Luke was eyeing the basket since his sister waltz inside the room with her hands behind her back in a failed attempt to hide her get-well-soon present for the farmer. When he found her sitting on the bench earlier, he was sure that there was no basket. When the Elena exited to inform them of the princess elect’s condition, there was still no basket. Therefore, he had the mildest suspicion that his sister procured the gift to emphasize her point that a prince like him should learn how to properly woo a lady. She was the hopeless romantic of the siblings, and Callista was in the phase of her life when love and the idea of falling in love was still magical.

The princess shot her brother a sly glance as she stepped out of Rhiane’s hug and stepped beside him allowing their mother room to assert herself. “Where did that come from?” Luke whispered. To which, his sibling just shrugged with a smug smile which suggested that he wouldn’t hear the end of it if he pushed her to start talking right at that moment. 

“I am pleased to hear you say that, Rhiane Black.” Queen Camilla tilted her head ever so slightly. A pleasant countenance, which she had mastered over the years, beamed at the commoner. There was no doubt that she meant it more than she meant well for the well-being of the woman. “I knew I was right to have voted for you. The strength of your will and the resilience of your body was admirable during the contest. I do believe that you will make a good mother to my grandchildren.”

But Luke was not in agreement, as usual. “Mother, with all due respect, we did agree to delay the schdeuled departure just one more day to give her time to recover.” It was a lengthy conversation that happened while the prince was on his way back to the castle. The argument that won the queen over was that it would make a bigger scandal if the princess elect showed any sign of weakness during the first few days of the tour while the PR team was doing damage control, because it would mean that the crown lied and at the same time forced the poor peasant to cover up for its shortcomings. 

“I understand that we had an agreement, Lucius,” she started. “But the agreement was under the presumption that Ms. Black’s condition is much worse. Then again, as you both heard her say, she is feeling much better and is eager to travel.”

“She does not mean what she is saying.” There was a finality in how he said it. Judging from how time and again she belittled her medical situation, and instead placed her own health at peril, it was not surprising that Rhiane made such response while thinking of pleasing the queen. To be fair, it was her job to please the queen, to be her pawn in the charade that the crown staged to distract its people. “She’s a peasant and you her queen. There is no way that she will say no or show any indication that she is incapable of what you are asking of her.”

Queen Camilla turned her back on Rhiane to face her heir. Cally dodged the spotlight by slipping away from where she stood beside her brother and instead took his place on the chair beside the bed. “You will get used to this after a while,” she whispered to Rhiane. “Luke usually opposes our mother. I am not sure if he is doing it for his own amusement.”

“I sense that you have other reasons why you would want to stay one more day in this city, and we shall discuss it after dinner.” The queen’s voice resounded with authority.

“I have lain down my cards. There is nothing more to discuss.”

Silence followed the crown prince’s statement. Cally could only guess the look on their mother’s face as she stared at her eldest. The princess broke a bunch of grapes and passed some to Rhiane. 

“Very well, let us be on our way. Your father and brothers are waiting for us.” The princess got to her feet, while Luke crossed his arms over his chest, but before he can voice his objection the queen added, “Lavanchy is outside waiting for my instruction to accompany you, Ms. Black. He will see to it that all your needs and your requests, of course within reasonable bounds, are met. I hope you do not mind that I require my son’s presence at our family dinner.”

Cally apologized for the intrusion and wished Rhiane a speedy recovery before following her mother out the room. Luke, on the other hand, promised that he will be with them shortly and waited until they had left the room before retrieving his jacket wordlessly. "I wish that you will consider your own well-being for once, Rhiane.”