To an uninformed observer, it would seem that a lone Austre hovercraft had left the palace that morning, but it was a well established fact that the crown prince could never leave the palace grounds, whether on personal or official business, without security detail. The reality was that two inconspicuous hovercrafts had left at a set interval before the prince while another two was deployed after he took off. Both air and ground units positioned within the area were also put on alert that morning, with a special advanced party of the royal guards disguised as customers and passers-by organized at and around the restaurant to guarantee the safety of the future king.

Most, if not all, the air and ground activities were received by Luke’s communication band. He had it synced with the satellite communication service of the royal guards and military for two reasons – to make certain that security was deployed where it was needed, and to know how to elude his escorts. Unsurprisingly, with all the activity happening that morning, the black band around his left wrist was constantly projecting live feed detailing the location of the prince, ETA update, and the phrase “sector clear”.   
  
“Freya,” Luke called to nobody in particular. He was driving in silence, with one hand on the stirring wheel and the other cradling his passenger’s cheek since he found out that Ms. Black had fallen asleep. 

A beep responded to his call, then a feminine voice said, “Yes, your highness.”

“Turn off all notifications,” he instructed the virtual assistant. The next beep re-activated the gadget’s sleep mode. The presence of towering buildings had significantly diminished by then. In its place were a neat layout of warehouses, giant silos, cranes, low-rise offices, and the distinct structure of the nuclear power plant that was the source of power in the capital. They were not about to go too deep into the industrial zone. The restaurant was at the base of a low-rise office building of the corporate headquarters of a large mining company that was owned by his uncle. He found the parking space behind the building, but would not be able to maneuver the craft with one hand so he withdrew his right hand. It was that instant when he heard her whisper a name.

[i]Edwin,[/i] she said. Even as she slept, she was still giving away information he could use against her. Edwin might be her father, brother, or lover. Luke might as well check the role of the person to Rhiane’s life, in case he needed a bargaining chip against her. 
 
Parking a hovercraft was similar to landing a fighter jet, only that it was smaller in size and more sensitive to his prompts. Being a trained pilot, he normally managed a smooth landing, but that morning, as he took the designated spot at an angle from the air, the Austre whined as it hit the concrete and bounced once before settling down. The seat belt tightened on his chest as the momentum tossed him forward. “Oops,” was his sheepish reaction to the unusually rough touchdown. “Did I wake you up, princess?” He turned towards her with humor lighting up his blue eyes. That was for falling asleep while he was talking to her. 

Without waiting for her response, he unbuckled her seatbelt and put on his jacket. He pulled the hood over his head, exited the vehicle and jogged to her side to open the door. “Come on, come on, Ms. Black. I’m starving. Had it not for your little mutiny, we should have already finished brunch by now.” 

Luke waited for her to move before he led them to an entrance, frequently making sure that she was not lagging behind. They were greeted by an android that was programmed to greet anybody who entered the building as well as count the number of guests each day. A long corridor connected their entry point to the lobby and finally the front entrance. Corporate employees in business attire and young professionals in their smart casual wear loitered in the ground floor, which housed not only The Briks, but also other restaurants. It was the perfect venue for the publicity stunt planned by Queen Camilla.

The pair found the restaurant quite easily, because the name itself was written using black pieces of glass over a red bricked wall, thus the name. Just by looking at the façade, Luke decided that it was a casual dining place. Half the façade was the bricked wall and the name itself, the other half was made of glass panes, from which he could see the inside. The interior of the restaurant was decorated to look like a snapshot of a time before the war that was known as the industrial revolution. One wall, perhaps the accent wall, was made entirely of red bricks, while the rest, including the floor, was polished concrete. Carefully placed black piping gave the venue a more industrial feel, while pendant lights enclosed in copper geometric outline gave the place a cozy glow. He also noticed that the frames of the chairs and tables were made of black metal pipes.   

He approached the hostess standing behind a wooden podium with the restaurant’s logo on it and asked to be seated on a table for two. She paused more than twice to study him, either because he looked malicious with the hood over his head and the shadows over his face, or because she already had an idea who it was. “You are fourth in the waiting list, sir. Please make yourselves comfortable for a few minutes. I will call your name when your table is ready.” The hostess gestured to a bench, smiling her most inviting smile. Luke just stared at her, uncomprehending. Not knowing what she did wrong, the hostess’ smile faltered, but was mostly held in place. But maybe she concluded on something, because she handed a menu to Luke. “You may browse our menu and decide on your order while you wait. We specialize in brick oven pizza.”

Apparently, no reservation was made for him. He would have a word with Ms. Viscomi when he got back to the castle, or perhaps while waiting, he could already compose an email. “Ah, miss, I see that you’re a considerate person, and my friends say that I am a good judge of character. Can you not make a special arrangement for me and my lady friend,” He slipped a bill on the podium and smiled for the woman. “You see, she needs to take her medicine on time or her condition may relapse.”

“Sir, I --“ She looked at the bill then back to Luke, perplexed, but eventually gave in. The woman behind the podium covered his hand with hers. “It sounds like an emergency, sir. I will see that the next available seats will be for you two.” she said, then gestured for them to take their seats.