The Botanist

Chapter 1: Persephone

I walked down the marble tiles that lead to my father's office, I passed by each family portrait, one success after another, and another, it continued on for many generations, if I learned one lesson from my family it's Deihls do not fail. When I reached his office door, I could hear muffled voices from inside the room. I presumed it was Mother, because what other woman would be in his study?

"Clyde, you should tell Perse the truth, she knows that you wouldn't call her here for no reason," my mother huffed.

"Gwen, you give Perse too much credit, besides I have a solid reason in my head," my father stated. I looked through the crack of the door, they sat in chairs that faced the furnace. I opened the door slightly and slid in.

"She isn't some pawn in your sick game! Tell her the truth or I will!" Mother argued, I saw her lean forward in the midst of the argument her chestnut curls fell loose from her bun, she still had great posture, even in the middle of the night my mother looked regal, her pointed face was ablaze from the flames, her brown eyes were a beautiful amber. She wore a black blouse with gray slacks.

I stepped into the opening in front of the fireplace.

"Yes, Father, please do tell me the truth," I pleaded sarcastically.

"How long have you been eavesdropping Perse?" my father questioned. I hated it when he called me Perse, when my mother did it, it was absolutely elegant, she pronounced it like 'purse' but with her accent it was heavenly. My father, on the other hand, made me feel like a little boy who just won a baseball game and had his dad ruffle his hair. I walked over to his cocktail bar, I started pouring myself a drink.

"Perse?" he called.

"Who? I'm sorry who's Perse? The son you always wanted perhaps? No, I don't see him anywhere just a daughter, a mother, and a fat sexist hypocritic pig!" I ranted, I kept pouring what looked like a red wine, but really it was cranberry juice I switched out weeks ago, for infuriating moments like this,

I saw him roll his shoulders back, father knew what would happen when he raised his voice at me. A 'spy' leaked footage of him verbally abusing his daughter as his poor wife brokedown in a corner. Was this blackmail? Yes, yes, it was. But I was protecting myself and my mother, so really I was a saint. I pulled over a chair and sat, I took a swig of my drink. I looked over at my mother her eyes scorned my father, she truly is beautiful. She wore striped pants and a long white blouse, the clothing hung on every curve of her body. My father sat in his chair, he was very muscular, he stood at six foot four and weighed at least 250 pounds, he had dirty blonde hair, and dark blue eyes. According to every magazine he was very intimidating, at the first look yes, but really he's so insecure that he's pushed everyone he has ever loved away.

"What's the secret this time?" I ask. My mother pulls a bottle of wine from the side of her chair and starts drinking straight from the bottle. Thanks for the support mom. I'm surprised my father didn't get straight to the point. My father started to looked at the fire behind me instead of making eye contact. I felt under dressed next to the two, I wore a white blouse with striped worked pants, my chestnut hair pinned loosely in the back of my head. I used my 'soul readers' what my mother refers to as my unusually pale blue eyes.

"How about you tell the basics, Father, and Mother will add anything you forgot," I suggest, father nodded in approval. He stiffened and straightened in his chair, mother took one last swig.

"A few months ago, an unidentified space object came into orbit, it's been neutral for some time. Only a month ago did it start making contact with us, the government had its first official meeting with them in secret through a computer, while we were talking, their ship was scouted by drones and everything appears to be harmless with them. I know this sounds very bleak right now, because I skipped the most important part," he paused ,"They aren't human. We thought it was a couple of foreigner scientists taking samples at the beginning, but no they are a completely different race," my father pauses, maybe it's the way he's telling the story but it's boring the way he puts it. "They look exactly like us, they speak our language, they claim to be peaceful. So the rest of congress had the brilliant idea that after the first successful person to person meeting, the two leaders families go out to dinner."

"So when was your first successful person to person meeting?" I ask.

"Yesterday morning." I choked on my drink, I could sense what my boyfriend Edmond what would say right now, either that's not the only thing she chokes on, or, has the boyfriend been informed about his girlfriend going on a dinner date with another man?

"In secret?"

"Correct."

"Mother, did Father leave anything out?" I ask her. She nodded.

"If this dinner goes well, and nobody dies, the government thinks that there would be a good alliance if you and their son, were um, together," she admitted. I froze in my chair, so many questions. They want me to hook up with a stranger? I knew if I said that aloud Father would most likely remark, what's the difference? You hook up with Edmond.

"I have three questions," I stated.

"Do the aliens know about this? What if I'm not attracted to him? What about Edmund?" My father groans, he probably forgot about my boyfriend, again.

"You're still with Edgar? I mean Edmund. Well that doesn't matter, I can arrange for his death, or you can simply break up with him. Also the Aliens prefered to be known as the Others, and they don't know about this," my father responded bluntly, disregarding everyone's feelings in ten seconds, I would like to say a new record but I can sadly recall that more than 50% of the laws my father passed were made on the impulse on whether it would give him even more money.

"To answer your question if you aren't attracted to him," my mother paused,"Fake it until you make it."