The next four weeks passed in a blur. It was quite monotonous, but Valerya had never been happier. She noticed a change in Lilliban, such that she had never seen before. Her sister was now happier, cooler, and more fun to be with. She noticed Lilliban had even started regrowing her hair. True to his words, seventy-five per cent of Lilliban's allowance went to the fixing of the car. Valerya thought her sister would be upset, but shockingly, Lilliban took it in good stride. Apparently, it was only Valerya she couldn't stand.
Valerya remembered the conversation she had with Davys immediately after he made that rule.
"I believe it's too harsh," she had said.
"Relax. If there's anything I hate, it's brats. She'd be fine. And if she'll get mad at anyone, it'll be me."
"How would she cope?"
"Like people her age are coping." Then he looked her dead in the eye as he said, "If she continues like this, she's going to end up dead on the streets. At best, she'll be a junkie living in a trailer somewhere. Do you want that to happen?"
"No," she reluctantly said. She shuddered at the thought.
"Then let me do my own thing. Okay?"
"Okay."
The next week, Davys asked for Lilliban's results personally from her teachers. She had a B in one test and two Cs in others. He told her for a C, she would be grounded for two days, so two Cs would mean four. She thought he was bluffing till he seized her mobile and ordered her to her room.
Valerya smiled as she remembered how it used to be with her. She was sure Lilliban would escape and go partying anyway.
By almost midnight the same day, armed guards brought a screaming Lilliban back to the house. They had caught her on the perimeter of the property trying to escape. She screamed and hurled insults at everyone, but Davys had only regarded her dispassionately.
He ordered her back to her room when she was out of breath. She angrily reminded them that she was a legal adult so she could do whatever she wanted. He calmly reminded her that as she was a legal adult, Valerya was not inclined to give her food or board, or even an allowance. She was free to walk out. Valerya held her breath as she fully expected Lilliban to walk out. To her greatest surprise, Lilliban stormed angrily into her room and the door slammed loudly behind her.
It was a noisy night, as the sound of Lilliban breaking items in her room to show her anger penetrated the silence. Valerya tried to apologize to Davys but he only shook his head. Very early the next morning, Lilliban was woken by Davys and a stockily built man in her room. She waited unsure as the stocky man analyzed the items she had broken. He told Davys of the cost, and Davys made some calculations and informed her that she would need to take a job to pay for the damage. Over the last few centuries, most menial jobs were taken by holograms, but Davys told her he had pulled some strings and she would start as a waitress the same evening.
From then, Valerya noticed a slight change in her sister which became more apparent as time wore on. The next week she had an A, a B and a C. Davys grounded her for only a day as the A took a day off from the C. Lilliban seemed like the happiest person in the world. She worked weekdays, and by the time she came back, she was usually too tired to go clubbing. When she did, she was given a curfew of midnight, not a minute later.
By the third week, Lilliban rushed from school and gave Davys a big hug. Caught off-guard, he asked her what was wrong and she elatedly showed him her test results. She had three As. He hugged her, offered some words of encouragement and even gave her some money. She accepted it and told him his smile at her was worth more than any material thing he could give her.
On the other hand, Valerya and Davys were busy preparing for the Meneer conference. She had no idea that there was so much work to be done, and she was now at the forefront of it. Despite the preparations, they continued their routine as usual. He woke her up in the morning and they had workouts together. She followed him to his conferences and sometimes, even clubbed with his friends. Now, she could see that she was wrong with her initial assessment of him. He was a man who worked hard and played hard. He balanced both efficiently, and he was always in control.
As the Meneer conference came closer, she began to realize she cherished the moments they shared. The quick sandwiches between meetings, her rather awkward dancing on the dancefloor as he cheered her on, and the mischievous twinkle in his eye anytime he looked at her.
The day before the conference, he invited her to dinner. She wore a sequined golden dress with a short train, one of her favourites from Madame Rosette. She combed her hair and let it spill over her left shoulder. She lined her eyes and put on heels. Why she put so much effort, she didn't know. As she came down the stairs, he broke into a grin when he looked at her. He didn't say anything, but he put a hand over his left breast and bowed. She was honoured. The first son was never to bow to anyone except the president. She was flattered and smiled all through the ride to the restaurant.
It was a classy upscale restaurant on the most expensive side of town. People stared as they walked in, but before she could voice her concerns, he replied, "We're in a relationship, remember?"
She nodded and seemed to relax. It was easily one of the best nights of her life. She wined and dined to her fill, food made by the empire's finest chef. They talked about everything and nothing. He was gentlemanly and charming. After the courses were taken away, he led her to a private section to dance.
The ambience and wine loosened her tongue, and she blurted, "I really had fun tonight."
"I like you," he said. "I've never felt this way before, but I like it."
Before she could respond, he kissed her and pulled away. "I've always wanted to do that," he said. She looked into his eyes for a while before nodding and offering her hand for them to keep dancing. The Meneer conference was the next day, and she wanted to have all the fun she could have before it started. Little did she know that it would be a conference sealed in the history books and one which would change both their lives forever.