Luke had always been a light sleeper. Therefore, when Rhiane freed herself from his hold, unwelcomed as it was, the edges of consciousness knocked at the door of his subconscious. Had he been dreaming already? Vaguely, the prince recalled images floating just beneath his eyelids, memories maybe of days long gone from a time when everything was much less complicated. If he could, he would have stayed asleep and dreaming. And that too was something he tried, because even though he was aware of the movement through the shifting weight on the back seat, he kept his eyes closed and hoped that the dream would take him back.

Unfortunately, it didn’t. “Fuck, I’m so tired,” the prince groaned to let her know that he was awake when she cleared her throat. Allowing himself a few minutes of sleep had broken the momentum of wakefulness that his body relied on. It was like being on a sugar-free diet for a month only to allow himself a bite of cake on the thirty-first day – every sacrifice for discipline’s sake from day one to thirty would crumble and the craving for sweets would begin with a vengeance. When his body and mind felt a few minutes of respite from restlessness, it craved for more. He was certain that if Rhiane had also fallen asleep and not moved, they would have been both woken up by a search party dispatched by the queen herself. 

He rubbed his eyes and yawned, willing away the remaining traces of sleep. It was already dark and unfortunately, he couldn’t enjoy the tranquility brought about by watching the setting sun. There will be no late-night party for him. All he wanted was to fall face down on his bed and stay there until noon the following day. “Good to know that you’re feeling better,” he commented absently as he reached for the damp clothes he discarded. Although not thoroughly dried, his pants were no longer uncomfortably wet. Rhiane had also finished dressing herself, which was a miracle in itself considering how cold her hand a few minutes ago. Glancing at the digital clock on the display, he exited the craft and re-entered at the pilot’s seat.

Luke waited for Rhiane to claim the passenger seat, adjusting the thermostat to a more comfortable level. His eyelids felt heavy, but he trusted his determination to come home safely and in one piece would carry them both back to the palace. It was not as if he had not yet driven or flown back to the palace drunk, especially when he was younger. He wasted no time after she had settled in. Luke reminded her once to buckle up before their transport took off to start the journey back.

In the middle of the sea was a vast blanket of shadow broken only by the distant moonlight reflected on the waves that disrupted the water’s surface. It was as if the sun took all the colors with it to the other side of the globe. But traveling at night had its own charm. All the lights amidst a sea of darkness, the irony and the contrast, it appealed to him, which was the reason why he enjoyed operating the remote-pilot drones at night time. The uniform darkness was broken by streaks and scattering of dots of light signaling their approach to the mainland. His stomach chose that precise moment to rumble rather audibly. He could only imagine how hungry the farmer girl was at that time, knowing that she barely touched the lunch he ordered. “Freya.” The gadget on his wrist beeped and glowed faintly. 

“At your service, your highness,” replied a feminine voice, but as soon as the power was on, the gadget received the messages, notifications, and such making the most annoying noise of almost non-stop ping. He waited for the moment to pass but didn’t even open one message. Dinner was at the top of his priority.

Luke opened his mouth to give the command to notify the royal kitchen of what he wanted to eat, when he recalled what Rhiane said that afternoon about being careful with the food, else she might get indigestion. He didn’t want that to happen either. “What would you have for dinner? I’m sure the palace kitchen will be able to make it for you, unless you prefer to prepare your own food. In that case, I’ll go ahead and demand the chef to make me something pleasant to eat.”