I slumped my head on the book I'd been burning my eyes reading. I was tired. My head was whirling. I was reasonably sure I'd need glasses later in life. Again...

This was a living hell. The embroidery wasn't too bad, the dance could wait, and mother, for all her talents, had a pig's ear for music, so music could wait too, but everything else... It was like taking a college course. At five years old (going on six.) Not even my added years of experience were going to help me with the god knows how many rules of etiquette, with balancing books on your head, learning the history of an entire kingdom, its who's who...

...If there was any consolation, literacy and maths were quickly shelved, to the raised eyebrow of Elizabeth the Demon Tutor.

My grumbling inner monologue was interrupted by the clink of a saucer and teacup next to my face.

"Time to take a break, clearly."

Oh, how smug you sound. You didn't take breaks like this, huh, huh?!? You didn't-

"You know, I did."

I raised my head, blinking, how did she-?

"You're too easy to read, Letty. Someone will have to work on that with you later on, otherwise you'll be eaten alive in social circles."

I grimaced, and sat back, gently lifting my cup of tea.

"Okay, so you took breaks. And did I give you permission to call me 'Letty', Miss Elizabeth?"

She laughed. Openly. And my face burned.

"First time you've complained about it. Are you trying to find another excuse?"

Dammit. I was, but she... Her smirk made me blush harder. Argh, I really am too easy to read! I'd tried everything, but she was a master at her craft, truly befitting that name I'd given her, the Demon Tutor.

Playing sick? Exposed almost immediately, because I hadn't properly emulated the symptoms. Hiding? She would find me every time, and she even told me she was tracking me with magic. Running away? Why would I, that would be a loss for me. Tantrum? Not only was she perfectly reasonable, I just knew that mother's charms would make her disappointment a near lethal weapon.

I sighed. And stared at her.

"So what if I am?"

At this, a new expression crossed her face. No smirk, no chuckle, no raised eyebrow.

Now, she was interested.

"And why would you? You're obviously smart. You pick things up quickly. I might even concede that you have more potential than I do." Her smirk returned "Might."

I sipped, as nonchalantly as I could, puffed out my chest, and stated the bloody obvious.

"Because I want a nice, easy life!"

It was only due to my quick reactions that I avoided the spray of tea from Elizabeth's shocked mouth. And she grimaced as she cast a cleaning spell, giving me a new expression again.

Annoyance.

Finally.

"Tch. This, in the end, is why I'm having such trouble with you. Why I don't understand you. You're mature beyond your years, like me. You're smart. You're even forward planning enough to exercise, and trust the chefs to know how to keep your diet healthy. And yet, you haven't realised something..."

I tilted my head. I'd realised a lot, actually, but-

"I studied the same way you did. Somewhat harder, in fact, because I'll admit, I'm not as smart as you in terms of remembering and learning." She leaned forward, her eyes sharp. "But I'm smart in a way you're not... I'm going through the trouble now so I can have an easy life later." She smirked, and it was her nastiest yet. "And in this respect, I'm much smarter than you are... Letty."

She... I... That...

I avoided her gaze as I set my teacup down and looked back at the book. She was annoying. She was a demon in human skin. She was determined to shove everything she'd learned, and more besides, in my poor head. In the year we've been studying so far, I have yet to win a single victory against her outside of maths and literacy.

And worst of all...

Worst of all...

She's got the right bloody idea...