Caspian was ordinarily so good at hiding his emotions, and rarely did Thalia see anything that amounted to discomfort cross his face. But at the mention of his mother, she saw the way he shifted, the way his eyes glanced down, and the pout to his lips as if revisiting a memory that he did not wish to.
“She was fine,” he said, still looking away.
“That is not –”
“Tell me of your father,” he spoke over her. “I am curious about the man.”
She scoffed. “I do not think so.”
“Excuse me?”
“You can’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“You know well what,” she snapped. “You hardly answer my question and then think I will answer anything you ask me. That is not how it works.”
“How it works? This is not a game, Thalia. And I will remind you that you are the one who wanted this.”
“For good reason,” she cried. “I have happily answered your questions. And I will keep answering them, because this is important, Caspian. Why can you not see that?”
“So far,” he said. “I have only asked you one question.”
“You can ask me anything and I will answer it.” She glared at him as if to prove her point.
He scoffed. “Easy to say until something comes up that you do not want to speak of.”
“That won’t happen.”
“And if it does?” he said. “Am I allowed you accuse you as you have me, when you refuse to answer me?”
“That won’t happen,” she said again.
“You seem awfully sure.”
Thalia bit into her lower lip as she continued to glare. She knew what he was doing, of course, trying to talk his way out of answering her questions. He hoped that she would back down, or that she might concede there were some things even she would not answer.
There are certainly that… and I pray he does not realize it. If this is to work, he needs to believe that I am serious about wanting this.
“I am sure,” she said as an idea came to mind. “And to prove it…” She found the valet standing in the corner. “Excuse me, if you might bring a glass of water for me? With two cracked eggs inside of it.”
The valet looked at her blankly. “I am sorry, Your Grace, I do not –”
“Fill a glass with water, crack two eggs into the glass, and bring it here.”
“Thalia, what are you doing?” Caspian asked her.
“You will see.”
They sat in silence. Caspian, watching her with unabashed curiosity. And Thalia, sitting with her back straight, her hands folded on the table, and confidence brimming from her persons.
Caspian needed to believe that she was being truthful. That she was willing to do what it took to get to know him better. It was time to show him just how much.
“Here you are, Your Grace,” the valet said a moment later as she placed the glass of water and two eggs in front of Thalia.
“Thank you.” Thalia said with a smile before looking flatly at the Duke. “Now, ask me anything.”
He was frowning. “I don’t… what is that for?”
