Chapter 5 of chapter 3 Stupid

Stupid.....

When you thought you have won, but see you're just getting started......

Isabella Pov......

She was so exciting that she finally stood up to her fear. The fear of facing the Duke of Hastings, the fear of seeing his handsome looking face closer to her face, I bet down she sweats alot but quickly have to dry up with a fan but her turn....

Lily was just babbling all the way back to the ladies Hall. She seem more excited than her previous state and I'm happy to see her in such mood. 

"I can't believe I did it!" She exclaims, 

"But you know my lady you almost skipped off. I don't know why you were so nervous" I said helping her to take off her shoes. 

Her face went completely dark, I stared up, she seem sad all of a sudden. Why the change of mood, did I say anything that provoked her and she didn't like it? 

"My lady" I call softly 

"You know what, Isabella. The first time I heard about the Duke, people said he's handsome and good looking and some said he's the fearless man in the society. Also the dangerous. But today, when  I looked into his eyes......" She said sadly, from the mood she is, I suspect she saw something different from him. 

"Did he scared you my lady, and say mean things to you?" I asked. The only response to my question was her tears running down from her beautiful eyes.  Does that mean the Duke said something to her that she didn't want to talked about.

"Did he hurt you?" I asked again getting scared by her slient. 

She wipes it off and looks at the worries me. She smiled

"It's okay Isabella, the Duke ain't that bad"

"But you are crying, did he makes you cried?" 

"No , he's not the reason but I'm happy I have you. You're the best. Now let us get the gown off and have a peaceful evening"  she stoods up and stands at the huge mirror. 

I looked confused, I didn't know what to say to her.

"You can't believe it Isabella, I was bold before the Duke, how that possible?" She asked, helping her to take off her gown while staring at the mirror.

"It's all you my lady, you choose your courage to face the Duke"  I simply replied

"Yeah, I know but I couldn't have done it without the help from you. You're my hero, remember you talked me out of it. Even when I'm scared" 

"I'm glad you did it my lady" I take off the gown and gave her a simple dress to wear.

"I have told you time with numbers, you should stop calling my lady. We're friends and friends call such other by their names" 

"I'm sorry Lily" I apologize and smiled.

"You're forgiven, now come here for a hug" she hugged me so tightly, like I'm planning to run away from her. She was indeed and soft, and her friendship to me was pure. Beside, she makes me think alot about Marcus. Because the two were kind of alike to me. call them by their names instead of lords.

"Not so fast losers" Ruby and her friends approached.

Speak of the devil, actually the second one. 

"What did you think you did out there. That's was so cheap of you to think."

"What are you saying Ruby's? " Lily asked after getting her dress on. At the other hand, I don't why this girl, Aish! She pissed me off! what's her problem and I can't dare to speak to her!

"We all know you sold yourself out. Everything that happened between you and the Duke. You  did it on purpose!" She yells

"That means if I didn't it on purpose and it did work. Why don't you do yours, you don't know it might work too. " She turns to me.

"Isabella, let go" she drags on her hand and walks out the hall with the dead looks on Ruby's and her friends faces.  I hold my laughter until we get out. 

"Ahhh!" I laughed, couldn't hold more of the tension any more. 

"Why are you laughing? What so amusing?" 

"Didn't you see the faces of Ruby and her friends? They were so lost" 

"Yeah, I know" she shifted some strand of her hair backward. " What happen? You seen sad again" I asked when I saw the bewildered smile have died off

"Do you know anyplace that I would felt a little lighter and received a fresh air perhaps?" 

"Yes the garden" 

We walked sliently to the garden path, along all the journey, Lily didn't say a word to me. Making extremely worried, Something bother her that she didn't want to share. I promise to be there for her and makes she face the reality of whatsoever that battle her. 

" Isabella, how does it feel to be black?" She asked. 

"Well, sometimes it's feel beautiful, natural and being you beside" I chuckled. " I'm black and nothing changes that"

"Do you feel unwanted?" 

"Of course, I do. And I hope maybe something might happen great in my life. I have always seen myself as a commoner and imposter. It was hard to tell what's await you. " I looked at her and she sat on the beautiful bench beside the trees, looking down to her feet. 

She seem more worried. About what? I wondered

I paused and she looked up. " Please continue your speech" 

"Lily" I sat next to her. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine just continue your talking I'm listening"

"Okay, despite the fact the black have set free there was no sign of freedom in my life" 

"Why do you say that, you don't know what laid ahead maybe something good and beautiful"

"Beautiful?" I chuckled, I didn't mean to sound rude but that word beautiful was a shocking word to me. 

"Yes beautiful, you're beautiful and amazing black woman I have ever meet. Yes you're a servant and that doesn't means you're nothing. You might be nothing in some eyes but something in others" 

I looked at the lady talking to me, she was white, beautiful and adorable. She has all the beauty that makes her woman and yet she address me beautiful? I was amazed, amazed by her every acts. Which didn't her father understand his own daughter. 

We heard feet steps. " Sh.. sh..sh.." she placed a finger across her lips. "Someone is coming this way " she said, quietly. Pick up a branch, rise it above her shoulder. Peeking at all corners of the trees suspectedly

"We need to hide" she said, I don't know why she seem so suspicious, there's nothing to be afraid of, that's what I thought on my head. 

"There no need for that" we heard a gentle voice from behind the flowers trees it's Marcus.

"Marcus?" 

"You know he?" She asked, stared at Marcus and back to me. 

"Hi Isabella, I'm in a request to get you"

"Me? For what?" 

He walks closer but Lily stood at his front. 

"You're not going anywhere with my Friend"

He smirk, " he actually told me you're a bit crazy but I must admit you're alot crazy than I thought" he said and left her to me.

"Who's him?" She asked confusedly.

"You looked stress out, sorry for not being there for you"  he said touching my jawline ignoring the question Lily asked him.

"Take your dirty fingers off her chin!" Lily roars and slaps off his hands. I was shocked, before I could say a word to her. She punch him immediately on his chest. Marcus grumbled in pains.

"Stay away from my friend you pervert!" About to go for another punch on his stomach. 

"No, Lily, he's my friend!" I screams 

Her fist hang up on the air 

"Your friend?" She asked, gasped at the man smiling wildly to her and back to me.

"A friend with a lord? "She asked surprisingly, letting him go. Marcus stands up, trembling before getting a fixed balance to stands. 

"I must say, I'm impressed. That a good punch,. Are you once a wrestler before finding out that no man would marry you and then decide to be turned back into a  decent woman?"  He mocked

"You jerk!"

I hold her back. "Don't Lily, I think he had enough" I turned looking furious at him for throwing deadly words at her.

"You're the worst friend ever!  How could you tease me in front of him all the time!" I yells surprising the two. Lily had done her part, it time to do mine, he had being making my life difficult in the presence of the Duke... All these times.!

I grabs on the  previous branch, Lily's was holding before. "This time no mercy!" 

"Isabella wait" Lily ordered, "why don't I do the job for you?"she garbs the branch out of my hands. "And you should sit down and relax. I'll make sure I break his head!" she said.

"I think you girls have had enough fun'"

"Not to me. How dare you humiliated my friend" before she could think of hitting him. He held her hand  and throw away the branch. 

Garbs her waist closer to himself, and whispered "do you need a kiss to calm down?" He asked, place his lips  closer to her ears seductively. 

I was stunned, watching and short of words, once I remember something about Marcus, he's good at teasing

"