Race for the Throne | Formula One

16. Racer Meets Royalty

When Peter drove Ines home, I stayed in the garden which is where my father found me.

"How are you today Kat? You seem happier." He sat next to me on a bench.

I rolled my shoulders back. "I'm working on it. I just feel like around every corner there's something bringing me back."

He placed his hand on mine. "Don't get stuck on the bumps in the road, you have made so much progress. You have become your own person, it doesn't matter if you always know who that person is, what is important is that you are growing and discovering yourself. You also were open to new friends and now you have people that genuinely care for you."

I smiled faintly. "I guess it hasn't all been bad lately."

"Don't feel like you always have to hide behind a smile, I know how much you always want to appear happy to everyone but it's ok to let your walls down sometimes."

Looking past him, into the garden, I sighed. "It's just difficult. I'm the princess of Monaco, I have expectations I have to live up to and people breathing down my neck constantly to document every move I make. What if I make the wrong choices? What if I let people down?"

My father stood up and offered his hands to me. "I am telling you this as your father, fuck expectations."

"Hey! Language," I giggled.

He laughed for a moment before becoming serious. "Kat, by doing what you love and following your heart, you will never let me, your mother, or Alex down. We will always be right here for you, to support you and help you."

I took his hands and he pulled me to my feet. "Thank you papa."

He smiled. "Alex might have also let slip that there's a young man you have your eye on."

Blushing, I covered my face with my hands. "Alex is a dead man."

"Don't threaten your brother. Why don't you invite Mr. Leclerc to dinner tonight. Your mother and I would love to meet the man who has turned our little princess' head. And you will always be our little girl regardless of how old you get."

I rolled my eyes good naturedly. "Please be normal tonight if I invite him."

"So I should leave the jewels in the vault?" Father joked.

"That would be a good start. I'm getting a call from him right now, so I guess I'll ask him." I checked my phone.

My father kissed my temple before walking back towards his study.

"Hey Charles!"

"Hey Kat! How did your day with Ines go?" He said cheerfully from the other end of the line.

"It was really good, I needed it."

He hummed happily. "I'm glad to hear that."

I laughed. "What has got you in such a good mood, Mr. Leclerc?"

"Oh you know, just saw some articles about Princess Kathrine being back in Monaco, just happy she's back."

I took a deep breath. "Would you be interested in celebrating the princess being back tonight? Nothing too fancy, just a family dinner?"

The line went completely silent for a moment as Charles searched for words. "Family dinner? As in royal family?"

"Yes."

"Won't I be imposing? I'm just a driver, I'm not royalty. Wouldn't they want to spend time with just you and not someone like me?" Charles spoke a mile a minute as he tried to wrap his head around the invitation.