Something Peculiar

24

Lisa reached the stairs, and I scambled to my feet. She had probably only been with Hye-kyo for fifteen minutes, but in my mind it seemed like forever. Wooseok had been sitting next to me, but he got up much slower than I had. Lisa looked over us with disdain, then turned and started walking up the stairs without a word.

"Lisa!" I jogged after her, but Wooseok rather smartly made his escape to the kitchen. "Wait! Lisa! What happened?"

"A conversation," She replied glibly. I scurried to keep up with her, but she made no effort to slow down, so I grabbed her arm, stopping her halfway the stairs. She glanced back over her shoulder as if looking for Wooseok, clearly avoiding my gaze. "I thought I told you to stay away from the mänsklig."

"Wooseok was just sitting with me while I waited for you." I said. "Get over it."

"It's very dangerous for you to be around him." Lisa faced the top of the stairs but looked at me from the corner of her eyes. "It's dangerous for you to be around me." I didn't appreciate the way she wouldn't look at me directly. I missed her dark eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"Let go of my arm," Lisa said.

"Just tell me what's going on, and I'll leave you alone," I said, tightening my grip.

"I have been relieved of my duties," Lisa answered carefully. "Hye-kyo no longer perceives a threat, and I have been insubordinate. I am to pack my things and leave the premises as soon as possible."

The air completely went out of my lungs. It was my worst fear. Lisa was going to leave, and it was my fault. She had been defending me when I should've been defending myself. Or I should've just kept my mouth shut.

"What?" I gaped at her. "That's not right. You can't . . . You've been here for so long, and Hye-kyo trusts you. She can't . .  It's my fault! I'm the one who refused to listen!"

"No, it's not your fault," Lisa insisted firmly. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Well, you can't just leave! I have a ball to morrow, and I don't know anything!" I continued desperately. "I'm not a Princess at all, Lisa. You have so much left to help me with."

"I wouldn't be helping you after the ball anyway." Lisa shook her head. "A tutor will be coming in to help you learn everything you need to know from here on out. You're ready for the ball, no matter what Hye-kyo says. You'll do wonderfully tomorrow."

"But you won't be here?" 

She turned away from me and quietly said, "You don't need me."

"This is my fault! I'm gonna talk to Hye-kyo. You can't leave. She has to see that."

"Jennie, no, you can't-" Lisa said, but I had already started back down the stairs.

There was an unbearable panic settling over me. Lisa had forced me to leave the only people who had ever made me feel loved, and I had done it because I trusted her. Now she was going to leave me alone with Hye-kyo and a monarchy I wanted no part of. Wooseok would still be here, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before she sent him away as well. I was going to be more alone and isolated than I had ever been before, and I couldn't handle it.

Even I was running down to Hye-kyo's drawing room, I knew it was more than that. I couldn't stand to lose Lisa, and it didn't matter how Hye-kyo or anyone else treated me. A life without her just didn't seem possible anymore. I hadn't even realized how important she had become to me until Hye-kyo threatened to take her away.

"Hye-kyo!" I threw open the drawing room door without knocking. I knew it would piss her off, but I didn't care. Maybe, if I was insubordinate enough, she would send me away too. Hye-kyo stood in front of the windows staring out at the black night, and she wasn't startled at all by the door slamming open. Without turning to look at me, she calmly said, "That's completely unnecessary, and it goes without saying that that is not how a Princess behaves."