Rhiane woke as the hovercraft jerked forward unexpectedly. Her head had fallen forward but her body was held firmly in place by the seatbelt; it was this jarring sensation that ultimately roused her from the slumber of conflicted subconscious thoughts. For a split second she sincerely believed the abrupt jolt into the waking world was the result of a collision with another hovercraft as unlikely as it was. What little she had seen of the vehicles indicated there were safety measures taken to prevent such unfortunate accidents. The farmer's fears were short-lived. A glance to the side and a slightly smug jest assured that Luke had purposefully navigated the bump for his own benefit.

She rolled her eyes at the crown prince's question as he unbuckled her and then jogged to the other side. Rhiane had every intention of exiting herself and was visibly surprised at his sudden chivalry of opening the door for her. Fingers hovered midair briefly where they had been about to wrap around the interior handle. The princess elect was not quite certain to make of this development in Luke. Either his education in etiquette manifested in him reflexively acting, he was hyper-aware of a need to perform his role of fiance the moment he stepped outside the Austre, or he wasn't completely full of contempt for his commoner companion. It seemed more likely he was impatiently hungry than he had suddenly developed a conscience for a peasant.

When Rhiane stepped out of the vehicle her suspicious gaze melted away and left only the pleasant countenance that had made her so famous. That Luke led her along rather than escorted her by the arm or held her hand assured that her assumptions were correct. Had it not been for the implant the prince might have abandoned her all together. Because she was a woman who had skipped meals before, and because she did not want to award his distance in front, the princess elect moved at a leisurely pace. The brace felt stiff on her ankle but the pain killers were doing their job in helping ease away the sore ache of her joint. With careful attention to her gait she was able to conceal that it existed entirely- something that would have been impossible with a jog or faster walk.

The Briks was nicer than anything she could have afforded with her pithy farmer 'salary.' Out of her depth was a constant. Still, she couldn't help but wish that they were somewhere familiar to her prior life. Luke would sooner let the agony of the implants take him than step foot into such an unassuming restaurant in a rural town. Tables would have been simple worn wooden structures over a decade old or cheap lightly discolored plastic. The building would have been small and only able to accommodate less than a dozen parties at a time. What it lacked in decadence, however, it would have made up for in other ways that The Briks and its peers could never hope to surpass. Ingredients were sourced from surrounding fields and so fresh that they were bursting with flavor that needed little enhancement. If she had closed her eyes she would have been able to taste the lightly grilled vegetables that had been plucked from the ground mere hours before they were prepared for consumption.

As Luke approached the hostess Rhiane, mindful of the ten meters not to be exceeded, drifted to the side and took a seat on a long upholstered bench occupied by other waiting patrons. Of course he didn't want to queue like a reasonable customer. When he spoke of his 'lady friend' and needing medication she wondered if there was a prescription in existence that would make his arrogance and entitlement more unbearable. Likely not. For someone working in an establishment such as this one she knew whatever bill Luke slipped would be too enticing a bribe to deny. At this rate their disguises might last all more of five minutes before everyone in attendance knew them, were snapping pictures, and asking for autographs.

Next to her were a trio of two men and one woman quietly discussing investments. Rhiane herself didn't have the luxury to be able to purchase stocks but she [i]had[/i] read a great deal about them in news articles and studied what she had been able. Business sections of any publication drew her eye. Not only was she in charge of the farm's management, she had to be conscious of what circumstances may be affecting suppliers, vendors, traders, and merchants she sold to so that she could make the most shrewd decisions possible. Before the contest was announced she had fleeting thoughts that investments, if they ever turned enough profit for them, might secure the future of her father and brother if she was absent.

"Excuse me, but I could not help but overhear," she interrupted in a small gap of their conversation. They all turned towards her as she flashed a congenial smile that assured she had benevolent intentions for the intrusion. "I would advise against GenCo. Last year they spent a small fortune advertising their new genetically modified soy that was supposed to be more resilient to drought, not need as many pesticides, and would produce higher yields. To say it under-performed would be kind. I realize that they have made promises that this year they have made further modifications to seeds to make it live up to the hype they created but," she shook her head to emphasize the point, "most farmers are not willing to take that risk again."

One of the men and the woman exchanged looks. They were not certain what to make of this information but were not upset with Rhiane's insertion into the discussion. The third, the man not quite so pensive, leaned forward eagerly as he was enraptured by this unusual insight that might prove financial gain. "What do you suggest, miss?"

"This last year soy was driven down in price because of the surplus. Now that so many will not be planting it, the cost of soy will be driven up as demand remains the same but supply is temporarily lowered. That doesn't necessarily mean consumers will be willing to pay higher prices for soy products so I'd stay away from anything soy for the time being. It's too risky to expect wide profit margins. If it were me I'd look to Alpire. Confidence in GenCo is low so farmers will be looking at the alternative, Alpire, more seriously. I expect to see a spike in their value."

"You really think people will switch because of one botched soy product?" asked the woman somewhat skeptically.

Rhiane shrugged her shoulders affably as her smile remained in place. "I'm not suggesting that farmers will suddenly convert all their fields to GenCo. But if it were me I'd take a chance with one or two fields of Alpire seed to see how they fair next to GenCo. Last year's soy was a minor blip in the radar to most but it was devastating to the livelihood of some who went all in on that new line. That will be on the forefront of minds. They will wonder, 'If GenCo almost ruined me last year, or my neighbor last year, what does Alpire have to offer?' It would be foolish not to explore alternate possibilities on the market."

"If you'll excuse me for saying so," one of the men leaned forward as he whispered, "you are even more beautiful in person than on broadcast."

"What?" the woman asked, looking at Rhiane a bit harder. She let out a little gasp but Rhiane pressed a finger to her lips to indicate it was a secret both who she was and whom she might in the company of. While the businesswoman's gaze naturally drifted over to where the crown prince was lingering neither of the men could be bothered- they cared much more about a pretty lady offering advice than anything of the male persuasion no matter how potent.

"Thank you," one of the men nodded, "for talking with us. We'll take your advice seriously."

"Only take it as seriously as you want to. I didn't win any competitions based on business sense," she winked and laughed merrily. It was nice to be admired. No one at the castle truly appreciated her in any capacity and so it was bolstering to have anyone express genuine recognition. Although she had been incredibly pessimistic about this brunch, which was now almost lunch, she found herself buoyed with optimism. The palace was where Luke shone but here he would find himself hard-pressed to be as brilliantly spectacular as she was to the general public. It might just be enough to keep her head in the game rather than seeking out a method of self-destruction that would not ruin the chances of her family at home.