Bearer sigil. The mare then donned a ivory colored silk shirt with a ruffled lace collar and cuffs. Over that went a snug jacket of black velour with gold buttons.
 
Slinging the purse over her neck she then placed a stylish doll hat on her head and secured it with an elastic strap. Rising from the stool she’d been sitting on she nuzzled the older stallion.
 
“Well. I need to be going now. See you later then.”
 
The stallion smiled and then sauntered off and exited the apartment. Bloodfeather confirmed that the front door the apartment was locked. Then she opened the glass patio door and stepped out onto the balcony of the apartment. She then closed and locked the patio door which activated all of the apartment wards. Then she launched herself into afternoon sky and flew off to meet Quick Silver.
 
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