-- Lilith POV --

  She was eating breakfast when the wooden door that lead into the room with her cell opened and Sir stepped in, "Good morning Lilith."

  "Good morning Sir Frederik", she replied, eyeing the linen bag curiously that he was carrying. The contents seemed to be compact and rather heavy.

  He first unlocked the outer iron door, stepped into the intermediate room, locked the outer door again and opened the inner door that lead into her actual cell. He took seat at her table and set the bag onto it, fairly carefully as she noticed. Still there was a hard clack as it hit the wood and then she heard a sound that reminded her of metal chains.

  "I've got something for you", he opened the bag and laid out four pieces in front of her, which looked like jewelry made from a silvery metal, which nevertheless neither seemed to be silver nor steel.

  The one piece reminded her of a collier and she picked it up. It was a strange piece, the part that was supposed to go around the neck was made from rather sturdy, linked, square platelets, still every platelet was patterned delicately, polished to a high shine and from what she supposed to be the front part, fine chains of the silver metal were dangling. They certainly would look very nicely on her chest. On the back though was a sort of ring attached. She studied the piece and laid it back don on the table without saying anything yet, then picked up something that she identified as a bracelet. A very similar design, a sturdy bracelet made in the same style of platelets and delicate chains added to it to ease the look and again a sturdy ring.

  She looked at Sir Frederik, the piece still in hand.

  "The queen sends me to bring you your new jewelry", he said with a lopsided grin.

  "Jewelry?" She asked, "These are a slave collar and bracelets, disguised as jewelry."

  He nodded, "Yes they are. The royals have come up with a new idea. Officially to improve your health, or at least maintain it. The princess will take you for walks. Walking is healthy, sitting in a cell is not. And no, they do not care about all the other people sitting in cells. This is a special offer just for you."

  He took a fifth piece from the bag and laid it onto the table as well. She recognized it almost immediately, the same make as the steel rope they used to tie her if they really wanted to be sure she could not escape. Just from this silver metal, smoother, polished, with a sort of clip on one end and a hand sized loop on the other end.

  She picked up the leash, "Please. Tell me this is a joke of sorts."

  He grimaced, "No, the royals, particularly Princess Lisa is very serious about this. Can you tell what metal this is made of?"

  She lifted the collar-collier again. It was rather heavy. The metal felt hard and cold to her. "No, I don't think I have seen this before."

  He pointed to it, "It's an alloy from platinum and some other metals. It's more valuable than the same weight in gold. It is also is harder than gold, which means your claws cannot cut it easily. If at all. Overall what you see here costs more money than what I earn in ten years. The royals have commissioned these pieces for you."

  She sighed and put the collier back to the table. If the royals spent this much money, they were serious about it.

  He seemed to notice her discomfort, "If you comply, you'll get better food with meat, and your cell will be heated in winter."

  Ah yes, she meanwhile knew that game. Accept some shit, get some benefits.

  "Past that", he added, "I think it will be beneficial for you to walk with the princess. In the places where you have been before, people used to be hostile to you because they were afraid of you. If they see you walk every day with the princess, they will get used to you and accept you better."

  "And the leash?" She already hated just to say the word.

  "You'll be the princess' pet in peoples eyes. Scary looking, harmless enough that the princess can lead you around. And believe me, no one will dare to touch the princess' pet. Cause no one touches royal property and lives", he tried to assure her.

  "Royal property?" She barely could believe this.

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  "That's what you are. We've captured you for the royal family," he told her plainly.

  She slumped onto the table, face on her forearms.

  He took a horn of hers to very gently shake her, "As usual. Comply and you get benefits. But I really want to warn you. While the royals favor your cooperation, do not disappoint them."

  She looked up at him, "This is a really stupid game."

  He patted her shoulder some, "It is. But think of the good things that are in it for you. Walking with the princess will not hurt you. You might actually become a favorite of the public. Don't underestimate the value of being liked and respected."

  She sighed, "I hope you are right. After all I have experienced I can't really imagine people will like me, but being seen as harmless is already good enough. Keeps them from trying to hurt me."

  He smiled at her, "See. I can almost promise you that this will work, cause the royals put a real huge effort into it."

  He then turned towards the door, "Mr. Erikson, you can come in now".

  The wooden door opened and an older man with silver hair and splendid clothing stepped in.

  "Lilith this is Mr. Erikson. He is the royal tailor. He'll take your measurements now and he'll tailor the outfits that you will wear on the walks. He speaks your language, so he'll understand you."

  He got up to unlock the cascaded iron gates and lead Mr. Erikson to her, "Nice to meet you Miss Lilith." The man bowed lightly to her, "The royal family has ordered nothing but the most exquisite textiles for you. Please do not look so defeated. You'll be a feast for the eyes in the outfits that I'll tailor specially for you. Now though, I need you to get up, stand tall and proud for me, so I can take your measurements in your best appearance."

  She really didn't feel like standing tall and proud right now.

  -- Lilith POV --

  "Isn't this outfit somewhat provocative?" She asked while she tried to hold still so that Mr. Erikson, the royal tailor, could work on the fit.

  "It is, and it is so on request of the queen", the man pinched the cloth at her waist to find the absolute minimum tolerance to fit it onto her.

  She tried to look at him without moving too much, but she couldn't see his face to make out his expression.

  "I thought I'm supposed to act as the princess' pet, whom the princess takes for a walk?" It had sounded much more innocent when Sir Frederik had told her about the decision, compared to what the tailor had her wearing right now.

  "Yes, that is part of the idea. The royals are very proud to have a demon serving them, and want to show that to everyone. It is a sort of power game. They want to show the people what they have, and at the same time, show that the people cannot have it. The queen in particular requested that any dress I make must advertise your best sides, while being decent enough that no one thinks the royals actually try to shame you. You must draw attention but of the good sort. You are a trophy, something of value and this is the message."

  "And if I feel humiliated anyways?" She really wanted to see his face now.

  "Doesn't matter. The royals only care about the public view. You must appear as something everyone wants to have, but with the princess holding the leash, everyone will notice only the royals can have you", the answer came quick and succinct and didn't help at all to remedy any of her doubts about this situation.

  "And if people get the wrong ideas about this? In at least three places where I was kept before, people actually broke in to kidnap me or do other things to me. I'm not really interested in having such happen again", she didn't want to protest the idea right away, but certainly would like some reassurance.

  "No one touches a servant of the royals and lives", the tailor's answer came surprisingly quick and matter-of-factly.

  She sighed.

  The tailor cursed quietly, "Lilith I told you, breath as shallow as you can. I have to fit this as tightly onto you as possible."

  "How am I supposed to get into this dress at all?" Her claws used to be a nightmare when it came to handling textiles. Buttons and laces came as separate sorts of nightmare to add more horror to the issue.

  "The princess will help you getting dressed", Mr. Erikson stated.

  She tried to turn and look at the man for real now.

  "Don't move, I said! Now I have to do this seam again", the man sad angrily.

  She returned to her upright posture, "So the princess will help me getting dressed. Seriously?"

  "Yes, she is all excited about it since she heard about you. In her imagination you are a speaking, animated, life sized doll with the perfect body and she is just too eager to see what you can be turned into with the right fashion. It will be in your favor to play this role as good as you can." The tailor worked on her lower back now.

  "I am not a doll!" Was food with meat and a heated cell in winter actually worth all this?

  "I'm sorry to say Lilith, but for the royals you are little more. You are property of the royal family, and they already spent a lot of money on you. Just think of the jewelry. They expect you to value the investment." He was now arranging the skirt part of the outfit, which had a suspiciously short front and a long flowing back with an opening for her tail. She didn't like other people's hands on her tail, but it seemed inevitable because she could not hold textiles without serious danger of shredding them with her claws.

  While she was thinking about this, he spoke up again, "Try not to feel bad about it. To the royals we all are just puppets in their game, whom they can order around. Being a puppet of favor is a good position."