Lisa flung open the back doors, rushing out of the hot, crowded ballroom. Immediately, the cool air hit her face, the gentle breeze caressing her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting the wind wash away her anxieties.
Pull yourself together, Lisa. These people need you. The sooner you pick a man to marry, the sooner you can fulfill your duty to serve and protect the kingdom. This should be what you want. If Mom and Dad are happy, then I'll be happy. Just pick someo--
"All your many admirers too much for you to handle?"
Lisa snaps her eyes open to meet the piercing eyes of a dark silhouette leaning against the doorframe behind her.
"The party was getting a little crowded, even for me," the woman stepped closer to Lisa. "You okay, Princess?"
The stranger was wearing a black ball gown, her shoulders and chest exposed. Her hands were folded together, her long sleeves draping over her flat skirt. Her corset hugged her curves so nicely, Lisa wondered how it felt to hold such confidence to flaunt your body in such a way. Her hair was dark and fell just past her jaw. She wore such minimal makeup but the moon still glistened across her skin.
Lisa looked down at the cobblestone and softly nodded her head. "Y-yes, thank you. I apologize if I alarmed you,"
The mysterious woman chuckled and curtseyed below the princess, catching her gaze.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, you are a terrible liar."
Lisa let out a soft laugh and straightened her composure. The stranger silently smiled, lighting a cigarette held between her long fingers. Lisa watched as the woman wrapped her lips around it, inhaling the smoke into her lungs. She tilted her head back, letting the smoke escape into the night sky, scattering into the space between them. She reached out her arm, offering the cigarette to Lisa.
"I promise I won't tell," the woman insisted. Lisa shook her head.
The woman shrugged and took a long drag from the cigarette. "That's fine, you don't have to take a hit. But I still want to know what drove Her Perfectness to run away from her own party."
Lisa let out a small laugh and turned to face the woman. "I'm not perfect."
The woman shrugged, blowing another puff of smoke into the air. "I dunno, Princess, the people never have anything bad to say about you or your family. Everyone loves you--hell, there's a whole castle filled with men that would do anything--and I mean anything--to have the chance to talk to you, let alone marry you! Yet you're out here, all alone, looking absolutely miserable."
Lisa looked up at the sky, shaking her head. "Maybe...maybe this just isn't what I want."
"To rule the kingdom?" The woman pressed.
Lisa shook her head again. "No, that's not it. I love this nation, these people are my home. I would be honoured to serve over them. It's what I've been raised for, I've been working so hard to prove myself. But...I just don't see why in order to do that I need to be married."
The woman blew out another puff of smoke before turning to Lisa. "Why not?"
Lisa chuckled and shook her head. "Why do I need to be married in order to rule the nation? It's not like they have trained their entire lives for this. I can do it on my own, I shouldn't need someone else in order to prove I am worthy."
"Interesting," The stranger noted.
"Miss Perfect Princess doesn't want to be loved."
Lisa scoffed. "I never said that. Of course I want to be loved, every girl dreams of being loved, but this...I don't want this..."
