Luke relaxed once they were settled at the backseat. Good thing the vehicle he randomly chose seats five people instead of just two, like most of his cars and hovercrafts. The prince leaned his cheek against the top of her head. If they had more room, he would have asked her to lie down and he would lie beside her and hold her until they were both warm. It should help in hastening the princess elect’s recovery time. Every second mattered. No matter how much he wanted to frustrate the queen by returning to the castle impossibly late, Luke just couldn’t. There were consequences to his every action. His mother was known to be creative in that regard.

“You should be sorry,” he answered lazily, but didn’t follow it through with any of his condescending remarks and observations. Maybe because he was sorry too that his otherwise innocent dare ended up in a near tragedy. Could there had been real danger for the princess elect, Luke had no idea how he would explain it to the queen and to the kingdom. It was safe to say that despite his outwardly annoyance, he felt a tinge of concern for Rhiane’s well-being. Therefore, when she apologized, and he would not admit to her that he felt remorse for his childish dare, the crown prince’s recourse was silence. 

Stuttering still, though her temperature was steadily improving, she told him about how the Princess Calista testified about his kindness on his behalf. Luke didn’t even pretend to be flattered by his sister’s pronouncement. Of course, she would say such a thing. She had Luke take care of her since she was just a little baby. “Me? A good person?” He barked a laughter, but it was devoid of humor. “You have seen for yourself what kind of person I am. Would you say that my sister’s assessment is correct? Cally has been protected quite a bit by both mother and me. She’s the spare heir, but she is not up to becoming a ruler. My sister is too kind and caring for this career path, where one is expected to be ruthless.”

The warmth trickling from the a/c vents had warmed him enough to dispel the occasional shivering of his muscles. He noticed that Rhiane’s otherwise smooth skin still had goosebumps, though the shivering had almost left her. It could be a sign that the naked treatment was indeed working. Kudos to the film makers. However, he made a mental note to bring her to a trip to the infirmary right after the interview for a routine check-up, just to make sure that there was no lasting damage done to her physique by the cold. 

“Everything I do has an ulterior motive.” And it was true. What Luke did, he did for his own gain. Sometimes the by-product was kindness, but it was not really the goal. “Like I said earlier, I don’t need to lie to you and pretend that I care. You’re a smart woman, you will figure it out one way or the other, so why bother? However, it does not follow that I demand for your honesty.” It was never his requirement in a relationship, and it had not changed even if the relationship was a political one. “Just know that I do have my way of sniffing out lies.”

The less expectations they had from each other, the better. He hugged her closer and held her hands in his, gently and absently rubbing the cold digits, coaxing warmth back. They stayed that way as minutes passed. Slowly, his eyelids felt the weight of being awake for almost more than twenty-four hours. Despite himself, and his vow to get back to the castle soonest, the crown prince fell prey to the enticing touch of sleep.