Luke preferred the ride back to the castle to be as serene and as quick as possible after the eventful brunch turned lunch date. His tolerance for common people, regardless of their standing in the society, had exceeded its limits after all those camera flashes, inquisitive stares, and attempts to strike a conversation. Add to the list the audacity of a lowborn woman to make him wait. He wondered how much longer the farmer girl would have lasted had he not taken her away by force. That she did not fight him back using that brazen tongue of hers told him that she was worse than she would let show. It was just fitting that she thanked him for saving her from the corner she had backed herself against.

The Austre, dropping its guise as just a regular craft, coasted freely on the highway with its two front escorts clearing the way. Other vehicles shifted to either side of the highway to give way to the VIP as was mandated in the law. Even the business district, which had the busiest air and land highways, found a way to let the convoy pass without pause. No red light stopped them, not even the speed limit could limit their flight. 

Just then, he caught a subtle motion of his passenger from the corner of his eye and at the same time the smell of pastries wafted from the small package she was carrying. He stole a sideways look, careful not to be interpreted as overly interested in her dessert. From his peripheral view, he watched her take a dainty bite and looked pleased. She didn’t seem to like either the food he ordered for her at the restaurant, his romantic attention, and his money – to her, all of these were less than the box of cannoli. Surely there was something he was missing. And perhaps he should try one.

Without asking permission, without even thinking that it was necessary to ask permission, Luke’s right hand dove in the box. His eyes met hers. For a split second, he thought that she was going to protest, but being a man of action that he was, he didn’t give her a chance to say anything. Without cutting eye contact, the crown prince bit the treat in half then stuffed the other half in his mouth, allowing the creamy, sweet, slightly tangy taste, with hints of chocolate fill his mouth. “Not bad.” He shrugged, then tearing his stare from her, fished for another cannolo.

The couple together with their escorts arrived earlier than expected. Their arrival was greeted by a very happy looking Ms. Viscomi, a nurse, and a wheel chair. The appointed Image Manager was cradling her computer and grinning ear to ear as Luke stepped out of the Austre. One of the security men opened the door for Rhiane and assisted her to the nurse with the wheel chair. “Sit on the chair, Ms. Black. Or do you now prefer the warmth of my arms?” Luke asked slowly, lazily. In case she still had it in her to resist the assistance.

“Your highness, Ms. Black,” the Image Manager started after Rhiane was comfortably seated on the chair. “While waiting for you, I have browsed some of the contents that came up, and comments from different people, plus the photos. This is what it says so far.” She turned to Rhiane and her face lit up more. “What a stellar performance, Ms. Black! The public adores you. Your energy and humility do not come off as fake and the public feels very strongly towards you. You are a very relatable person and a good role model for the youth. As for his royal highness.” 

Luke crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head to one side. Ms. Viscomi cleared her throat. It was her job to coach them. She was resolved not to be intimidated by either of the couple, especially not by the crown prince. “Your highness, with all due respect, your good looks and birthright will not do all the work for you. Although you have a solid fanbase of people who respects and believes in you as a leader, at one point you should learn to be a relatable persona to the masses. Like Ms. Black.” She smiled, gesturing to Rhiane. “Sweeping her off her feet, publicly showing your care for her, being the protective and possessive fiancé. That’s what our people is looking for that’s --”

“Enough, Ms. Manager. I’m not interested to hear what the internet is telling you. Tell me instead what the queen thinks.”

The smile on Ms. Viscomi’s pretty face faded as she met a question that she was not prepared to answer. “I – uh. Your highness, unfortunately I have not yet conferred with the queen. But I will let you know this evening.”

Finished with the manager, Luke turned his attention to the nurse. “Did you bring pain medications?”

“Yes, sire.”

The prince nodded once before starting to walk towards the elevator. “Ms. Viscomi, do talk to the queen and let me know what she thinks. Her opinion is all that matters at this point.” 

“Just a reminder. Ms. Black has a scheduled interview at seven o’clock tonight. Preparations will start at six o’clock,” she called after them.

The nurse, unsure what to do, followed Luke to the elevator. He led the way to the elevator in silence, neither acknowledging the presence of his fiancée nor the nurse. His suite was seated a couple of floors beneath the top floor of the towering structure. It was on the same tower as Rhiane’s, but multiple floors up. If hotels had penthouses, Tower five of Castello di Firanze had Luke’s royal suite. It was an irregularly shaped room, a pentagon with unequal sides, due to the structure of the building itself. The walls were mostly made of thick glass that, without partition, would boast one hundred and eighty degrees view of the capital itself. For the crown prince’s privacy, anybody on the outside would not be able to see the interior, regardless of the lighting conditions. The suite was divided into five sections – the bedroom, the living area and an open kitchen, the office and library that housed a physical collection of books, the bathroom, and an indoor pool. 

Upon exiting the elevator, the three of them were treated to a view of the city beyond the sparkling water of a rectangular pool. Luke didn’t seem impressed though. To the right of the elevator was a wall. He continued walking until they reached a door which he unlocked by pressing his palm against the pad beside the door above a keypad that servants used when they needed to clean the suite. Once inside, a modern and minimalistic living area greeted them. It flowed naturally to an open kitchen, which Luke rarely used. The source of light that morning was not the various fixtures installed around the room, but natural light. A wall left of the main door separated the living area from the sleeping area, an enclosed area to the left before the kitchen was the bathroom. “You may leave us,” he told the nurse before freeing himself from his jacket and heading to the bedroom. Luke had disappeared on the archway, but as if he had forgotten something, stepped out again. “Come here and get some proper rest instead of sleeping while I’m talking to you. You may use my bed or the floor, whichever suits you best. It doesn’t matter to me. The sheets will be replaced before tonight anyway. I really do need to get things done, and looking after you, my fear fiancée, is taking up my time.”