-- Lilith POV --

  "Lilith, this will be fun!"

  For a person of nearly twenty years, princess Lisa certainly was a bundle of enthusiastic energy. Contagious enthusiastic energy even. The evening before she had dreaded to idea of 'being walked' by the princess. Now she was almost looking forward to it.

  The past twenty minutes had been quite ridiculous though. Before, she had suspected some nefarious intent in the idea that she will be dressed by the princess because her claws threatened to tear any textile that she touched.

  There had been nothing like that. The princess was a bubbling fountain of joy who just washed away the idea of personal space with enthusiasm about each piece of clothing and jewelry that she fitted on her. And after a while she started to believe in how awesome she was looking in her new outfit.

  Now this though. Plateau-hooves! She was halfway sitting on her table, having the left hoof lifted so that princess Lisa could fit the thing on her foot. It was made in similar fashion to a boot, but with a two inch thick sole and shaped to fit her hoof, and then firm leather supports which went up her lower leg. Leather supports which princess Lisa was now lacing with surprising enthusiasm.

  "You'll see! You will walk like a young goddess with these", princess Lisa beamed up at her.

  She had to smile back but was lost for words.

  "Alright!" Princess Lisa exclaimed and tied the lace, "Now the other hoof."

  From across the metal bars Sir Frederik was watching the scene with delight and gave her a thumbs up.

  Soon her right leg was also tied into this strange sort of height enhancing boot.

  "Stand up!" Princess Lisa demanded.

  She carefully pushed her weight from the edge of the table onto her own hooves. She quickly found balance. Whoever made those plateau-hooves certainly knew their business.

  Princess Lisa beamed up to her, "Very good! Now take a step. Remember, keep your weight back, lift the knee, let the foot swing and then slowly shift your weight onto the hoof. It has to look royal!"

  "Take my hand! We do it together." Princess Lisa decided and just grasped her right hand without further ado.

  "Now, together. Watch me. Lift, swing, step, weight. Yes. Stand tall! Don't look at your hooves. Next step. Lift, swing, step, shift the weight. Good. Upright I said! Look at the horizon. You are a goddess now, not a servant. You walk with me."

  She was overwhelmed, but except for the pose she seemed to do it right, according to Princess Lisa.

  Princess Lisa clapped, "I will walk backwards now, and you walk in sync with me. Look me into the eyes. Keep your pose upright. Stand tall and proud."

  Walking practice. Posture training. How her world had changed in just twenty minutes.

  "Very good! I think we are good to go. Sir Frederik open the gates!" Princess Lisa had not lost the least bit of her energy.

  The leash was a mere formality. Barely there, imperceptible under the bubbling stream of advice that she received from Princess Lisa.

  She had to duck deeply under the gates this time. She stood two inches taller now with these funky new boots. She still wished she would stand more on the same height as the princess and not two heads taller. It made her feel separated.

  She felt a tug on the leash, "No daydreaming. The guards are watching us. Remember the walk. Eyes at the horizon. You're a goddess now. You do not see the little people. We walk this together."

  To her eyes, the princess was floating, not walking. She felt like a clumsy giant at the princess' side. But she tried, honestly and seriously. The princess put so much energy into this, she deserved a reward. Eyes, posture, feet, shifting weight. It began to actually feel good.

  The gate of the building opened in front of them. "Princess Lisa, please, give me a moment. I never saw the city before. I need a moment."

  "You didn't see the city when you arrived?" Princess Lisa seemed confused.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "I was blindfolded during the arrival." Not so good memories of this time.

  "Poor thing. Tell me once you feel ready. I'll bring you to the main square. There is a nice fountain there and you can see the palace in the park past the main square." Princess Lisa paused for a moment, and some people gathered to stare at them.

  "Eyes on the horizon Lilith. These people are not there for us." Princess Lisa reminded her and gave her a light tug on the leash, "Come. This way."

  The city was like none she had seen before. Multi story stone buildings, plastered white, all of excellent craftsmanship. Tiled roofs in shades of red. Windows with wooden frames and actual glass sheets. The roads paved with a grey stone, the sidewalks in a slightly darker variant.

  "This is an amazing city", she had to state.

  "It is the capital", Princess Lisa declared as if this explained all the incredible sights.

  After a while they reached a big open space. This had to be the main square. Only a few people around this time of the day, it seemed. And in the center a fountain. It had to be twenty paces tall. All on top mystical animals gushed water into bowls from which the water flowed in cascades down in new layers of bowls and basins, just to feed more spouts and fresh cascades.

  She stopped, despite the tug on her leash. Princess Lisa looked up at her, "Never seen something like this before?"

  She shook her head very briefly, "I don't remember seeing anything like this."

  Princess Lisa came a step closer to her side. "My father built it."

  "He must have been a man full of wonder", she had to admit.

  "Yes, he was." Princess Lisa suddenly had lost all her energy. "Lilith, I was told that you are strong. Can you lift me up?"

  She looked down to the much shorter princess, "Maybe? But is this proper in public, to lift you up?"

  "I don't care. My father used to carry me. No one has carried me since he died." Princess Lisa's voice had a hint of sadness now.

  She squatted and offered her left arm for the princess to take seat, "Please. I'll do my best."

  The princess took seat and she grasped her wrists to form a loop with both arms for the princess, "Hold onto me. Just in case."

  She felt the princess weight shift against her, one hand on her back now. Around people were staring again, but this time she didn't have to pin her eyes to the horizon to not-see them.

  "Up", she spoke quietly and tried to lift her own weight and the princess from the squatting position. The princess was a surprising lightweight person, so it was easier than she had expected. Now the princess' face was almost on her level and she could look into her eyes, "Good this way?"

  "Thank you", the princess rested her head to her shoulder, "Carry me to the fountain please."

  Very carefully she set step by step till they had reached the fountain and the princess looked at the water cascades with tears in her eyes.

  "You've loved your father a lot, haven't you?" She asked quietly while she held the princess safely.

  "Yes. He carried me like this. We often stood here to watch the fountain. I couldn't look over the basin so he used to lift me up so I could see better." Princess Lisa told her in a small voice.

  "Let us watch the fountain. Tell me if you want down or if I shall carry you anywhere." She offered, hoping these were proper words for the moment.

  "Just watch with me for a while. Then down and we walk to the palace."

  "That will be fine." She tilted her head lightly against Princess Lisa's head.

  Time passed. People came and people went. Wind blew water drops over them which dried up again.

  "Thank you Lilith. You can set me down now." Princess Lisa eventually said.

  "You're welcome."

  -- Lilith POV --

  Princess Lisa had been all emotional and she had not wanted to bother her further when they had returned from their walk in the palace park. So she sat now, still fully dressed when Sir Frederik came into the room that contained her cell. He didn't say anything first, just opened the first gate, locked it again, then opened the second gate and entered her cell.

  "Hello Sir Frederik", she greeted him.

  "Hello Lilith. I bring news from the queen. About today's walk. The queen is angry but wants to send thanks for all that you have done. There had been guards in disguise nearby who could report every detail to the queen. She wants to thank you for making her daughter happy and also for the comfort you gave her later. What makes the queen angry is that her daughter was seen as a weakling in public. The queen had meant this to become a display of royal power and now her plans got a serious damper", Sir Frederik reported.

  She nodded, "Princess Lisa misses her father a lot. I didn't know that in the moment when she asked me to lift her up."

  "You couldn't know. The queen sees no fault in your doings. The princess asked you and you complied. That was all good and fine. Queen Zabeth is just angry that her intended display of royal power was turned into quite the opposite", Sir Frederik seemed to be a bit easier about it now.

  She let some time pass.

  "Sir Frederik."

  The man looked at her, "Lilith?"

  "As excited the princess was to to dress me like this, she forgot to help me out of the dress after our walk, and I didn't want to bother her. I cannot get do it by myself without danger of tearing it up with my claws. Neither can I undo the shoelaces. I need someone's help with that."