Private Truth and Falsehood

[Cassian Abrantes]

Word travelled fast, too fast for him. While the mysterious behind his demotion were surrounded in secrecy. It just led everyone whom had once trusted in Cassian Abrantes for all intents and purposes....doubt him.

His ability to lead, character, morale and most of all his honor. They still believed in him, but one couldn't help but wonder as to why.

He hated this, he utterly hated it. With every fiber in his being he despised it. Yet on the outside he displayed no emotion about the matter. It was necessary for this to happen. He knew she was going to have questions. And he knew he better come up with a good answer.

She was smarter than him, and she wasn't going to put up with his falsehood.

Which was why it was to happen today.

"They are just rumors, Cassian. They will die down in time." Mr. Irons their trusted friend and confidante spoke up as he cooked lunch for the duo. Sibylla Abrantes was to be joining him for a late lunch, as he just returned from the RDF office. "Will Father and Mother be joining us? What about Elian?" Cassian inquired as let out a small sigh and placed the datapad down.

"Unfortunately not, they had a meeting at the royal palace and Elian is attending with them."

"Ah, its as well." It would be another fifteen minutes or so before lunch was ready. He reached for the small book sitting next to him and propped it open to the last few pages to read. As he awaited his sister to show up. House Abrantes had a wide selection of books in their registry, knowledge was quite useful. Although Sibylla did the reading more often than not, Cassian did enjoy a book or two.

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Cassian Abrantes ​

The sharp clip of her boots rang out over the marble, each step cutting through the stillness of the Abrantes estate like the measured strike of a gavel. Sibylla moved with purpose, the kind that made the Abrantes footmen flatten themselves against the wall and made servants suddenly remember errands in the opposite direction. Her lips were pressed into a fine, unforgiving line, her brow drawn low as her thoughts churned with the weight of the news.

At first, she had dismissed it. Gossip traveled quickly enough without her adding to the current, and she had no time for idle tongues. But the whispers persisted, curling through the halls like smoke until she had no choice but to reach out to those she trusted, pulling at threads until they began to weave a picture she could no longer ignore.

Now, she needed to hear it from the man himself, straight from the Gualama's own mouth.

She swept into the room without announcement, hazel eyes scanning the space in a single, assessing sweep before fixing on her quarry.

"Cassian Lucian Abrantes." The name struck the air like a formal accusation.

Her brother made the slightest movement, a familiar twitch that spoke of his instinct to flee before she could properly corner him. Sibylla took a step forward, her tone tightening like a snare.

"You. No. Don't you dare." The words left no room for negotiation. She knew his habits too well, well aware that her brother had the maddening tendency to immediately try and bolt whenever he knew she was trying to find him -- maybe even punch him - causing her to chase him all around the estate.

Whatever the truth was, she would have it out of Cassian before either of them left this room.

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

"Cassian Lucian Abrantes."

"That doesn't sound good." Caleb spoke up almost immediately as he finished preparing lunch.

Cassian twitched lightly as he turned to see his sister in all her declared status demanding answers from him. He closed the book lightly and set it down on the table, aligning it perfectly with the datapad before he looked back to her.

"Sweet sister, It's goo-"

"You. No. Don't you dare."

"Sister....I thought we might-" The former General spoke just briefly as he looked to the side, his face conveying a look of uncertainty. He was trying to find his words, but in truth he was checking his peripheral vision to see which was the best course for escape.

"Okay, here me out." And with that said, Cassian made a break out of the dining room, making a quick and very smooth break through the kitchen and out the door. He knew she was going to be right on his heels, as he stopped for a brief second and caught immediate sight of their family Garden maze and headed that direction.

He took the first turn and thus the game would begin. Oh man it had been ages since he had been in this maze, while it was kept up with. Nice, and properly managed, it had still been some time. He thought back to their younger days, many a times playing tag or just having fun and hiding from each other. Those days didn't seem so long ago as those moments flashed through his mind, moving about the maze.

He steadied his breath, coming to a slow stop.

If he could hear her footsteps.

Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Cassian Abrantes ​

The moment Cassian bolted, Sibylla's voice rang after him, sharp enough to cut through the marble halls.

"CASSIAN! YOU STOP RIGHT NOW!"

And just like that, the chase was on.

Caleb, ever the unflappable butler, merely arched a brow, the faintest ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth.

"I will inform the staff to keep the food warm and prepare a fresh pot of tea," he called after her, as if this were no different than watching two children race through the corridors thirty years ago.

Sibylla didn't waste time with dignity. One hand bunched up the heavy folds of her skirts, the other swinging for balance as she darted through the dining room, skimming past the kitchen's warm air and straight through the open doors to the gardens. She knew exactly where he was heading; of course he would choose the maze.

Ohhh, he was going to get it!

It had been their childhood battleground, a place of laughter and secret alliances, where they could vanish from the world for hours. She knew every curve of the hedges, every dead end, every narrow pass.

"Cassian, you are delaying the inevitable!" Her voice carried down the green corridors, her hair whipping against her cheeks as she took the first turn without hesitation.

Somewhere ahead, she could hear the faint rustle of his steps. He was running, but not nearly fast enough. The maze was hers. And she would have her answers.

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

"Cassian, you are delaying the inevitable!"

"You have to catch me first Sister, besides you may be smarter than me. But I am faster..." His voice lightly echoed across the area. Yet he then heard her footsteps nearby, he took a deep breath as he stopped still and managed a small glimpse of her at which she didn't see him. So he moved in the opposite direction, the overall map of maze refreshing itself in his mind as he made his way towards the center.

"Can you come to the conclusion that some things are best left unsolved, eh Sister?" Cassian voiced aloud with a small chuckled afterward, as he moved to another position. The fountain could be seen from his vantage point, so he was closing in. He stopped and knelt down to see if he could hear her footsteps once more.

He had gotten the urge to say something else, but doing so would give away his position.

Yet, he knew his sister was equally as sneaky and clever as he was. He hated to admit that she found him quicker than he found her several more times in fact. He would use the excuse that he let her win because she was younger. And perhaps he loved the look of happiness and proud smile she gave when she won. The playful flicks of water from the fountain that were tossed around at each other. Her cocky attitude and playful banter about bragging to everyone that she won the games.

She was, and would always be his baby sister.

Regardless of what he was going through, it made him proud and happy to be here with her. If he had to give the whole of his reputation and....even honor to see her happy. He would do so, no matter the consequences.

Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Cassian Abrantes ​

"Faster, perhaps," Sibylla's voice rang out from somewhere in the maze, low and sharp with the confidence of a hunter who knew the ground beneath her feet.

"But you always forget who knows this garden better."

Her steps slowed to a calculated prowl, her skirts rustling softly as she slipped between hedge walls, eyes sharp for any flicker of movement.

"You think some things are best left unsolved?" she called again, her words echoing across the green labyrinth. "Then you've forgotten who you are speaking to. I do not leave things unanswered, Cassian. Not rumors, not treachery, and certainly not my brother."

She paused, her hand brushing the hedge as she tilted her head, listening. The faintest smile tugged her lips.

"You cannot outrun me forever, dearest brother. I will find you. And when I do, you will tell me everything."

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

"You think some things are best left unsolved?"

"Then you've forgotten who you are speaking to. I do not leave things unanswered, Cassian. Not rumors, not treachery, and certainly not my brother."

The former General just smirked.

This one you might have too, sister. Cass thought as he looked down for a moment, angling his head to give him a better auditory perception. There was the faintest of steps, yet they were not too near, nor to far that he couldn't pinpoint their exact location.

Cassian then glanced down as he noticed a Pebble on the concrete road, that seemed to be out of place.

That's odd...

Whatever the reasons, it must have been there to serve his purpose because he picked it up lightly and his hand shot forward and the pebble skidded across the floor for a bit. It would cause just enough distraction for him to move positions again, still in sight of the fountain. It was anyone's game now, for he truly didn't know where she was.

"You cannot outrun me forever, dearest brother. I will find you. And when I do, you will tell me everything."

"Why don't we call a truce, lets say I win this round? And I will tell you everything that you need to know?" Cassian said with a smile, wondering what she would think of the deal. The key word in there was need, which mean he didn't have to tell her everything. His thoughts were turning against him now though, he knew he wouldn't like it if she was lying to him. This was Sibylla though, he couldn't keep any secrets from her. How could they function if they were not honest with one another. They were family after all, so it had to be said.

Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Cassian Abrantes ​

Sibylla slowed her pace, one hand still clutching the folds of her skirts, the other braced lightly against the hedge. Her hazel eyes narrowed as his voice drifted through the maze, her ear perking towards the direction. After a moment, she gave a slight cant of her head, closing her eyes so she could decipher the origin it came from.

"A truce?" she echoed, tone sharp but tinged with amused disbelief. Then, she slowly began to move, drawing closer. Two lefts and then a right, she told herself, her mind mentally mapping out which direction to go.

"Come now Cassian," she added, forcing her voice to soften just enough to carry the weight of her meaning.

"You are my brother. Do not insult me with half truths and bargains. I will have the whole of it, or we keep running until you are too tired to resist me."

Her steps resumed, quicker now, the rhythm of her boots promising she meant every word.

Oh, just wait until I get my hands on you!

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

"A truce?"

"Come now Cassian,"

His smirk returned as he heard the tone of her voice, he knew she wasn't going to let this go. This was too much of a blind side hit that she would. And he knew it was going to draw many questions from her.

A laughed came from him, as he heard the last few sentences come from her.

"Insult you, I would never dream of doing that." Cassian ducked back around, walking carefully along the edge of the maze, his back up against the maze wall but not not touching it. At last....he got her. He smirked as turned the corner to surprise her, but she wasn't there.

"Okay, you are getting better at this game. And we both know baby sister, that you always get your way." Cassian chuckled lightly, trying to hold his laugh in, as he teased her about being the baby.

"Sibylla, we can't get everything we want in life." He listened the for the rustling of her dress, trying to pinpoint where she had moved too. "If we did, life would be a bit to easy."

Cassian took a deep breath, closed his eyes and smiled. This was bringing back so many good memories, and he wished they did stuff like this more often. But sometimes, those things kind of got lost on them. They were both so busy, she was busy with the Assembly, he was busy with his own drama with the Army and now soon to be Intelligence Agency.

"I do miss this, I'm not going to lie. However I do have to issue a warning. If you happen to find me first, you are going straight into that fountain."

Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Cassian Abrantes ​

Sibylla crouched low behind the hedge, skirts gathered in her hands to keep them from snagging, trying very hard not to laugh at the dramatic way Cassian tiptoed along the maze wall like some great war hero sneaking through enemy lines.

He thought he was clever. He thought he had her.

Oh, he should know better.

There was a lightness to her expression and a rare, silly joy that seldom shone in the last few years. The ability to truly be herself had been slowly and surely whittled down until any public appearance meant that she had to keep her composure and reputation intact so as to be considered an appropriate candidate to be elected into a government position.

So despite the seriousness of how this chase began, Sibyllla could help herself when he threatened her with the fountain, muffling back a giggle and calling out in a lilting and sly voice.

"Then I suppose I'll just have to make sure you trip into it first, dearest brother..."

Her hazel eyes narrowed, a grin tugging at her lips as she carefully picked up a small pebble from the gravel path and flicked it against the opposite hedge. The faint rustle should be enough to potentially make him snap his head towards that direction, hoping that she could bait him into moving so she could trap him.

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

"Then I suppose I'll just have to make sure you trip into it first, dearest brother..."

"Good luck, baby sister, don't trip over your dress now." Cassian teased as he turned another corner just he heard the sound of the hedge moving. He was trying so hard to not laugh, as he heard her trying to hold in laughter. He could hear the slight break in her attempts and it just made him smile. They were having fun, just like they used to when they were younger.

He felt they needed to do this more often.

Oh I got you now. Cassian muttered under his breath as he followed the location but he figured she would have moved already. He anticipated this, however what he didn't anticipate was making another turn, following along the path and running right into a dead end.

"Chit....." He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh, which was followed with a small smirk. It was then he realized that he needed to spend more time out here and start enjoying the little things in life a bit more.

"Okay, you got me." Cassian whispered as he raised his hands like he was surrendering. He slowly turned to see if she was there.

Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Cassian Abrantes ​

Sibylla didn't wait for him to finish turning.

The instant his hands went up, she burst from the hedge like a starfighter breaking atmosphere, silk skirts and all, launching herself at him with a triumphant cry.

"Got you!"

Cassian barely had time to register before she tackled him full force, the two of them tumbling onto the gravel path in an unceremonious heap. Her circlet tilted sideways, hair spilling into her face, but she was grinning like a child who'd just stolen a victory sweet.

She scrambled quickly, ignoring the ridiculous state of her dress, and planted both hands firmly on his shoulders, pinning him down with surprising determination.

"Ha! You thought I'd trip over my dress?" she said breathlessly, laughter bubbling in her voice. "You underestimate me, Cassian! Never underestimate me."

She flashed a rare grin that reflected in her eyes, before the emotion waned and then she gave a soft exhale.

"Alright, you have some explaining to do."