The New Princess

Chapter 12: A Queen in training (part 1)

The palace gates came into view as Lily's hooves clopped steadily along the path. Rainbow Dash had been grumbling under her breath about the ride for the last ten minutes, but at least she hadn't fallen off yet. Still, her grip on the saddle was a little too tight, her discomfort clear in the way she shifted every now and then.

"We're almost there," I said, grinning to myself. "You still holding on okay?"

She scoffed. "I'm fine. Totally fine. It's not like I needed to ride a horse to get here anyway."

"Uh-huh. Sure you didn't," I teased. "But you're doing great for your first time."

She shot me a glare over her shoulder. 'I could've walked.'

"Well, we'll save the walking for later." I chuckled, leaning forward slightly to get a better view of the palace gates up ahead. "Besides, you wouldn't want to show up at the palace looking all tired and dusty, would you? Gotta keep up appearances for your royal subjects."

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me about the royal stuff."

I smirked as Lily trotted up to the grand entrance. The palace, with its towering marble pillars and golden accents, loomed above us, casting long shadows across the courtyard. The sight of it always filled me with a sense of pride—and, occasionally, a bit of responsibility I wasn't quite ready to acknowledge.

I pulled gently on the reins as we came to a stop, turning toward Dash. "Alright, time to dismount."

She glanced down at the ground, her expression betraying the tiniest hint of unease. "Uh... right. Easy."

"Here, I'll help you." I swung my leg over Lily's back and hopped down smoothly, giving the reins a little tug—just enough to startle Lily, causing her to shift slightly under Rainbow.

"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash yelped, gripping Lily's mane tighter as the mare moved.

I laughed, biting my lip to keep from laughing too hard. Relax, Dash. She's not gonna throw you off.'

She shot me a look that could melt steel. "Was that on purpose?"

I shrugged, the picture of innocence. "Who, me? No way."

Lily snorted, clearly in on the joke. "Oh, Soarin totally did that on purpose," the mare said with a playful swish of her tail. "You should've seen his face when he tugged the reins."

"Traitor," I muttered to Lily, though I was still grinning.

Rainbow Dash finally eased herself back up, sitting straighter. "Just help me get off this thing already."

"Sure, sure," I said, stepping closer to her. "But you're gonna have to let go of Lily first. I can't get you down if you're clinging to her for dear life."

"I'm not clinging—" she started, but then I gave the reins another playful tug, and Lily shifted again. This time, Dash grabbed onto the saddle with both hands, holding on tighter.

Her glare turned into something closer to a murderous stare. "Soarin!"

I let out a laugh. "Alright, alright, I'll stop messing with you. Hold on." I grabbed her waist, hoisting her down gently. As her feet touched the ground, she stumbled forward, and for a split second, she was pressed against my chest.

She quickly regained her balance, stepping back with a slight blush dusting her cheeks. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

"Just trying to keep things interesting," I said with a wink.

Lily, standing nearby, let out a chuckle. "You two bicker like you've been married for years."

Rainbow Dash shot the mare a glare. "We do not!"