The Witty Princess & Her Knight

Part 13 - An open secret

"What are you doing? Here I am wasting my precious time to congratulate you and you're just- well, absent" Val sips on her tea while observing Carissa. They are enjoying their afternoon on a gazebo in the garden, Val shooed her maids away.

The weather is excellent and the winds welcome them in a friendly blow. On days like this, Val made a habit of staying outside longer to appreciate the diminishing warmth of the sun, something that rarely happens in Mhytica. On the other hand, the Princess seems distracted and lost in her own mind. She is far too relaxed for Val's comfort. They have gotten considerably close during the time she spent in Tallies but not to the point where Carissa lays on her belly on a couch for all eyes to see. Fortunately, this part of the garden has become exclusively for Val's use because the Princess is behaving like a toddler, throwing away her dignity and poise. 

"Yeah right, you're just running from work" she replied nonchalantly.

Skepticism ran across Val's eyes as Carissa plays with a tulip in her hand, twiddling it around her fingers while gazing absent-mindedly, at Val's tulips.

Val put down her teacup, clinking too hard on purpose to gain Carissa's attention "That may be true to some extent but your brother is kind enough to take half of my work" rubbing her stomach.

"Lucky you then" she replied curtly.

Val eyed her carefully "So, why are you brooding? I thought you'll be elated"

Carissa leers at her and sigh, she threw the flower in her hand to the garden. Annoyance swells inside Val as she sees the white tulip that Orion gave her fall to the ground. What exactly is wrong with her? she thought.

"Is it because Dale couldn't attend your wedding?" she asks.

"That's one of them" Carissa curried her face on the pillows.

This morning, after the council meeting. Dale came to deliver the news that she would be going on an expedition to Edin. It seems that the Prince had his own agenda in today's meeting. When Dale told her she was going to Edin to aid the prince. Val tried to stop her and almost rushed off to scold Orion. She thought the fighting days were over, the country is still recovering from war so how could he agree to go to another one? Dale explained that all Rama needed is a couple hundred of Tallies' best men. She offered herself to go with them because these men will not follow him blindly. As an old friend of the Prince, it was best she went with them or so she said.

"She's a commander and truthfully she'd better not die before we settle our score. Can you believe, she let me win last time we par? I'm so insulted"

"Isn't that because you're the Queen? Besides Orion was watching last time, and he kept staring daggers at Dale, I could feel his pheromones leaking out "

"Ugh. That's why we promised to par in secret next time but she had the audacity to run away"

Carissa pulls her tiny blonde head out of the pillow.
"You knew I was against it as well but Dale is as much as stubborn as you are and she offered herself to that evil bear"

"Evil? What do you mean?" Val ask.

Drifting into her own space, Carissa recalls the incident on the boat when Rama saved Dale from drowning, he did that out of instinct. She bet his body moved on his own, Rama wouldn't hurt Dale, at least not physically. There is a mysterious air every time she saw them exchanging glances like they are communicating by not communicating. And Dale's also very secretive about it, she thought she knew Dale, but now, she's not so sure anymore. What she does know is that Dale always comes through. She had been to multiple expeditions and always came back victorious, except for swimming, Dale had never lost to anyone even sometimes winning againts her brother.