She was still transfixed by the sand as the crown prince answered her questions. Silently she took note that Princess Callista, though warm and friendly on the night of the ball, was not someone she should ever entrust her secrets to. There was little that was kept from the queen and Rhiane had no illusions that her deceptions would fool the monarch as effectively as it did others. Still, she wouldn't make it [i]easier[/i] to separate fact from fiction. That she had survived the contest without anyone discovering how to manipulate her was a testament to her convictions. The former farmer wasn't going to to let all her hard work be jeopardized no matter how desperately she yearned for a friendship inside the castle to keep her sane. Her brother and father offered no solace. She knew that if she wrote to them with apologies for actions she did not regret taking that, even if they forgave her, they would be more critical than compassionate of her struggles. The princess elect was more alone since winning the contest than she had ever been in her entire life.

"I wouldn't say that I know the reference of Godzilla, just that I actually paid attention when you said you weren't just any lizard," confessed. Luke's promise of being her Prince Charming was dubious at best but she didn't want to snub this golden opportunity. She took the offered arm and used it to stabilize herself on the uneven ground that was so soft and perplexing. Only once she felt properly balanced did she lift her eyes to the beach that spread out in front of them. Crystalline water sparkled under the late afternoon light as rays danced off its surface. Waves lapping at the shore made a peculiar sound she was certain she had never heard before. Everything seemed so strangely beautiful, so enchantingly exotic, it felt as if walking any closer might somehow ruin the imagery. Irrationally Rhiane worried that she was caught in the dream and one wrong step would puncture the fabric of the tapestry, jolting her back into the waking world.

"You must be really desperate to relax to accompany this not-quite-princess," she teased gently as she stumbled along. For once it was not her injured ankle that was causing her problems but how inexperienced she was with the loose sand underfoot. More than once she jostled against her escort as she started to adapt to how much more flexing of the toes was required and how easily the ground gave way underneath the ball of her foot. Rhiane chewed gently on her inner cheek as she tried not to become distracted by the scenery and focused on the task at hand. If they were going to be coming here in the future she couldn't rely on Luke indefinitely like a baby chick. The princess elect was a proud, confident woman, and she would not be conquered by anything as absurd as foreign terrain.

When they reached the edge of the water and stopped she lifted her eyes from the ground to the rolling white foam that washed over their toes. A smile spread over her features as she let the reality of this miniature vacation sink in. As far as the eye could see was the peaceful expanse of deep blue as the sun hung low in the sky. More than the sights she drank in the [i]sounds[/i] of the island. The gentle crash of the tide on the shore and their conversation was all that she could hear; even the hovercraft had been powered down to silence. Luke's desire to keep this sanctuary a secret was selfish but completely understandable. The moment anyone knew of it was the moment it lost its tranquil allure.

"I'm just saying you have a reputation, your highness, and the people don't believe you spend all your time with female companions in such [i]modesty,[/i]" she explained with a touch of amusement. "Granted, I know I'm nothing like those women, but I just didn't envision you caring about whether we had swimsuits on a deserted island." As he so aptly noticed nudity was, in their arrangement, non-negotiable. The queen would have very limited patience about procuring an heir to throne after the wedding ceremony and any squeamishness they had about one another wouldn't be tolerated. Fortunately Rhiane was just was confident with her body as she appeared on broadcast. The shriveled walking corpses they called models might be thinner than she was but they suffered in other proportions that were required for her sultry figure.

"If you're sure you want to take on teaching me how to swim," she said with a little trepidation. His forewarning about his abilities as an instructor had not been forgotten in their short journey to the water's edge. Luke seemed particularly invested, however, in her happiness during this trip. She wasn't sure if it was because he legitimately wanted to share, because he was lonely, because he wanted someone else to see what he wanted to see, or if he was trying his damnedest to make sure she didn't rat out his retreat to his mother, but he was being [i]nice[/i] and [i]thoughtful.[/i]