The day Charles would come to visit me had arrived, I felt a little excited.

I loved to dress up for important occasions: making me look nice by carefully choosing clothes and accessories   make me happy. Not a part of my naked body I was ashamed to see or felt obliged to cover it with layers of beauty cloths, but I loved dresses.

In short, I wanted to be more beautiful than usual for that special occasion. After all, I should have welcomed the third-born prince with the due treats, shouldn’t I?

I chose a white and blue dress, totally different from the one – red – I was wearing at the ball. The corset was intense blue with white lines, embellished with golden b.u.t.tons; a train white and soft as cream fell down from my shoulders to the ground, covering the back of the skirt. The contrast was exquisite.

The first one I saw was Mishley, whom I had called in my room:

< so="" how="" do="" i="" look="" with="" this="" gown?="">>

< you="" are="" beautiful!="">>

I was the only one who was so elegant that day: my sister, who would have been so cute even if she had dressed in rags, immediately approved my choice. Never mind if, being just a little girl, her vocabulary regarding “compliments” was rather poor. She kept repeating to me that I was beautiful:

< gorgeous!="" you="" were="" beautiful="" with="" the="" red="" dress,="" that="" swishhh!="" but="" with="" this="" blue="" one,="" so="" pouff!="" soft,="" you="" are="" even="" more="" beautiful!="" you="" would="" be="" beautiful="" with="" anything!="">>, she told me with her eyes bluer than the noon’s sky.

I found the way she had tried to express what she was thinking very tender:

< hey,="" thank="" you!="">> – I strutted a bit – < but="" it’s="" normal!="" after="" all,="" i’m="" your="" sister!="">>

< that’s="" right,="" the="" best="" and="" most="" beautiful="" sister="" in="" the="" world!="">>

< sure!="" and,="" by="" the="" same="" token,="" you="" are="" certainly="" the="" nicest="" and="" best="" of="" all!="" i="" wonder="" what="" charles="" would="" think="" of="" all="" these="" compliments="" you="" did="" to="" me!="">>

< what?="">>, She asked me with a gaping mouth, < charles…?="">>.

< forgive="" me,="" i="" forgot="" to="" warn="" you:="" do="" you="" remember="" when="" i="" talked="" you="" about="" him,="" don’t="" you?="" he’s="" the="" boy="" with="" whom="" i’ve="" made="" friends="" at="" the="" dance!="" since="" he’s="" coming="" to="" see="" me="" today,="" i="" thought="" i="" should="" look="" the="" part!="">>

< coming="" here?="" so="" this="" dress="" …="" is="" it="" for="" him="" that="" you="" are="" putting="" it="" on?="">>

< yes,="" yes="">>, I said, < i="" want="" to="" let="" him="" know="" what="" i’m="" capable="" of!="">>

< this="" dress…="" for="" your="" friend="" charles…="">>

I interrupted my confabulations and looked at my sister: I do not know why, but suddenly, every trace of joy had vanished from her face. Even her blue eyes and golden hair seemed to have lost brightness.

< mishley?="">>

< chris…="">>

What was going on? While trying to find out by investigating her expression, she lifted her head staring at me:

< you’ve="" put="" this="" outfit="" for="" him="" only,="" didn’t="" you?="">>

< y-yes!="">>

Of course I did, was he or was he not the third-born prince? Yet, Mishley’s question seemed to imply something else: I suddenly felt oppressed and judged by her hard gaze.

< yes,="" that’s="" it="" mishley.="" i="" wore="" it="" for="" charles="">>

< ah.="" i="" understand="">>, she answered without hiding her disappointment.

< you="" will="" meet="" him="" shortly,="" won’t="" you?="">>

< yup…="">>

I perceived something strange in her, something more threatening than simple – and sometimes even cute – jealousy between sisters.

< mishley,="" but="" what’s="" wrong="" with="" you?="">>

< i="" will="" be="" on="" my="" way,="" lady="" christina="">>

I was about to stop her and ask an explanation when they knocked three times at the door:

< miss,="" the="" prince="" is="" about="" to="" arrive.="" if ="" you="" are="" ready,="" i="" would="" like="" you="" to="" follow="" me!="">>, said a voice from outside.

< ehm…="" yes,="" i’m="" coming!="">>

What a great timing! I couldn’t leave situation with Mishley hanging like that! As soon as the maid announced the imminent arrival, I had heard her murmuring with tight teeth:

< charles…="">>

Her look was biting, I had never seen her like that before.

Unfortunately, I could not pull back: in addition to being a prince, Charles was first of all my friend, it would not have been right to neglect it. I caressed her on her head to say good-bye:

< sorry,="" mishley.="" now="" i="" have="" to="" go…="">>

She did not answer.

I decided I would have arranged things with her later.

I turned to the door to answer the maid, and at that moment I felt someone was holding me off. Mishley clutched a flap of my dress between her little hands.

< what’s="" up?="">>

< chris…="">>

I noticed that her eyes were damp and that she was barely keeping from crying:

< i="" do="" not="" want="" you="" to="" leave…="" i="" feel="" alone="" without="" you="">>

Faced with such a love manifestation, I opened my eyes wide: it was not like her to show her feelings so openly. She had a pa.s.sive behaviour and it was very rare for her to open like that.

I knelt to better look into her eyes:

< ……="" listen,="" mishley="">>, I said firmly, < i’m="" not="" going="" to="" leave="" you="" alone!="" do="" you="" understand?="">>

< …="" yes!="">>, on her face a smile flourished as she threw to my neck. I returned her enthusiasm by hugging her tight.

< you="" are="" not="" going="" to="" leave="" me="" for="" someone="" else,="" aren’t="" you?="">>

< sure!="" never!="">>

< that="" is,="" never!="" not="" even="" to="" for="" that="" charles,="" do="" you?="">

< yup!="" i="" mean…="" yes?="" um,="" yeah!="" not="" even="" for="" him!="">>

< that="" is!="" it="" will="" be="" fine,="" it="" must!!!="" i ="" love="" you="" so="" much!!!="">>

< me="" too,="" mishley!="">>

Laughing, we kept playing at which of us loved the other the most. That was our little paradise, an ideal world my angel sister had built just for us - some kind of pure, imaginary Eden, where happiness I had never felt before reigned.

Unfortunately, an out-of-the-way voice abruptly interrupted the magic that had been created:

< forgive="" me,="" lady="" christina,="" but="" it="" would="" be="" a="" good="" thing="" for="" you="" to="" hurry="" up…="">>

I had completely forgotten the waiting maid and her words brought me back to reality; I stood up without saying anything and headed to the door:

< chris?="">>

Since I wanted nothing but Mishley’s serenity, I did not go over the doorstep; in fact, I decided to do the exact opposite.

< done!="">>

I turned the key in the lock and closed the door from the inside.

< very="" well="">>

< very="" well?="" lady,="" did="" you="" happen="" to="" lock="" yourself="" in="" there?="">>

< yup!="" and="" for="" the="" moment="" i="" have="" no="" intention="" of="" leaving="">>, I candidly said.

< excuse="" me???="">>

< lady="" christina, ="" do="" you="" realize="" what="" you="" are="" doing?="">>

< today="" i="" really="" can="" not="" leave="" mishley.="" inform="" prince="" charles="" that="" the="" date="" of="" our="" meeting="" is="" postponed="">>

< b-but="" do="" you="" realize="" that="" this="" is="" impossible,="" miss?="" we’re="" talking="" about="" the="" royal="" family.="" quit="" joking,="" please!="">>

< he="" may="" even="" be="" a="" royal="" family="" member,="" but="" mishley="" is="" my="" angel.="" i="" do="" not="" want="" to="" leave="" my="" beloved="" sister="" here!="">>

< lady="" mishley,="" please,="" if="" you="" are="" in="" there,="" could="" you="" please="" convince="" you="" sister="" to="" come="" out?="">>

< no!="">> she resolutely said, going – for the second time that day – against her obedient nature.

< whaaaaat???="">>, < lady="" mishley,="" what’s="" up="" with="" you="" now?="" i’ll="" have="" to="" get="" myself="" a="" copy="" of="" the="" keys!="">>

< don’t="" hurry!="" in="" the="" meantime,="" we="" will="" fill="" the="" lock="" hole="" with="" wax,="" so="" you="" won’t="" be="" able="" to="" turn="" any="" key="" into="" the="" keyhole="" anymore!="">>

< would="" you="" like="" to="" stop="" it="" with="" these="" jokes="" please,="" miss???="">>

They would never have expected a child to design such a plan, but I was something else. I was too smart for them: I would not allow the maid to a.s.sault my castle!

I turned to Mishley smiling, to announce my change of program:

< well="" mishley!="" now="" you="" and="" i="" have="" the="" whole="" day="" to="" have="" fun="" together!="">>

< yup!="">>

< lady="" christina,="" i="" beg="" you,="" come="" out!="" i="" do="" not="" find="" it="" fun="" at="" all,="" just="" like="" that="" one="" time="" you="" barricaded="" inside="" the="" pantry!="" please,="" just="" open="" the="" door!="">>

The racket that the maid made beating at the door was quite annoying: it was a shame for her that I was 100% serious and that this was not just a whim.

< then="" mishley,="" what="" do="" we="" do?="" what="" about="" reading="" a="" book="" and="" ignoring="" this="" noise?="">>

< no,="" i="" want="" you="" to="" tell="" me="" a="" story!="">>

< got="" it!="" go="" for="" the="" story!="">>

< oh="" listen="" to="" her,="" she="" complains="" about="" the="" noise!="" i="" see="" myself="" forced="" to="" call="" the="" duke="" then…="" even="" though="" he="" always="" gives="" in="" lately,="" so="" it="" would="" be="" a="" waste="" of="" time…="" here="" it="" is!="" i’ve="" found="" a="" solution!="">>

I do not know what solution she thought about, but I knew she would not be able to penetrate my fortress in any way. She would have probably call other members of the servitude, and together they would have tried to break through the door.

< i’ll="" tell="" miss="" toinette="" to="" come="" here!="">>

< ……………………………………………="">>

Well, I definetely did not expect that move.

< chris?="">>

Seeing I was tongue-tailed and motionless, Mishley had tried to call my attention and looked at me with a questioning expression. I did not know what to say to the maid, who, taking advantage of my silence, kept talking on her own;

< even="" the="" time="" when="" you="" locked="" yourself="" inside="" the="" pantry="" it="" was="" miss="" toinette="" who="" solved="" the="" situation!="" even="" if="" it="" is="" not="" her="" lesson="" day,="" i="" will="" send="" a="" carriage="" to="" pick="" her="" up="" and="" maybe="" i="" can="" get="" her="" here="" right="" in="" time!="" i’ll="" provide="" immediately!="">>

< forgive="" me,="" i="" was="" just="" having="" a="" good="" time.="" you="" do="" not="" need="" to="" call="" miss="" toinette.="" i’ll="" leave="" now="">>

< chris!="">>, Mishley moaned.

I knew I was breaking her heart, and mine broke too, but unfortunately I could not to do anything about it.

I kindly moved her hand, which had resumed st.i.tching my dress.

< forgive="" me,="" mishley,="" but="" i="" can="" not="" escape="" my="" duty="" as="" noir="" duke’s="" daughter:="" i="" must="" go="">>, I explained in order to console her. Even the maid, listening to my words, was nodding on the other side of the door:

< that’s="" right,="" lady="" mishley…="">>

She really heard every single thing.

< …oh…i="" understand="">>

Though visibly sorry, Mishley finally seemed to understand and did not try to hold back.

< so="" you="" go="" because="" it="" is="" part="" of="" your="" obligations,="" don’t="" you?="">>

< um,="" yes…="">>

< …="" and="" not="" because="" you="" want="" to="" see="" charles,="" don’t="" you?="">>

< what?="" no,="" certainly="" not="">>

Actually, I also wanted to see him, but that meeting was still part of my duties.

< all="" right!="" go="" then!="">> she smiled, granting me her permission to go.

< you="" are="" a="" good="" little="" girl="">> I said, patting her soft blond hair.

< by="" the="" way,="" chris!="">>

< tell="" me?="">>

I was afraid that if I lingered in there any longer, the maid could definitely lose her temper, but I could not resist Mishley’s sweet mumble:

< can="" i="" come="" and="" play="" in="" your="" room="" then?="">>

< of="" course!="">>

I usually was the one going to her room, but once the meeting with Charles would have finished, I told her that she could have stayed playing with me as long as she wanted.

< do="" not="" stay="" alone="" with="" him…="" that="" is="">>

< i’m="" going="" now…="" wait,="" what="" did="" you="" say?="">> it seemed to me that she had whispered something.

< nothing!="">> she said with her head, smiling softly.

< so,="" have="" fun!="">>

< thank="" you!="" see="" you="" later!="">>

My darling.

She was the purity and sincerity made person, my sister.