"The stilettos were my idea," Rhiane immediately replied to his inquiry without an ounce of shame or regret. "You've spent time in the military. Is there not a saying about not wading onto a battlefield unarmed? If you thought I considered this business event as anything less you are sorely mistaken. I knew I needed every weapon in my arsenal and not just for myself; if I did not wear high-heeled shoes like every other woman in attendance they would be whispering about how weak your fiancee was to let her injury get the best of her." Tobias, her attendants, and the medical staff that had been summoned briefly for a consult on what medicines to take with them in case of an emergency had all stringently opposed her selection. Unfortunately for all of them the princess elect outranked them and used this to her advantage. Queen Camilla had been busy, Luke absent, and there was not enough time for Dr. Gulsvig to intervene even if he had been so inclined. The former farmer flexed her powers in unusual circumstances and without the slightest consideration for her own well-being. Her casual tone and disposition suggested that she was relatively apathetic if she worsened the sprained joint.

She sincerely didn't know why he was so invested in her health. For a man that had to be physically chained to her by his mother to keep him from fleeing to someone else's bed it was bizarre. Multiple times now he had expressed concern between bouts of dismissal and annoyance without any real explanation. Luke did not seem the type to worry himself unnecessarily over people he cared little for. At first she had thought he was anxious about how she might reflect upon him but it felt less and less that was his primary motivation.

"There's nothing to be intimidated by," she proclaimed as she took her seat. She was speaking of Alec Wescott of course but she paused to address her betrothed. "Thank you," Rhiane said. It was etiquette that might have compelled the heir to the throne to pull out her chair but she wanted to express her gratitude nonetheless. "He has everything to lose by campaigning against me and I have very little, if nothing, to lose in comparison. It's in his best interests to play nicely with me but I do not feel any such obligation towards him."

And what she said was true. Queen Camilla, Ms. Viscomi, and the rest of the public relations team in the employ of the crown would protect Rhiane from scandal so long as it was within reason. Trying to replace a princess elect would be an inconvenience at best but potentially catastrophic at worst. If Alec Wescott in particular tried to smear her name he would be gambling whether or not the shrewd monarch would keep the reporters at bay that were angling to expose the tragic circumstances that had resulted in the loss of both Violet Black and Edwin Black eight years ago. The queen was not blameless but if she launched the story first she could paint Evolab as the true enemy of the public, or at least portray herself as trying to right wrongs and make amends by taking the former farmer into the family, while Evolab was attacking a victim of their corporate greed. He would quickly realize it was a fight that could destroy the international pharmaceutical empire or at least give their competitors a strong edge to replace their standing.

"I hope he delivers the documentation," she admitted honestly as she crossed her legs. A few lords glanced over at the movement despite themselves and glimpsed the long, immaculately bronzed skin that shifted the pencil skirt to hug the curves more. Sofia might be a distraction for the 'party' but so was the sultry vixen clad in professional attire. "Financial records are seldom as flawless as they first appear if you dig deep enough and he no doubt expects me to applaud his social programs more generously than is reality. If he's bold enough to also launch the investigation- well, I never actually intended to accept his partnership- but that doesn't mean I can't use my endorsement as leverage to get accountability. We can't change the past but we can try to right its wrongs, can't we?" she sighed.

They had never spoken explicitly about their deceased parents but she suspected that Luke might be able to empathize. He knew who killed his father as well as why but she doubted he ever truly "got over it." Nothing would bring back the dead but there was a part of her that wanted people to mourn besides her, for someone to help shoulder the sense of blame and loss, to not ache at the injustice. As she looked at Like she wondered idly if he tried to forget the late king or, if not, how he chose to remember his father. Rhiane did not know the any of the royalty intimately even now but he had seemed to be a good man, someone that even her family had approved of, and who was sorely missed in the current climate. If her fiance could be a few steps closer to his paternal side rather than so solidly representative of the maternal...

"Is something wrong?" she asked when he fell quiet. "If there is something you need to address Tobias can keep me company while you are busy. He quite agrees with you the stilettos were a poor choice so he will absolutely make certain I don't leave the table."