Diplomatic Affairs

Chapter 9: Tangled Alliance

A week later~

My groan echoed in the room as I woke up, the afternoon sun filtering through my curtains. I could feel the remnants of tear stains on my face as I checked my phone, discovering a slew of missed calls and unread texts from Alex. However, I swept them all aside, mirroring the pattern I'd fallen into since the break began.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, quickly followed by it being pushed open, revealing Ari's presence. Her unexpected appearance caught me off guard, and I managed to blurt out, "Ari, what are you doing here?"

She responded with a hint of exasperation, "It's the day of your mom's election ceremony. What do you mean, 'What am I doing here?'" Consulting the date on my phone, I realized, "Oh, right, that," my voice trailing off as I sunk back into my pillows.

Ari wasn't having it, though. "No more pity party," she declared, her tone firm. "I didn't fly two thousand miles for your mom's ceremony just to watch you wallow in bed. So, as your princess, I'm ordering you to get up."

I retorted with a hint of amusement, "You do realize I'm not one of your subjects, right?"

She didn't seem deterred. "I don't care. You are getting out of that bed," she insisted, her determination evident as she grabbed my ankles and proceeded to yank me off the bed. I toppled onto the ground with a groan, feeling a mix of annoyance and amusement.

I managed to grumble, "Do I really have to go?"

"This is your mom's pivotal moment. She needs your support. If not for anything else, go for that," Ari reasoned, her words carrying a hint of persuasion. A deep sigh escaped me as I relented, "Alright," and extricated myself from the sheets, rising to face Ari. She enveloped me in a warm hug, her voice sincere as she confessed, "I've really missed you."

My response was equally heartfelt, "I missed you too." As she stepped back, she couldn't help but point out, "Now, straight to the bathroom. You smell like you haven't showered in days."

I offered a resigned groan as I navigated to the bathroom, swiftly stepping into the shower for a quick revitalizing rinse. Post-brushing, I made my way back to my room to find Ari delving into my closet. "What's going on?" I queried.

She glanced up from her task, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "You're not planning to attend the ceremony in that, are you?"

I glanced down at the towel wrapped around my waist, then back at Ari with a sheepish grin. "You have quite the selection of suits," she noted, undeterred in her search. Handing me a hanger carrying a royal blue suit, she declared, "This should work."

Ari added with a determined tone, "I'll leave you to change and I'll ask Monroe to get the car ready," before making her exit. I let out a sigh and changed into the suit, taking a moment to fix my hair in the mirror. Another sigh escaped me before I descended the stairs, finding Ari and Ryder already waiting on the porch.

A sleek black car drove up the driveway and we got inside. As we drove, I found myself lost in thought, staring out the window. Before long, we arrived at the hotel where the ceremony was being held.

I groaned as I made my way to the bathroom and quickly took a shower. I was in the process of brushing my teeth when I went back to my room to find Ari rummaging through my closet, searching for something.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"Well, you don't expect to wear that to the ceremony now do you?" She replied, motioning to my towel around my waist.

I looked down before looking back at her.

"You have a lot of suits," she said, still going through my closet.