Her Decision

Prince Edigen was in his room when he heard a knock on his door. He knew it was his sister, by the way the knock was sequenced: a series of brisk, rapid taps, then a soft knock. "You can come in, Cardy," he said. The door opened. Light-footed and cheerful, Cardessa stepped into the room and close the door be hind her. "Did I interrupt anything important?" She asked sweetly.

"Oh no, no. I wasn't doing anything major. So, why did you come here?"

"Um, are you busy this afternoon?"

Edigen, who was pouring himself a cup of wine, raised his eyebrows. "Maybe. Why?"

"Well, the physician said that I could go out for some exercise, so I wanted to go for a ride. I don't think that mother and father would let me got if you didn't come as well."

"From what I know, you were told to have some gentle exercise to which I'm sure you know meant a short walk."

"Wait a minute. How did you know?" Cardessa put on a pout.

"I do look out for you, you know,"

"Well, I'm well enough already, and I do need some fresh air. You know that fresh air is not what I'll get if I'm to take a walk in the palace grounds. The people would be on me in huge masses!" there was a pause.

"How long are you planning to be out there?"

"Three hours?"

"Three hours!" the prince's eyebrows shot up. "Did you seriously think that I'd let you?!"

"2 and a half then,"

"Half an hour is enough."

"2, please?"

"1 then."

"1 and a half…….please?" Cardessa widened her eyes pleadingly, her delicate hands clasped in front of her. She tipped her head sideways slightly and smiled sweetly. "Oh! Stop looking at me like that. It makes me guilty." Cardessa just took it to the next level by leaning towards him and tugged gently at his sleeve. The prince looked down at her. "You win, you win, just change an expression and it's a one and a half ride!"

"Thank you!" Cardessa said gleefully.

"Mother's going to kill me for agreeing to this……"

"I'll help you do the talk, mother will listen to me," Cardy smiled at her brother. Edigen sighed, and looked back at her. He loved her. Everyone did. She was beautiful, clever, kind, loving, caring, easygoing…….perfect! One look at her would melt away any worries.

Cardessa started moving around the room. "When's father going to come back?" she asked.

"Why would you ask me?"

"Because you've always been updated with father's actions, as I have been with mother's."

Edigen sighed. "I don't know."

"You still aren't going to tell me," Cardy whispered. "You still aren't going to tell me why he rushed off so suddenly, right?"

Edigen frowned. "He didn't rush off suddenly. It was probably just a small obstruction in which father was needed at. Don't worry."

"Stop using 'probably'. You know what's happening, and I know you know that I know it."

"I also know, that if I know that you know that I know what father's been doing, you would also know that if father wanted me to tell you, I would tell you what's happening, but as it is, neither of us need you to know, and would like me to pretend that I don't know." Edigen was getting annoyed. Cardessa could tell by the way he was avoiding her eyes and his uneven breathing. "Just go and make the preparations for the afternoon ride, ok?" he said.

"I'll go, after you've subsided from you momentum."

Cardessa stared into her 18-year-old brother's eyes, and didn't look away from his harsh warning glare, even when she really wanted to. "Stop it." He whispered. "I'm not doing anything," Cardy whispered back. Minutes passed. The prince's glare had slightly eased. When Cardy saw this, she couldn't help but giggle.

''What did I do THIS time?" Edigen exclaimed. Cardy raised her eyebrows.

"It's just that yesterday, Lady Natalia came and visited me in my bedroom, and she said that she fancies you," Cardessa paused and studied her brother's reaction, and found herself looking at a really red face. "Now, now, it's okay, don't look so scared. She said that she loved the way you look when you're angry. She obviously hasn't seen the real angry you, because the truth is, I think that you'd look extremely frightening. Hmm…… is it just me, or have you actually calmed down a little?" Cardessa moved towards her brother's study room. "The maid had rushed off to do something else this morning, and hasn't cleaned the study. It's really hot in there." Cardessa placed herself in front of the door.

With lightning speed, Prince Edigen slid himself between the princess and the door that led to his study. "We can sit here, the couch would be more comfortable." Edigen gestured.

"I like your study better, come on,"

"From what I know, you've always hated the room that came before the study, so we never wnet to the study together."

"Well, I like it today. Come on!"

"No, let's stay here."

"You're hiding something from me."

"I'm not going to answer that." There was a pause.

"I get it now!" Cardessa grinned. "Lady Natalia must have sent you a love letter and you don't want me to see it so you hid it in the study because you didn't think that I'd go there."

"Well, my love life with Lady Natalia is none of your business. Yes, you're right. So what?"

"Ok then, I'll see you after lunch then." Cardy winked at Edigen and left his chambers, a care-free smile on her face.

It was only when Cardy was back in her own rooms, alone, did she frown. Her mind was overloaded. Edigen wouldn't lie to me, he wouldn't she on thinking to herself. But it was no use. Lady Natalia didn't fancy Edigen. She and Lord Madras's son, Milam were madly in love with each other, but because their families wouldn't agree with their relationship, only Lady Natalia's maid, Milam's manservant, and Cardessa knew about them. Lady Natalia would never write a live letter to Cardy's brother. And so Edigen must have been lying. And Edigen has only ever lied to her once in her whole life. About what her father had been doing in the last 2 months. Cardy concluded, that what ever was in her brother's study must have had something to do with her father's whereabouts and she was going to find out just what was happening, whether her family liked it or not.

"They can't stop me."