She was not often at a loss for words, the princess elect said so herself. Her fiancé wondered if she too was not often caught blushing, if her sudden difficulty to find the next word was in any way related to the color that crept up her cheeks. Luke bit back the tempting urge to point out the obvious and tell her that she was blushing. But, he had tried to tease her about, well, about her trying to seduce him, and it turned out not well for the two of them. So, the prince held back his tongue, but not the cheeky smile and the knowing look as she traced a semi-circular path.

“Still, it tells me that you would rather have a box of dessert than spend time with me.” To be fair, he was not trying to win either her time or attention that morning. There was no honeymoon period in the relationship that the couple shared. In the few hours that they had known each other, neither held back, or at least pretended to like the other person instantly. It was refreshing, though he would not admit it, to be with someone who did not tip toe around him, someone who was not afraid to say what was on her mind.

For example, her admission that she would not be using the strategy that the PR team had formulated for her first interview as the princess elect. It was a bold choice, and one that would directly be against the queen’s preferences. Yet, the crown prince understood that his future wife had a point. Unlike his mother, he too believed that the times had changed. Playing the same cards over and over again without regard to the other factors that affect the loyalty of the people to the crown was not going to solve anything. It followed a concept in economics most commonly known as the Law of Diminishing Returns. Therefore, skeptical as he might be to the knowledge of the farmer girl, Luke was inclined to give his consent.

“I can neither approve nor disapprove a strategy that is not thoroughly discussed to me firsthand, especially when it had to do with plans for the future,” he admitted. The tone of his voice had returned to businesslike, and so did the expression on his face. “However, knowing what I know about you, I can tell that there is no way that I can sway you to just go with the established strategy. Let me just tell you this – be careful what you say on a live broadcast. Citizens and foreigners alike will be watching and listening to what you will say. These people will remember. The internet will record every single word. Then, the world will test your future actions against your statement, and finally they will judge you.” Like they had judged him and the members of his family. “Because tonight, your words are not the words of a lowborn farmer, but that of a future queen of the most powerful nation in Europe.” 

And there was also the factor that was the present queen. Of all the eyes and ears that would be focused on the broadcast, hers was the pair that the two of them should satisfy. “The future that you will talk about, have you thought of how it will make the present that our Queen Camilla built look like? Do not forget that the objective of this engagement is to make her reign look good enough to discourage the supporters of the rebellion.” Because a single slip, if what she would tell the cameras, would in any way sound as if she was rebelling against the crown or that her vision was better than that of the reigning monarch, then tonight was as good as her last night speaking to the public. That would be the least of what the queen would do. “Think about what I said and remember that the teleprompters will still roll the scrip should you choose to just go with the flow. I want you to have a successful interview tonight, Rhiane.”

With that, he turned the knob and pulled the door open. They had delayed the program enough. It was time for the show to move forward.