“I’m telling you, Rarity, you and your shops are just going to keep rising up to the top!”
 
“One step at a time, Sassy Saddles,” Rarity chuckled, looking behind her as she started dressing the mannequins in her new summer line: Urban Beach. “I’m also happy that the shops are  doing well, but we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”
 
“I know, I know, but just imagine it: Carousel Boutique stores in every major city of Equestria, your name and brand plastered on billboards everywhere!” she says, wrapping her arm around Rarity’s shoulder.
 
“Like I said, one step at a time. Helping run three shops is enough of a hassle as it is. Now, have all the deliveries come in as scheduled?” she asked, stroking her chin as she tilted the sun hat with her magic.
 
“Oh, that! Let me get right on that, they should all be here...” she said, rushing behind the counter to grab the packages and letters underneath.”Yes, I do believe that everything’s here on time!”
 
“Anything else of dire importance?” she asked, adjusting a bowtie on a mannequin.
 
“Let’s see...Seems like it’s mostly material deliveries, sequins from Las Pegasus, lace from Chicoltgo...Oh, panne and plush, Rarity! This looks important!” she said, holding up a white envelope with a golden border.
 
Rarity turned around, looking at the envelope. “Strange, it doesn’t say who it’s from…” she mused, opening it up to read the letter inside.
 
“To the staff of Canterlot Carousel, we would like to cordially invite you to our mansion’s soirée honoring the successful business owners of Canterlot. It would please us greatly if you attended,” she read aloud. “Hm? There’s an address, but absolutely no one is named. Do you know anyone who lives there?” Rarity asked, showing the address to Sassy Saddles.
 
“No, but a mansion soirée...I feel like I’ve heard that before…Ah!” she suddenly exclaimed, “I’ve heard the other Canterlot elites like Fancy Pants and Hoity Toity getting a similar invitation, and they said they were most certainly attending!”
 
Rarity put the invitation back on the counter. “It’s such short notice though, this weekend?” she mused, scanning the letter for any hints of the identity of the host. “Well, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you to go!”
 
“Actually, I was thinking that you should go instead of me, Rarity!” Sassy said with a sheepish smile.
 
“Me? Sassy, are you quite sure? You’re the manager and face of Canterlot Carousel, after all, I’m sure whoever wrote this invitation would be expecting you.”
 
“Yes, that’s true, but who would be better to spread the word about your stores than the mare in charge of it all? They’ll have lucked out seeing you there instead of me to promote your stores. This may be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for!”
 
Rarity looked back at the invitation. “You’re positive you don’t want to go instead? I’d hate for you to miss out…”
 
“Oh I’ll be fine, it’s not everyday you get invited to a Canterlot party, is it?”
 
“No, I suppose not, and I will still be in town when the party starts…” she said. Rarity had been to several Canterlot parties before, but there was something about the invitation that made her hesitant, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
 
“That’s the spirit! Now let’s finish setting up your new line. Hey, you can wear one of these outfits to the soirée!” she exclaimed, holding up a teal lace dress.
 
Rarity let out a small smile, trying to get her worries out of her mind. “Haha, yes, I suppose I could...”
 
A few days later, and Rarity made her way to the address on the invitation, double-checking to make sure she was correct. With the banter she was overhearing, she was either at the right place, or she was interrupting an entirely different soirée. A compass rose stamp at the bottom of the letter was meant to be her ticket in. She was surprised to see royal guards at the gates. As far as she knew, this was for Canterlot business owners, whoever the host was must be quite successful to be able to afford such securities. The guards checked the invitation, and she was granted access.
 
Past the gates was a lively party. The various guests were talking in their various cliques, as servers went around passing hors d’oeuvres around. The music playing was a more upbeat jazz that contrasted the usual elegance of classical music. Rarity saw quite a few familiar faces acting more boisterous than she usually saw them in public, presumably due to the wine that was being served at a crowded bar.
 
Rarity began to mingle, introducing herself to the other guests. They complemented her stunning teal lace dress with matching high heels. Rarity explained that she designed them herself, which lead to the advertisement of her boutiques. The others were impressed with the modest, yet spunky look she pulled off. They also explained what their business was about. Inventors, artists, professors, many of them were businesses Rarity hadn’t heard of, but piqued her interests.
 
Soon, she had increased her Canterlot connections, she couldn’t wait to tell Sassy Saddles about the new business partner opportunities.
 
After a bit more networking, she heard her name called by a familiar voice. Turning around, she saw Fancy Pants and his entourage. He began waving, beckoning for her to join them.
 
“Fancy Pants! It’s so lovely to see you here!” she said, walking towards the group.
 
“Hello, Rarity! The feeling is mutual, it pleases me that you decided to show up, and might I say that is a very stunning dress you have on. I assume you made that dress yourself for an upcoming collection, am I correct?”
 
Rarity blushed, “Oh, thank you, you’re absolutely right! This is going to be a part of my upcoming ‘Urban Beach’ collection!” she said, doing a little twirl and flourish to show her outfit off.
 
“Well, I must say that I would be happy to check it out myself when the rest of your collection is made public!” Fancy Pants said, the rest of his group quickly agreeing with him.
 
“Why, I’m honored that you’d take the time to do so! Sassy Saddles will be setting up the collection soon, it just needs a bit more tweaking before it’s finally ready to go public,” Rarity said, beaming. It was always nice to use your connections to get yourself higher in the world.
 
“Take all the time you need, you can’t rush perfection, after all!”
 
Rarity nodded. “It’s been quite a while, how have you been?”
 
“Oh, I’ve been doing quite fine, myself. Plenty to do in Canterlot. Wonderbolts, zeppelins, auctions, business as usual,” he said, adjusting his collar. “What about you? Anything new or exciting happening in your life?”
 
“Oh, plenty! There’s the new store in Manehattan, the dragonlands, Rainbow Dash becoming part of the Wonderbolts, the yaks in Yakyakistan...My, there’s just so much to say, it’s just been so long since we’ve gotten to talk!”
 
“Indeed, we’re quite fortunate that this party has brought us together again like this! But the night is still young, your tales are fascinating, and I’d love to hear more of them!”
 
“Oh, speaking of which, do you know who the host of this party is?” Rarity said, grabbing a glass of wine, taking a small sip.
 
“No, can’t say that I do,” Fancy Pants said with a frown. “They do know how to throw a rather smashing party, though!”
 
“Hm...and no one here has even seen the host?” she asked. The other guests shook their heads, much to her disappointment. While the party was splendid, she did wonder why the host was shrouded in anonymity. “Oh well, I suppose they shall continue to be a mystery…”
 
The party continued, and Rarity continued to share the stories of her adventures of her and her friends to Fancy Pants and her guests, who found her more suburban life far more interesting than any sort of business venture. Other familiar faces such as Saffron Masala and Photo Finish came to catch up with her as well. As time passed, the other guests started getting considerably more intoxicated, but Rarity knew better than to lose her composure from one too many glasses of wine. As she conversed with friends, new and old, one of the guards walked up from behind, tapping her on the shoulder.
 
“Miss Rarity?”
 
“Yes, what is it?” she asked, tilting her head.
 
“Please, come with me.” The guard quickly pulled her aside to a more secluded spot on the lawn. Fancy Pants and the group looked on with confusion, but continued their conversation without her.
 
“Miss Rarity, I have come to inform you that the host wishes to talk with you after the party has ended,” the guard stated.
 
“Oh my, have I done something wrong? Am I in trouble?”
 
“No, ma’am, our host just wishes to discuss something in private. They believe that the best time would be after the party when the rest of the guests leave, I hope that’s not an inconvenience for you.”
 
“Well, with such a wonderful party, who am I to say no?”
 
“Thank you, please meet by the front door at 1AM, and enjoy the rest of your evening,” the guard said, returning back to his post.
 
Rarity returned back to Fancy Pants’s group, jumping back into the conversation. She was curious as to what the host could possibly want with her, but she wasn’t about to get answers anytime soon.
 
The party continued long into the night. Celestia had lowered the sun as Luna’s moon rose to the top of the starry sky. The lighting now provided by fire-lit lanterns against the moonlight. The wine supply had long since run dry, and a majority of the invited guests had started to leave, walking out with a stagger.
 
It was getting closer to the time that Rarity had agreed to meet with the mystery host, and the number of remaining guests continued to dwindle. She walked up to the front door. “Excuse me, but I believe the host wanted to talk to me in private at this time?”
 
“Yes, Miss Rarity, please step inside, the host shall be out with you shortly,” he said, opening the door for her.
 
Rarity walked inside, where she was guided upstairs into a parlor by another guard. She was instructed to wait there until the host was ready to get her.
 
The room was quite extravagant, every bit of furniture having some sort of golden decoration. The drawers were covered in gold leaf, the legs of the chairs had golden spirals running up and down them, even the curtains had golden silk weaved into the designs. She sat down at a chair by the window, watching the last remaining guests leave. The minutes continued to pass, Rarity began to yawn, her patience growing thin. She was ready to walk out on the host until she heard the doorknob start to turn, the door opening just a crack.
 
“Hello, Miss Rarity…”
 
Rarity felt a chill go down her spine. She instantly stood up from her seat. It had been so long since she last heard that voice, but there was no mistaking that slimy, snooty, self-righteous tone. “You!”
 
The pony stepped into the room, a white stallion with blonde flowing locks, it was none other than Prince Blueblood. “Truth be told, I was expecting Miss Saddles, but it appears that someone better has come back to me.”
 
“What do you want?” she asked, her body physically recoiling from him.
 
“Why, isn’t it obvious? I called you here privately because I want this moment to be intimate. You see...I want you…” he said, walking forward until he was only a few feet away from her.
 
Rarity paused, the party was lovely, gathering all the business owners and giving them a good time...perhaps there was truly a chance that he did change for the better. She was willing to give him a second chance...until she felt his hands shift from her arms to her breasts. As soon as she felt a squeeze she used her high heel to stamp down on Blueblood’s foot. When he recoiled in pain, she gave him a punch to the gut. “And here I thought you changed for the better. It turns out that you’ve only gotten worse, you disgusting pervert!” she shouted, starting to march out the door.
 
Blueblood had to take a moment to catch his breath, before straightening himself up. “I see, if that’s how it’s going to be, you leave me no choice!” he declared, suddenly lunging forward, slipping a ring onto Rarity’s horn. Before Rarity could pry it off, Blueblood used his magic to bring out the leather cuffs attached to golden chains hiding in the drawers. The cuffs wrapped around Rarity’s ankles and wrists, and Blueblood lifted her up off the floor by the chains.
 
Rarity gasped in surprise, her limbs being spread apart before she could react properly. She started dangling from the chains, looking towards the window to shout to someone. “Help! I’m being abducted! HELP!”
 
“Ah, but Rarity, have you already forgotten? Everyone’s already left. It’s just you and me,” he chuckled, walking out of the room, carrying Rarity behind her.
 
“Help! Help! Intruder, intruder!” Rarity continued to shout, in hopes of the guards she had seen previously hearing her, only to be met with her own echoes in the empty hallway.
 
“I’d advise that you save your shouting for later, you’ll need your voice for what I’ve planned for you,” he said, moving into another room.
 
The moonlight gave Rarity a small glimpse of the new location. There were only three things she was able to identify in the dark: a king-sized bed, a wine barrel, and a storage chest.
 
Prince Blueblood adjusted the dimmer switch, and the wall lamps began to show the room in its entirety. The room was mostly empty compared to the parlor, the bed and storage chest being some of the only pieces of furniture in the room. The light revealed a nightstand next to the bed, and several metal hooks: one on on each corner of the bed, and five on the ceiling, evenly spaced apart in a pentagon.
 
After closing and locking the door behind them, Blueblood’s magic attached the chains onto the ceiling hooks, suspending Rarity. Her body slowly rocking back and forth.
 
“Blueblood, please release this instant, and I shall be merciful in knocking your sorry flank into the Manehattan slums,” Rarity said in a hushed voice, her fury slowly building up behind her words.
 
Blueblood approached Rarity, placing his hand on her shin. “Hm, quite the stunning outfit you’ve made for my party,” he said to himself, his fingers going underneath her dress and towards her inner thigh. Unlike before, Rarity was now helpless against Blueblood’s perverted touch.
 
“Get your filthy hands off of me, you pervert,” Rarity demanded, her voice low, yet direct and strict.
 
“My, did you sew this yourself? The little gaps between the ocean wave patterns could leave many a curious stallion imagining the wonders underneath,” he said, pulling on the waistband of her panties, letting it snap back against her body.
 
Rarity winced as she felt the light snap against her thigh. Despite her flailing, all she managed to accomplish was making the golden chains rattle. She tried to kick at the prince, but he managed to stay out of her heels’ range.
 
Blueblood’s horn lit up again, the chains adjusting to raise Rarity’s legs higher in the air, her dress staring to reveal more of her legs. “You look so beautiful in this room, the moonlight shining down on you... I do regret that night in the gala, I never appreciated what was given to me. Now I can make up for lost time...” Blueblood said, puckering his lips as he leaned forward, trying to plant a kiss on Rarity’s cheek.
 
Rarity recoiled herself as far back as she could. Though, due to her suspended state, she could only lean away a few inches before she was kissed. She tried to jolt her head to smack Blueblood in the jaw with her horn, but he moved away faster than she could react.
 
“Of course, what should be more beautiful is your naked body. If I’m correct, it’d be a travesty to hide your exposed figure behind any sort of clothing, no matter how elegantly they were created,” he declared, adjusting the flower pinned to his chest.
 
Blueblood started to strip Rarity of her clothing. First, he grabbed onto her high heels, delicately slipping them off her feet, kissing her big toes once they were exposed. Using his magic, the chains were temporarily unhooked from the ceiling, allowing him to slide Rarity’s dress and panties off her body and up the chains, before hooking her back in. With her black bra, Blueblood personally unhooked it off of her. Once Rarity’s body was stripped, he grabbed onto her breasts, giving them light squeezes, his thumbs repeatedly running over her nipples.
 
“Words cannot describe the amount of hell I will inflict on you once I get out of here,” Rarity said through gritted teeth, her restraints tighter than before.
 
“I’m sure you’ll find some eventually,” Blueblood sarcastically joked. “As for tonight, you have two options here, my darling Rarity. Either you submit to me, and we spend all night making passionate love, or I spend all night convincing you to submit. It’s your choice,” he said, tapping his fingers together.
 
Rarity closed her eyes, gritting her teeth behind her lips. “I think you’re forgetting that I have a third option…” she said in an unsettlingly calm voice. “...I tell you to piss off!” she screeched, turning her wrists to flipped him off with both hands. “Submit to having sex with you?! You must be out of your mind if you think that there exists some scenario where I would even consider having sex with you!”
 
“...Very well,” he shrugged, opening up the storage chest. “I’ll ask again after I make my argument.” Blueblood leaned into the chest, taking out a handful of feathers and paintbrushes. He closed the chest, placing all but one brush on the top. He spun the handle between his fingers, pinching the bristles and twisting them to make sure they came to a fine point. “I need a way to convince you to see things my way, but physical pain just wouldn’t do for a body like yours.” He approached Rarity’s ankles, watching her feet curl in anticipation. Holding the paintbrush at the end with a cocky smirk, he started making broad strokes up and down her sole, switching feet every so often.
 
Rarity grit her teeth, her breaths short and sharp. As soon as she saw the feathers and brushes, she knew what was coming. When she felt the bristles stroke against her defenseless feet, a mix of emotions swirled in her: fury, fear, confusion, and involuntary mirth. She shut her eyes, trying to keep her furious look.
 
Prince Blueblood continued to brush Rarity’s bare feet. He held her toes back with one hand just so that the brush could fully explore the spaces underneath and between. He’d occasionally stick the brush between her toes and twirl it around, amusing himself with Rarity’s reaction.
 
Rarity’s scowl started to disappear, the corners of her lips starting to turn up into a grin. The rattling chains barely hid the giggles that managed to break through her lips. She tried to kick away, but her suspended state only allowed her to move a couple inches at most.
 
Blueblood grabbed another brush with his magic, making figure-eights against her smooth soles. Rarity’s kicking and squirming did not deter him. He simply held her big toes together with his hands while his magic controlled the brushes, working in tandem to bring Rarity to laughter.
 
Rarity’s resolve started to falter, despite the fury that she felt towards Blueblood groping, stripping, and torturing her, her lips had turned into a wavering smile, her restrained giggles and snickers getting louder. She felt the brushes move between her toes, and that’s when she lost her composure. She jolted in her cuffs, thrashing about in active laughter.
 
Blueblood smiled. It was much easier to get her to break than he expected; he only needed two paintbrushes to get her into a giggling fit. He looked back at the chest, the other brushes and feathers he took out would soon see their use, as well as what was still waiting inside the storage chest. The brush on her right foot moved up her leg, swishing against her cutie mark on her rear.
 
Once Rarity started laughing, she simply couldn’t stop. She started wildly swinging her limbs as much as she could, only succeeding in making the rattling of the chains louder. “Bwahahahahaha! M-Make it stooooohohohop!”
 
“The tickling stops when I allow it to stop. It will take a few more minutes until I make my next offer. Just relax and enjoy what I have planned for you until then,” Blueblood said with a sneer, adding two primary pegasus feathers to the mix, the plumes circled around Rarity’s navel, joining the paintbrush in stroking her diamond cutie mark every so often.
 
“Eeeeheeheeheehee! Stop this at once, y-you monster!” Rarity’s toes kept trying to curl, but Blueblood’s grip prevented that small pleasure.
 
Blueblood smugly rolled her eyes. “Oh, alright, I suppose I’ll give you some rest,” he chuckled, the brushes and feathers returning to his hand. He placed the tools down on the barrel, grabbing a wine glass and filling it up. He held it up to Rarity’s lips. “Care for a drink?”
 
Rarity gave him a cold glare in response.
 
“Suit yourself, more for me,” he said, taking a sip from the glass. “My darling Rarity, that was just the warmup, it will either get worse from here if you continue to resist, but it will get much better if you just agree to be mine.”
 
“The answer is still no,” Rarity scoffed. Her situation was awful, but it would take more than tickling to make her even consider giving in.
 
With a sigh, Blueblood used his magic to summon the brushes and feathers back into position. “A shame, but I shall continue to be patient for you.” With a snap of his fingers, the tools started to move again.
 
The same four tools had different techniques this time. The brushes focused exclusively on Rarity’s breasts. One brush began sweeping underneath her breasts, swirling against the sensitive skin in tiny circles, while the other swinging back and forth between her cleavage like a pendulum, keeping in perfect rhythm. The feathers, however, snuck their way between Rarity’s toes, constantly sawing back and forth between the open spaces between.
 
It took considerably less time to get Rarity in a fit of laughter the second time. No matter how much wiggling and curling her toes did, it did nothing to stop the feathers. Every time she thought she could trap a feather between her toes, it would quickly slip out, sliding under her toes before choosing another space to tease her.
 
Blueblood stood back to get a better view of Rarity’s struggle, trying to decide what else he could add to continue her torment. Another brush or feather? Or perhaps a different tool for an extra sensation? After a moment of contemplation, he grabbed the next tools from the chest: two yellow, metallic scratchers. They each moved to a different foot and lightly began raking down her soles, focusing on the ball of the foot and heel so that they could give the feathers enough space to tease underneath her toes.
 
The sudden new scratching sensation made Rarity squeal. Her feet flinching at the first initial scratches, before trying to bat away the new tools. “AIIIEEE! Get them off get them off get them off get them off!” Rarity threw her head back, looking up at the ceiling that she was hooked to, as she howled in hysterics.