Chapter 5

I handed the gloves of to my teacher a sat back next to Jordan. The group he was sitting with was gathered round a smart phone watching a live vid. One of the guys looked up at me then back down. Something sunk in my gut. My father's press conference. Right now, right this very moment he was out there telling the world that I was quitting, giving up on everything. Pulling my stuff together I gave the teacher an excuse and just ran from the room. I couldn't handle this. Not now. Not ever. I sat down at one of the outdoor picnic tables with a sigh.

"Ms. Wei," a voice said.

I jumped and looked up into the eyes of a suite. "Hello."

"I'm with the President's Secret Service detail. You need to come with me." He noticed my hesitation. "The school already knows."

Standing up he took my bag and lead me to a car. Scratch that, a limo. Four other officers guarded it as the first opened the door for me and then sat down beside me. I tried to figure out what was going on as the rest moved into position and the limo pulled away from the school. This obviously had to do with the race and the Nourasian Royal family but this was not a good time. Was I supposed to meet the King and Queen in the middle of a crisis? No doubt I was. I had agreed to the race. That meant I had to act as a Diplomat for the Earth Coalition.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You need to change."

Suddenly I recognized exactly where we were. "The pool house, I'm staying in the pool house."

The driver nodded and pulled up the long back drive. When we came to a stop my seat mate opened the door and helped me out. The house was silent now that my dad was off at work and not talking to me. I started to walk in to my room to get changed. The officer grabbed my arm before I could. He pulled me close and whispered in my ear about, "something nice." He was just doing his job but it was more than a little annoying. Di they really think I would dress like some….some slut. I walked away.

"Twenty minutes."

I rushed into the house and dug through the piles of cloths from sponsors. Some of the dresses were too formal for a lunch date and some would never be worn. The dress I finally found one that was appropriate. The top was loose and pink, more like a poncho, and the bottom was a black pencil skirt. I didn't have much of a chest but it didn't take away from the dress. I slid on an old pair of black flats and grabbed a lace clutch purse. Scanning over the cosmetic cases I found a simple lip gloss and carefully glossed my lips. As soon as I was done I threw it and my phone in the clutch and rushed outside.

"Good enough?" I asked sarcastically.

The man nodded and motioned for me to get back in to the car. Sliding in I take my phone out of my little clutch. Don't wait up. Meeting w/ Pres.- EW A moment later Chelsea responded that she would tell Jordan and take him home. I sighed. There were so many things going on that it crossed my mind that this was probably a diplomatic meeting with the Nourasians. Maybe I would get to meet the King and Queen. Perhaps I would never be formally introduced. I didn't know. I'm not sure I cared. Somehow the very idea of the race and my rebellion had become disgusting. But the option of turning back was too far behind me. What I needed to worry about was how to override my father's decision.

The limo drove through the country and then down the coast. With the way the driver was going I could see just over the side of the cliff and the rocks below. The waves crashed hard against them. I was being taken to the President's private villa, his own summer residence. He was probably hiding them away there, no need to get the media hyped up yet. The race might be in question after my father's announcement. A wave of nausea hit me. They would ask me about it, I knew they would. Suddenly the car stopped.

"We're here. They're around back waiting for you."

I slipped out of the car on the opposite side and fix myself a little. From what I could see of the house it was beautiful. I felt a little under dressed for the locale. The butler led me into the house and let me in to a powder room to freshen up. As I stood in the marble room I couldn't help but stare at the obvious features my parents had given me. I had my father's black hair and black eyes. The rest was my mother, my jaw, my pale skin, and my height. What would she say to me now?

"Ms. Wei, they're waiting." I quickly re-glossed my lips.

As soon as I stepped out of the room the butler escorted me the rest of the way out on to the patio. I found myself staring out on to the blue sea and the horizon and the place where they met. The sun reflected easily of the white stone of the patio and the stairs down to the lower platform. I stepped up to the railing and stared down at the group. Before I could stand there long enough to observe them a guard placed a hand on my back to guide me to the stairs. He blocked my path back up. Despite the tense situation the scene was quiet beautiful with the light breeze and the sounds of the waves on the shore. I straightened my back and walk towards the group lounging and drinking tea.

"Ah, Eva, you made it. And don't you look wonderful." The President said standing to greet me.

I nodded and shook his hand. I tried my best to focus on him but my mind and eyes wandered to the table's still lounging occupants. The Queen was lying on her side on a chase lounge and next to her, the King sat rigidly on a chair. The theme of bright whites and light blues contrasted with their deep copper skin. Still I couldn't deny that I was the one out of place. Then I turned my eyes to the Prince. His deep blue eyes gazed at me with barely hidden curiosity. His lips pressed together to hold in his questions until he was spoken to or brought up.

"Your Majesties, this is Eva Wei Earth's youngest pilot to win an interplanetary race. Eva, I know you've met Prince Aikka but I'd like to introduce you to his father King Lao and his Queen, Queen Nori."

"It's an honor." I said with as graceful a bow as I could manage.

"Please, have a seat. This is a chance for you to get to know them better." The President pulled out the chair in front of me and gives me a look. "I want this to be a friendly meeting between our people."

Sitting I found myself looking into the suffocating eyes of the king. I swallowed thickly and looked away. I didn't want to be disrespectful but he was a scary man.

"Well, Ms. Wei, I must say it is a pleasure to meet you in person at last. My son has not stopped speaking of you sine he learned you were his opponent." The Queen said bringing my attention to her. She smiled sweetly. "My son says that you claim your moves are natural and I can't seem to find anything to contradict that." The king snorted.

"My mother was a racer." I said bluntly then rushed to explain. "You could say I claim her as my inspiration but she died before she could teach me anything about racing. I go back and watch her races and stunts trying to learn from her. It's hard. Looking at the outside of a racer it's very hard to determine what she was thinking or how she moved in the cockpit. That you have to be told."

"So in a way you taught yourself?"

"Yes."

We talked more. At some point the conversation switched from racing to my schooling and then in to my personal life. Food was brought out to us and we turned the conversation to Nourasia and the culture of the planet. They valued honor and technology was nearly unheard of on their planet. It shocked Eva that they would even think of allying themselves with the Earth coalition but they explained that it was due to the nature of Earth's relationship with the Crog Emporium that made the alliance so appealing. Nourasia and the Crog home planet were close and the Nourasian people wanted security from their expanding neighbors. Since Humans and Crogs were not friendly the Nourasians hoped that Earth would come to their aid should anything happen.

After our meal the President pulled me aside and took me for a walk down the shore line. He waited until we were a ways away before he spoke. "I understand you and your father are in the middle of a little spat. It won't be a problem, will it?"

"No, sir."

"I hear it a little differently then, because I was watching a press conference today hosted by him and what I got from it was not so pleasant."

"I'm handling it, it won't be a problem."

He grabbed my arm and stopped us. "Good, because if it goes any farther and those statements aren't retracted soon I'm going to have to recommend that you sign with another agency. I have big plans for you, Eva, I don't want anything to get in the way of that. Understood?"

"Of course."

What had I gotten myself into? My father had been in control of my life since I was five years old and I was just now breaking his hold over me but was I walking into another trap? I stood there looking out at the churning blue waves. Just on the horizon was a batch of dark clouds that heralded an oncoming storm. How fitting. I slipped off my shoes and dipped my toes in the tide. The water was cool and within moments my feet were covered in cold, wet sand.

"Canaan says that there is a storm coming so we cannot go swimming today." The Prince said stepping up beside me. "Perhaps you will come back and join me and my family for a day in and on the water."

"It would be my pleasure." I said.

We walked back up the beach. A butler came down from the house with water and towels to wash our feet. Saying goodbye to the Prince I walked back through the house to the limo that had brought me all the way from the pool house. My stomach dropped when I realized that the security detail had doubled and another two cars had been brought around. Still I slid in expecting my former seatmate to join me. Instead the door slammed behind me. The President was waiting for me.

"I thought we might continue our conversation from earlier." He said seriously. "I plan on creating several alliances. Many of those planets have similar traditions as us. They enjoy races. You have proved today that you can be diplomatic even under extreme duress. Imagine what you could do for me when things are calm again."

I nodded. There was nothing I could do now. I had made this bed now I would have to live with the consequences. They let me off at the pool house. As they did the President eyed me. Things were worse than he'd thought and now he knew. I spared one look at the window to my father's bedroom. I had to talk to him soon or things would be worse. I went inside the pool house and called Maria. My father would be home in a few hours. She had my school work left for me by Chelsea and I told her to arrange for a family dinner in my father's house. It was all I could do.