Mea and I had spent an hour or so together at the cafe, setting up her new WaComm and chatting. I made sure I didn’t pressure her, but I also ensured my contact was saved into her list. It was bliss, being with her. flirting, learning about her, discussing what we thought about things, all while remembering our fiery moments before? Effortless. I couldn’t wait to find out what was in store for me this evening. But, unfortunately, there was business I had to attend to first.

The thought of Alyss had loomed over me, a dark cloud threatening to storm over the beautiful sunny day that was Mea. I was looking forward to tonight, where I would learn everything about Mea, but first, I had to get through a courtesy dinner. it was the least I could do for her, especially with how things had been left. I had turned down Alyss’s father’s deal, and in turn, I had refused her future as well. She had wanted to marry me and make our own arrangement beneficial to us both. I suppose she could find someone else to fill my role; there would be no shortage of men willing to betroth themselves to her and her position. I still felt bad, though, as we each had been on the cusp of reaching for greatness. Then I’d traded it for love.

I still soared high on that cloud of love, buzzed and drunk with the thought of Mea, the beautiful, wonderful, strong, Mea Kaika. I came back to my apartment still high on the idea of her and how we might spend our evening together. I could tell her all about how I’d refused the deal of a lifetime - for her - and maybe, just maybe, she would show me just how grateful she is for that. And she should be grateful; I’d thrown it all away just for the chance to get to know her. Fear gnawed me still, though, wondering if I’d made a huge mistake. What if I got to know Mea and she wasn’t who I thought she was? What if there was much more to her, and I didn’t like what else I could see?

I calmed myself; that was impossible. Mea was upfront, straightforward. What you see is what you get, and I liked what I saw. there should be no harm at all in getting to know her better, and from what I already knew, I should like the rest.

But whether I had made a mistake or not? The idea plagued me as I readied myself for meeting Alyss at the WAtercrest. My father effectively told me his last wish was to see me as Prime Minister, and there was essentially no way of that happening, now that I’d turned down AUT and Alyss. The thought was heavy on my mind that I’d disappointed my father, especially after how he’d been with me as of late. Now that I was Lord, there were so many more opportunities available to me now. There were a lot more expectations, however, and I hoped I could live up to them. If I didn’t take the proper steps now, my political career would plummet, and I’d be a useless Lord for the rest of my life until I retired to my heir.

I hoped I hadn’t made a horrible mistake.

~

I rolled up to the Watercrest front entrance in my car, shining amongst others. My feet stepped lightly onto the carpeted outdoor entryway, a footman guiding me to the front door. I adjusted my tie, a staple for dining here. I was wearing a full suit, as well, in order to meet the dress code. A few clicks on my WaComm, and I sent my car to be parked nearby. I wondered if Alyss was here yet.

And, speaking of the devil, there she was. She climbed out of a bright yellow coupe, wearing a tasteful cocktail dress of a navy blue. It hugged her curves down to her calves, emphasizing the lines of her legs all the way down to her high-heeled feet. She teetered on those knife edge shoes, carefully extricating herself from her vehicle a few feet away from where I had just done the same. She looked up and noticed me, a warm smile lighting up her face.

“Good to see you,” I greeted politely, extending my elbow for her to steady herself. She didn’t look like she needed my additional balance, but with those shoes, I hoped it was at least a helpful gesture.

Fortunately, she took it, just placing her fingers on the inside of my arm. Not too close, as to speak of romance, but close enough in a friendly touch. This bodes well, I hoped.

“And you,” she said.

The doorman led us through, immediately recognizing us and leading us to a table straightaway. Though of course, I had called ahead letting him know we would be coming. They had prepared a little table for us, away from the crowd, tucked away in a decadent corner of the restaurant, lit by the chandelier above. It was a lovely view, the rest of the restaurant at our front and a cool, marble wall at our backs.

We sat at our table as the waiter filled our glasses with a dark red wine. Her eyes flicked up at me nervously as she smoothed the napkin onto her lap. I cleared my throat.

“So, uh, what is it you wanted to meet about?” I asked bluntly. I was dying to know, for one, and I was itching to get home to see Mea. She had promised me the world, after all. As soon as this evening was over, I could get to what I really wanted to be doing.

“Ah, straight to the point. I’ll be frank as well. First of all, I wanted to offer my sincere congratulations on your recent [Lordship].”

I nodded, raising my full glass of wine at her in a toast, acknowledging her words. I didn’t usually care for wine, and when I did, I preferred a semi sweet white, but this would do. I sipped at it, the wine coating my tongue in a dry, oaky flavor that I didn’t dislike, surprising myself. “If that was all you wanted to say, there was no need to have all of this, too,” I gestured around us to the extravagance. “So, I know there’s something else.”

“Astute,” she said, sipping her own wine in turn. “I felt that what I wanted to say to you deserved more attention than a passing sentence.”

“Oh?” Was this related to how we had left things? I remembered the last time we had seen each other, and.. the night before. My cheeks reddened.

“I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that I truly understand. I hold no ill will towards you.”

“That’s a relief,” I said. I’d been playing it cool up until now, but we were laying our cards on the table. “I had worried you would hate me, after how things ended.”

She smiled sadly. “I’ll admit it’s not what I would have preferred, but again, I understand.”

Was that all? There had to be more to this. I get what she was trying to say, in that this kind of assurance required more than a second or two of attention, but still. This was maybe unnecessary. I lifted my glass to sip at it again,eager for the alcohol to begin to kick in. A thought occurred to me. She probably just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to become an enemy of hers, or her father’s company. It wouldn’t be uncommon, in our class, for jilted lovers of either side to become vengeful. Now, the evening made sense. She didn’t want things to be harsh between us because I held a unique position of power over her. Even though we hadn't been engaged, it was clearly public that it had been possible. Hell, the paparazzi had caught wind immediately, catching us on our brunch date the last time we’d seen each other. She was surely just getting ahead of things. A smart move.

“I know what you want to hear,” I said. “And I don’t wish to play games.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“I have no intentions of ill will against you, or your father’s company, now and in the future. If anything, I hope the same could be said for me, from your end.”

She nodded, accepting our truce. “That is a starting point, [Lord] Montgomery, and our friendship shall begin as such.”

“friendship?” I asked. She wanted to be friends, even after I toyed with her, her company, and left her abruptly?

“Of course,” she said. “We’re both powerful people, or at least, you certainly are. I think we get along well enough. Why not friends, allies?”

I mulled it over. It would be impolite to refuse, of course, and her words held merit. Why would I create an enemy when there was no need for one? “Of course. Friends, then.”

She held her glass aloft to toast; I clinked my glass to it, the noise a delightful ringing.

“To the future we make,” she said.

“Let it be prosperous,” I finished, a well known toast and proverb of the [Lord] class. It was something often said at weddings, coronations, and other honorous ceremonies. It was fitting that we said it now.

The waiter brought out our meals, several courses worth of decadent delicacies, with palette cleansers in between. It was a feast of luxury, fit for Kings. Or Lords. To my surprise, I enjoyed the evening. Conversation with Alyss was as it had been before - delightfully charming, light hearted, and enthusing. Hearing her discuss her schooling reminded me of the passion I had for my education, though I’d used it very little since graduating. It felt like so long ago, already, though it’d only been months. So much has changed since then.

We only made it three out of five courses when I got the call. I was lifting a heavy fork laden with roast duck to my mouth when I felt the notification chime on my wrist. I paused, mouth open wide, startled. I set the fork down, watching the screen flash.

“Do you mind if I take this?” I said to Alyss.

She shook her head. “Whatever you need.”

I pressed answer, her voice chiming into my ear.

“Torven! It’s your father,” said Cerise through the WaComm. She sounded out of breath, barely able to form words. My heart sunk somewhere to the region of my toes.

“What is it? Is he okay?” I choked out.

“He’s - he’s - he’s dead,” she sobbed. “You… you have to come.”