“Sure,” was all he said. How could he say no to a patient who, minutes ago, had scared him and half his family into thinking that maybe the perpetrators did succeed? The royal placed the device beside her on the bed, then excused himself not to give her privacy, but to do something else entirely.

The door slid close behind him just as he heard her telling Sebastian about the IV as if her brother’s partner would take her side on the matter. Luke smirked, because he already won that battle. Rhiane had given her consent for the medication, which she would otherwise fight to death against – quite literally. But to be honest, it was a major relief that she was responding positively to his attempts at manipulation. At least he did not need to put a lot of effort to persuade her that it was for the best that she listened to the doctors. For that, he had the deliciously sweet creations of the kitchen to thank.

His purpose for briefly leaving the room was, well, work. He promised to stay with Rhiane, but he did not promise that his full attention. There were reports waiting to be read and some other reports to be written, but he came to the tower as soon as he could with the intention of just making sure she was well before he left for the night. The crown prince underestimated the empathy and guilt that his conscience was still capable of carrying. It was not his intention to stay, but he ended up cancelling prior commitments and leaving his computer in the car. 

Because he was either not willing to leave his fiancee alone for too long or he was feeling lazy to walk up his suite to pick up his computer, Luke found himself leaning against the white marble counter of the nurses’ station. 

“Your highness.” Just like everything else in his life, he neither waited nor voiced his intention to ask for help. It arrived in the form of a young medical intern he knew. The woman smiled up at her crown prince, but the expression quickly changed to slight worry. “Is there anything wrong with the patient?”

“No, she’s fine, Lena” he answered. “I didn’t know that you are assigned here. Anyway, I just need to ask somebody to pick-up my computer for me. Call Nolan and tell him I need my computer to be brought here in the Medical Tower.”

“Of course.” She winked then smiled. Luke failed to notice the way she flipped her hair and sway her hips as she walked away. He even failed to thank her for doing him a favor. The prince traced the path he followed on the way to the nurses’ station, and there it was halfway to the room. The multitude of desserts he was sure she would not be able to finish that night not because she was sick, but because it was just impossible to consume that much sweets. 

“Is that for the princess?” He asked the attendant who was pushing the silver cart. 

“Yes, your highness. Plus, your dinner.”

“Excellent. Let me handle this.” The servant bowed from the waist, gladly letting go of the burden and eager to be back to the kitchen to tell the story of their crown prince’s apparent good mood. Luke, on the other hand, was still amazed at his fiancee’s love for sweets. More than that, he was amazed at her metabolism, because when he saw her in her undergarments, there was no misplaced fat on her shapely figure.

Her full name said in such a tone made him wonder what it was that she had said to Sebastian. Then again, the following sentences explained everything. It was rude to interrupt a conversation that he was not part of, so he kept his thoughts to himself, but it was not to say that he did not have his opinion on the matter of her mental health. He had questions even though he was certain that whatever it was, there was no lasting effect on her mental faculties. Perhaps her flashbacks were because of trauma, something that the doctors can fix.

“If you need your own studio, just ask your maids to convert your old room into one. Nobody uses that space anyway.” He wheeled the desserts in, filling the antiseptic-smelling room with the smell of chocolate, cream, and sugar. “Then draw me like one of your French gir – guys. Wearing this and only this.” A lopsided grin played on his lips as he recited a line from an old movie, while he set the desserts a few paces from Rhiane. 

“I honestly did not expect them to make everything you ordered."