The princess elect watched her fiance remove his coat, unbutton the neck of his shirt, and roll up his sleeves with keen interest. She was beginning to suspect when he set himself to a course of action he was just as stubborn as she was if not more so. He did not even breathe a word of the possibility he'd advocate on her behalf to leave the medical tower. Yesterday she would have assumed that his motivations would be firmly planted in wanting time to himself, without her invasion of his personal quarters, yet his actions spoke to a sincere desire to stay at her bedside. Rhiane prided herself on being silver-tongued and yet she could not so much as conceive as an avenue of appeal that might persuade him. He was resolute she should stay and that she should have company in addition which was even more baffling. Luke was being caring, considerate, and mindful of her feelings rather than trampling on them and proclaiming the superiority of his own.

She found it incredibly dubious that there was any 'risk' of the implants being turned on. The queen would at least give her own son a warning, if for no other reason to make certain he realized his boundaries, and she wouldn't jeopardize either of their health lightly- his because he was an heir to her throne, hers because she had allegedly just narrowly escaped death. Following her own logic that meant his second reason was the one with more credulity. Certainly she had been frustrated when she was sitting alone at the function with no one except Tobias willing to entertain her, when Alec presumed when she was naive, when Sophia tried to mark her territory, when she was a briefly forgotten accessory to his ensemble. Rhiane knew hardly anyone considered her a person. Mentally she was struggling to accept a world where she would never be accepted or loved more than symbolically. It was her choice that had led her down this path, however, and she took responsibility for all its consequences.

"Just so you know I don't blame you for any of this," she said with a gesture of the hand still pinched by a needle. She pursed her lips and sighed at the tube of intravenous supplements that she still personally believed were unnecessary. "There's no need to feel guilty just because you underestimated how hungry I was. And besides, even if we could have been more careful, it didn't really benefit Evolab to have this sort of scandal did it? If it made it to broadcast I was in the company of the rich and famous that doesn't do them any favors either, does it? They wouldn't want suspicion falling on them from the public or the crown. It's just... something that happened that was unanticipated." Rhiane didn't think Luke necessarily wanted comforting but she felt worse knowing he felt any burden at all. It was better that she suffer alone than she spread the anguish all around her. Considering she had no choice about dealing with the aftereffects of the poison, she was relegated to being the one to have pain, and one was enough. Two people in discomfort was too many.

"Dad and Gerald wouldn't come," shrugged as if it didn't bother her though it was plain it did. No one would sacrifice as much as she had and not be tortured by the people they were doing it for refusing to speak with them. "Maybe if I was actually dying they would, but since I'm 'recovering nicely'... you'll be lucky if they attend the funeral with all expenses paid," she remarked wryly as if it was a joke. It was not. Unless Queen Camilla was going to force a visit there would be no contact reestablished for years to come given the hardheads in the Black family.

"I don't really have anyone to call," she admitted pretending to be absorbed in her menu. Her fingers curled slightly on the laminated parchment and she willed herself not to cry. Dr. Villani had told her that all the drugs she had been administered in the last several hours would probably have an effect on her self-control and inhibitions. Rhiane bit the inside of her cheek but she could still feel tears filling the edges of her eyes. In a last ditch effort to regain her composure she cleared her throat. "So unless you want to ask for Tobias or your sister to switch with you I suppose you're stuck with me. Although I think there might be rumors if Tobias spends the night in here," she mused although it was clear from her tone that nothing would actually transpire. The poor bodyguard had not even made it to the friend zone successfully yet.

"All right, let's order dinner," she declared and then proceeded to rattle off [i]every[/i] dessert option. The former farmer figured she'd never have another opportunity to be coddled and indulged as she was now. Luke wasn't actually enamored with her and so he wouldn't be sneaking her sweets on the regular, the nutritionist was being paid by people she was fairly certain wanted her ribs showing, and none of the staff would put their career on the line for her anytime soon if ever. It was literally impossible for her to eat every dessert but she paid logistics no mind whatsoever... nor did she honor the intentions of the menu to provide options for a singular sugary option. Rhiane enjoyed spicy and salty entrees as well but they had been removed from consideration by the medical staff; the former would cause indigestion and both would cause irritation to her internal wounds.

"If you decide to be a doctor you're on your own!" She exclaimed emphatically though she did realize he was teasing her. "Didn't you say the profession was full of masochists? I have a few here you can practice on to avenge me," she whispered conspiratorially before breaking into a grin and falling back onto her pillows.

"Did you eat dinner after I left? I promise not to swipe anything off your plate if you want a menu that hasn't been cut down to five percent of the options available. If you don't want to work we can also watch one of those movies you mentioned about your fellow lizard people," she jested lightly although the offer was genuine. She was the patient but she was doing everything possible to cater to his comfort so that he didn't regret keeping her company or found himself miserable. Rhiane and Luke were allies more than friends but she cared about him in her own bizarre way.