JENNIE
The next morning I woke up to the sound of Lisa's gentle snoring. I opened my eyes to see her still sound asleep. I didn't want to wake her because I knew she was exhausted after her week in Paris. I couldn't believe she had worked so hard just so she could come back early.
I studied the planes of her face as she slept, committing them to memory. I didn't think I'd ever get tired of looking at her. What had surprised me over the last month had been how much I loved just being with her. I hadn't thought it would be possible to feel so comfortable with Lisa, but I was quickly finding that I didn't know how I had lived so long without her. My phone beeped on the nightstand and I carefully dislodged her arm so I could turn to see who was calling.
When I realized it was my dad I rolled off the bed and tiptoed out of the room.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Jen." He sounded tired and I tried to figure out what time it was back home, but my mind was too foggy to do the math. I knew it was way too early for a phone call.
"What's wrong, Dad?" I went to the library and grabbed one of the blankets off the small sofa.
"The doctor wants me to push back my trip."
"Why?" I chewed on my nail, waiting for the bad news. There was no way it could be anything else.
"There was no change in the scan and they've put me on a different medicine." He sounded so tired it made my heart clench.
"Then we need to get you over here even sooner."
"I want to wait. The medicine makes me feel pretty bad." He sighed. "They said it would take a little while for me to get used to it."
"Dad, why can't they try something else?" I shook my head angrily. "That's crazy! They need to change it." He didn't say anything for a while and I listened to his labored breathing. "Dad?"
"This is the best thing for me right now. Even Dr. Bielefeld thinks so."
"You've spoken to Dr. Bielefeld?" That made me feel better. "Is he working with your doctors in the States?"
"Yes. They contacted him when they got the scans back. I've spoken to him several times now." His voice was so strained.
"What are you doing up so early? You sound terrible."
"Gee, thanks, honey." He chuckled and for just a moment sounded like his normal self.
"I'm serious. Why are you calling me so early?"
"I wanted to catch you before your day started. I know how busy you are and didn't want to interrupt anything later."
"What does the medicine do? I mean, what's making you feel so bad?"
"Just makes me sick to my stomach." He sighed. "And I have a hard time sleeping."
"I'll come home." I rubbed at my cheek. "Jimin can get me a flight tonight or tomorrow."
"Absolutely not," he snapped. I froze, surprised, because he wasn't one to raise his voice. "I'm coming there, remember?" His voice softened. "I just need to let the medicine get into my system good."
"I want to be there. I wouldn't have left if I'd known."
"I know." His tone made my eyebrows pull together. "It's okay. I didn't mean to upset you, but I knew you'd want to know."
"Why didn't Patricia tell me? I talked to her yesterday."
"I wanted to tell you." He heaved a sigh. "I knew you would be upset."
"Damn right, I'm upset."
"Don't be. It's just part of the deal. Hey, do you have any pictures of Patricia's room? She was asking me about it yesterday."
"I can take some. I think she'll like it." I stood up and paced the length of the library. "Nice change of subject there. I'm still worried."
"Don't be." I heard him moving and realized that he must be in his bed. "I'm going to try to sleep. I'll call you soon."
"I miss you." I took a deep breath.
"Miss you too, baby."
I hung up the phone and stared out the library window for a minute. Having Dad so far away broke my heart. Especially with everything else going on. Taking a deep breath, I decided I'd call Dr. Bielefeld on Monday morning to see if we had any options for getting here sooner. And if there weren't, I'd blow everything else off to get home.
Using the blanket as a wrap, I tiptoed back down the hall to my room. Lisa hadn't moved, so I climbed back into bed and curled around her. Her mouth pulled up into a smile and she wrapped an arm around my waist.
"Good morning."
"Morning." I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent.
"Everything okay?" She shifted so she could see my face.
"Dad called. His scan wasn't good and they've changed his medicine." I took a deep breath. "He wants to wait to come over, see if his body can get used to the medicine first. It makes him sick."
"We could get a flight and go to him."
I looked up at her, my heart bouncing a little. The fact that she had included herself in the plans made me warm all over. Brushing my fingers over her face, I kissed her softly.
"What's that for?" she looked down into my eyes.
"For being you." I cuddled closer to her. "He doesn't want me to go over there. I think he's worried that if I do, he won't ever get to come here."
"Is it that bad?" she rubbed a hand over my hair.
"He didn't say so, but I'm worried. I'm going to call the doctor on Monday and see what he thinks." I sighed. "Dad sounded really rough."
"Why don't we do something fun today? Take your mind off it until Monday." She propped herself up on her elbow.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Come to Manoban and I'll introduce you to my birds." She raised an eyebrow. "Spend a little time outside. It's supposed to be nice today."
"That sounds great." I sat up and turned to look at her. "Can we go now?"
"Sure."
Manoban manor was less than an hour from Kim. I fiddled with the radio as we drove, amused by the wide range of music. Lisa played tour guide and pointed out some of the local landmarks we passed. Becca and Duvall were in a car behind us, which helped make it feel like it was just us.
When we pulled up to Manoban, Lisa waved at the gate guard and we were let in. If I had thought Kim was breathtaking, it was nothing compared to Lisa's home. Instead of a house that looked a bit like a castle, this was an actual castle.
"Wow." I leaned forward in my seat as we pulled up. A turret along one of the corners had arched windows and a flag flying on top. Much like Kim, there was a circle driveway with a garden in the center. Unlike the home that was now mine, there were a lot of extra buildings nearby.
"What's that building?" I pointed at the one closest to the house.
"The people who work here have rooms." She parked at the front door. "Then there are a few storage buildings and work sheds. The stables are behind the house."
A butler opened the front door for us with a bow. I realized that here would be a lot more people who might possibly sell us out to the press. I stepped away from the hand Lisa had on my back and smiled at the people who greeted us. I tried to ignore the look Lisa shot me and focused on seeing everything around me.
The house was amazing. The stone walls from outside were also inside and I was reminded of a fancy hunting lodge. Where my home was large, I could still find all the rooms with a quick search. Here, I had no idea where a kitchen would be, much less a bathroom. I stood in the grand room and turned in a circle, taking it all in. Lisa watched me as I surveyed the splendor that was her life.
"You grew up here?"
"We have a few other places, but most of my childhood was spent here and the palace." She motioned for me to follow her up a large staircase. "There is a smaller family area upstairs. These areas are more like a pass-through for us, unless we're having a special event."
I thought about the tiny house I had lived in with my mother before she married my dad. The house we had moved into together was larger and newer, but still nothing fancy. Despite all the family portraits hanging along the wall, it felt impersonal and I couldn't imagine being a child here.
"I bet you never got to watch TV with dinner."
"Not true. My grandmother used to let us eat with those little tables in front of the sofa." She smiled at me over her shoulder. "She was addicted to The Price is Right."
"You guys get The Price is Right here?" I laughed.
"I think they were reruns, but she didn't care."
She showed me the family room upstairs and the small kitchen. There was a separate TV room, which amused me. In the States the family room was typically where everyone gathered to watch shows or movies. When she showed me her room, I was ready to be wowed. She opened the door and stepped inside. There was a large four-poster bed along one wall, but the rest of the room felt very modern.
"I'm jealous." I looked around.
"Why?"
"There's not a stitch of wallpaper in here."
She laughed and pulled me toward the bathroom. "Wait until you see the tub."
"That's a pool." She was right. I coveted the tub.
She laughed as we left her room and headed outside. I was so excited to see her birds I practically jogged down the stairs. She led me around the stables, which housed ten horses, and around to the mews. The cages were much more elegant than what I'd worked with at school, but it was familiar all the same.
The hawks were gorgeous. Lisa retrieved gloves for us and brought me a bird.
"What's her name?" I looked over her feathers and feet.
"Tweety."
I looked over at her and smiled. "Tweety?"
"Remember the little boy you met the first night? Leo?"
"Ah. He named Tweety?"
"I named her Talon, he disagreed. You can see who won."
I snickered. Remembering how Lisa had looked with the kids that night convinced me Leo hadn't had to put up much of a fight.
"Want to take them out?" She closed the mew and stepped out with her own hawk. "Tweety and Sylvester work together really well."
"By all means." I looked at Tweety. "Let's see what you've got."
We spent hours out with the birds and I could have stayed longer. There was something spectacular about watching the birds fly, their wings spread as they rode the currents and searched for game.
"My father loved birds." Lisa watched as the birds swept the area. "I can't remember a time when we didn't own any."
"There's a freedom that comes with flying." I looked over at her.
"Exactly. Nothing ties them down unless they want it to." She looked over at me. "I think that's part of the reason he was so fond of them. They could go wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted."
"Did he feel trapped?"
"No more than anyone feels trapped." She shrugged. "Everyone is tied down in some way. Work, family, medical problems. It's what you make of it. That's why it's so important to surround yourself with the things that make you happy. If you have a bad day at work but get to come home to a woman you love or your favorite hobby, the rest doesn't matter as much."
I thought about what she was saying as I watched the birds. Was that why she had kept after me even though I tried to keep her at arm's length?
Someone with food actually drove a small golf-cart-type vehicle out to where we were when lunchtime came around, so after seeing to the birds we spent some time enjoying the warmer weather while we ate. She told me about her family and described holidays with nobles running around. It was obvious that her family was much closer with some of the nobles than others, but there was still a very tight-knit feel.
"Do any of the nobles have regular jobs? Or do you all focus on royal tasks?" I tucked my legs under me on the blanket that had been spread out and picked up a carrot.
"A lot of us have jobs on the side. Daniel has a degree in marketing, but he uses it more for the family than anything else. I believe he does take on contract work from time to time. When not drunk, Kai is working on a business degree, but I have no idea if he'll ever use it. Mother doesn't send him on assignments for the crown, so it would be best if he figures out something to do with his life."
"What about Ryujin? She's starting school soon."
"Ryujin is going for a history degree. She's wanted to work in a museum since she was little." She leaned back on the blanket and looked up at the sky. "The problem is that she'll never be able to have a full-time job."
"Why not?" I lay down next to her but kept my distance. Her hand snaked out and wrapped around my fingers.
"She's too close to the throne. Until I have children, Haru and Ryu are the next heirs and are required to speak for the crown."
"That's such a foreign thought to me. It's like you guys aren't real people, just objects." I frowned. "What about after you have kids? Will she be able to take a job then? And Haru is away at school now. Will he be able to do anything with his degree?"
"She might, but will most likely find a charity to focus on. The crown can't keep up with every single thing required of them and the other nobles are counted on to help. Haru and Ryu will always be a part of the day-to-day operations of the monarchy. Going to school is just a chance for us to live a little before we are immersed in the running of things." She turned her head and looked at me. "There are lots of perks, though. It's not all work. We don't have to worry about as much as the English royal family, which means we're not as spread thin."
"Will I have to do things for the queen?" I knew I had responsibilities to the Kim village, but hadn't thought about much more than that.
"It depends. She tends to pick and choose carefully." She smiled. "I think it's reasonable to assume she'll have some things you'd be perfect for."
"Hm." I looked back up at the clouds and wondered if that would change if our relationship did go public. When I thought about all the people who would follow my every move it made me nauseous. Lisa was worth it. More than worth it, but it was still something I was going to need to ease into. And there was a big part of me that worried what we had might not last. Then I'd be left to pick up the pieces of my very publicly broken heart.
"You've got a while before you have to worry about it. She can't ask you to take on any official duties until you've gone through the reinstatement ceremony." She squeezed my fingers.
"Good to know." I started to pull my hand away, but she tightened her grip.
"Jennie, you don't have to worry about people here. They won't say anything." She rolled over to her side and propped her head up. "Most of the employees here are generational. Their families have worked for my family for years. In a lot of ways they're like extended family."
I bit my lip and looked up at her. "I'm making this difficult. I know it. But…"
"You're scared." She cupped my cheek. "I do understand. I'm willing to wait until you're ready, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Doesn't it bother you?" I frowned. "That people will speculate about us?"
"People always speculate about couples." She laughed.
"But not on the front page of the papers!"
"That'll calm down. Eventually they'll find something else to focus on." She shrugged.
"I'm just not used to it." I sighed. "I'll get there. I promise."
Slowly, so that I had time to move, she leaned forward and brushed her lips across mine. My body's response to her was immediate and I forgot about who might be watching. She continued to tease me with feather-soft kisses until I nipped at her bottom lip. That did the trick and she deepened our kiss. I ran my hands through her hair, enjoying how warm it felt on my fingers.
When she finally pulled away, I snuggled close to her and she chuckled. "I should kiss you more often. It makes you much more agreeable."
"Shut it and cuddle me."
The rest of the weekend was spent with the birds or learning more about the area. Lisa was good at keeping me distracted, but the closer it came to Monday, the more anxious I became.