"Liz, hurry up and get ready," Sam said through the door as my eyes opened to the sunlight streaming through the windows lighting up the empty room. "Cliff is going to be here any minute, and I need to talk to you about something concerning the indents in the steering wheel from last night."
I groaned as I pushed myself up in the bed, my back yelling at me as I was sleeping in a ball. "I'm up," I said, "what should I wear?"
Sam opened the door and sighed, "You just woke up, didn't you," she asked as I sat on my knees smiling like a fool in sweatpants and a sports bra. "Well, at least you're not easily embarrassed with me coming in and seeing you in just a sports bra."
"I changed in a dressing room full of women. I'd be comfortable if you saw me in a regular bra," I explained as she walked into the closet, pulling out grey slacks and a red shirt that had frills over it.
"Wear this and your black blazer or one that matches the pants," she said with a shrug as I chuckled.
"First of all, the grey slacks won't go well with the shirt or any of my blazers," I began, sliding off the bed. "Second of all, what do you need to tell me," I asked, walking to the closet to get the right colored slacks and the appropriate blazer
Sam sighed as I changed in the closet, "Well," she said with a sigh after she chuckled. "I'm not the goddess of beauty and outfitting," she said as I got the shirt on after switching bras. "What I need to tell you is that I talked to the King about the steering wheel yesterday," she began as I slid on the slacks.
"Okay, what did he say?"
Sam sighed from the room as I stepped out of the closet, putting on my blazer, "He said that strength will be a part of your powers," she answered. "He seemed surprised when I told him this because both the fates and the god of creation shouldn't be giving you two powers unless he and the queen are going to die soon or there's a major war."
I shook my head, "Why would they want us to fight in a war when we're only college students," I asked, heading over to the bathroom. "I mean, we don't even know how to use powers, much less fight; you saw how the last two encounters with intruders ended," I added as I started putting on light makeup.
Sam chuckled as she slid off my bed, "I don't know, but we'll train you both when Aili is better until then. I'm going to keep a watch on her and have you stay here," she explained, and I groaned.
"What if I want to visit her," I pouted, "and who would be protecting me?"
"The secret service," Sam answered nonchalantly
"What," I exclaimed as I almost dropped my hairbrush
"Cliff wants to place some secret service members with you whenever I'm not able to protect the both of you," she explained. "They will drive you to the hospital in case you want to visit Aili before she comes back."
"I take it this is one of the things that Cliff is coming to talk about," I asked once I finished brushing my teeth.
Sam nodded, "Yes, that and the mention of a government job," she began, "something about being able to work from your laptop."
I shrugged, "Guess I'll find out when he gets here," I said as I headed downstairs.
"That we will," she said with a hint of happiness in her voice as she followed me down. "You can tell Cliff about what we just talked about with your powers because there may be some days that you will be absent from that job with your training," she added once we reached the floor.
"How much about that can I tell him," I asked, "because I don't want to step over any boundaries that you guys have made with this."
Sam smiled, "You won't be overstepping any boundaries. If he offers help, you can accept it," she answered just as a knock sounded. "That must be him," she said as I looked at the doorbell camera.
"That it is," I said, sliding it back into my blazer pocket just as Sam opened the door. "Welcome, Mr. President," I said as he stepped through the doorway, "I hope you have had a good morning."
"I have had a wonderful morning Miss Layzer," he said, extending the formalities. "Let me introduce you to Vincents Moser. He will be the leader of your security guards whenever Sam isn't around to protect you or Aili."
As Cliff was introducing me to him, the man to his right nodded, "It is a pleasure to meet you, milady," he began. "I await the pleasure of meeting your soulmate when she is better," he finished. "You can call me Vince if that makes it easier," he added with a stiff bow.
I nodded, "It is a pleasure to meet you as well Vince, you can call me Liz," I said, and he nodded in acknowledgment. "I hear you, and I need to talk, sir," I said to Cliff, and he smiled.
"That we do," he said, "Could you lead the way to someplace private," he asked. "I will allow your soulmate guard to see what is going on through your eyes if she must. I would like privacy for this whole conversation," he added as I nodded along with Sam and the secret service members that came with him.
"Why yes," I answered politely, "follow me," I added before turning around and leading the President to one of the offices in the mansion of a house. "Before we began," I said after closing the door, "do I have to have all of that formality with you whenever I see you?"
Cliff laughed, "Only in public but not as much as if I was King instead of President," he said with a grin. "Glad to see you're well and that Aili is alive," he added, giving me a hug.
"Glad to see that you are well too, and congrats on winning the election," I said, returning the hug. "About that King thing, I do have something to tell you before we begin with what you want to talk about," I said as I scratched the back of my head with the hand that had no cast.
Cliff reclined in a chair, "What may that be," he asked as I sat across from him at a desk.
I sighed, "I don't know where to begin," I said
"Begin where you think is best," he said as I smiled softly
"Well, I guess I should begin with when Aili was shot," I began with a sigh, "fair warning this might be a long story," I paused, thinking of how to start the story. Once he nodded, I began, "It was when I noticed that Aili's name was fading from my wrist; Sam had already told me that she was dead, but I didn't listen. I urged her to get us to the hospital; I never ordered anyone to do anything," I paused. "Apparently, the gods and goddesses only take orders from the King and Queen that allow them to focus on the task at hand. Somehow I managed to have that power when I ordered Sam to drive us to the hospital. The next time there was a reference to godly royalty was when Aili woke up," I paused once more. "The first thing she told me was that the fates said that we are supposed to rule over a council of gods and goddesses. On the way back from the party, Sam helped me learn how to drive in Aili's car. Aside from all of the other damage I caused from hitting things, there was one other; also, please don't tell Aili about the damages. Sam already fixed them."
Cliff nodded with a chuckle, "What was the most concerning one," he asked me when I stopped talking.
I sighed, "I somehow managed to make indents in the steering wheel," I answered, and his eyes widened as he sat up in his seat. "Sam told me that it was okay, but this morning, things changed with that okay," I stopped to sigh and think about how to say the next thing.
"What kind of things," Cliff asked, looking as if I'm about to bring down the world upon his ears.
"I'm sorry that this has to come now, but Sam told me that future Kings and Queens don't start getting their powers until one of two things happens," I began. "One of them is if the both of them is near death and the other is," I paused
"Is what," he asked as I got up to pace the room
Aili and I never had a normal life since this happened
We never saw the King and Queen in person, but from what the gods and goddesses that we have met have said and the way they acted wasn't as if someone was going to die
Aside from Rachel
Rachel was the only one in the room whose face held more worry once Aili spoke those words.
And she is the only one that was in that room who knew what the King and Queen's health would be
But she couldn't tell us since news on their health was protected by a sacred oath.
"Liz," Cliff said calmly as I realized that I was staring at the lake, "what is the second thing?"
"The second thing," I began with a sigh, "is the possibility of war."