There was a veil that hid the world of the upper class from the general public. To a commoner, it would seem that those who were born to the rich noble houses were free from all the cares in the world, the perhaps their day-to-day worries were comprised of what to wear, which car or hovercraft to drive, or how to outdo the last best party of the season. Unfortunately to the children of the lords and ladies, it was not so. While they did not have to worry about food to eat or whether or not there would be roof above their heads to sleep in, they did live in a ruthless world where reputation was all that mattered. A misstep could tarnish the family’s good name and turn their good fortune into ashes. It was not a world where weaknesses were not deemed okay. No, Luke’s world did not tolerate anything less than perfect. 

It was a lesson he was trying to teach his future bride since the day they had met. Maybe the night would teach her to be subtle with what she likes and dislikes, because her future husband was adept at manipulation.

A smile sly smile slowly lit up his face at her pronouncement of defeat. “I am flattered that you doubted, even for just a second, that I will not perform such a mean act of eating all of your precious desserts.” On the contrary, he would enjoy every bit of second until she regretted her decision and asked for the medicine. Sweets were not his favorite food, but he would be a hypocrite if he told her that he did not indulge in sugar once in a while. 

Luke remained standing at one side of the bed with her hand still in his as a nurse, following the instructions of the lead doctor, injected the medication to the tubing. He remembered a time when he was lying on a similar bed and being tended by white-uniformed professionals, but in a much less sophisticated facility. He broke his arm during one of the training sessions in military camp. It was not a big deal, and he was not the first recruit who had the misfortune of having a bad fall, but he was the queen’s son. The queen turned everything into a big deal. His mother cancelled her appointments and stayed by his side, so did his sister. The twins cried the first time they saw their big brother hurt. But it was his mother who held his hand when he was in pain.

Doctor Villani’s voice cut through his thoughts and erased the smile from his face. Curious about the message, although it could be about anything at that point, he took the piece of paper. “Excuse me, Rhiane.” He had to disentangle his hand from her warmth as he unfolded the message. 

The prince’s expression did not change, but he withdrew the communication device from his back pocket. The caller identified himself as Sebastian, the partner of Rhiane’s brother. The man claimed to have information that he would wish to share to the crown prince. No other explanation was offered. It could be true, or the man called Sebastian could just be making things up in an effort to turn himself into a valuable asset to Luke. He glanced at the patient lying on the bed, before nodding to Elena’s offer. “I appreciate your offer, doctor.”  

The other end of the line rang just as the sliding door closed behind him. The corridor was empty, but he knew better than to speak deliberately inside the medical facility where cameras abound and ears, though not visible, were listening. Should the information this Sebastian was claiming to know was as valuable as the commoner implied, then it was better off not spilled to the grapevine. The room adjacent to Rhiane’s was empty and perfect for his privacy.

“Hello,” a voice at the other end greeted.

“This is Alessandro Castiglione. Talk to me.”