Rhiane shrugged as he suggested no one would believe she was at death's door not too long ago. Once again she proved herself to be disturbingly unconcerned about her own mortality. A casual observer might erroneously conclude she didn't recognize the danger she had been in, that she was willfully ignorant to the price she'd ultimately pay for being a commoner spouse in the royal family, that a healthy young lady at herself couldn't possibly be ready to die. Luke's experiences with the former farmer had likely made him view her casual attitude toward it differently. He may now rightly presume that somewhere along the way his fiancee's mind had been warped and that she was truly unconcerned with how long she would ultimately live. She was by no means suicidal, nor was she unwilling to fight for her survival, but her jokes and gestures belied an acceptance that was unhealthy at best.

"Just doing my job," she remarked nonchalantly. "To be resilient and recover as quickly as possible is one of my requirements, isn't it? Maybe I can convince everyone that I am at my peak performance when certain food items are involved," Rhiane suggested cheekily before taking a second bite of the tiramisu and sinking into her medical mattress with bliss. It was incredibly unlikely that sweets would become an accepted tonic for any ailment of the princess elect. No matter how well supported it was that morale had a direct influence on one's recuperation the crown would not always be this indulgent. The cunning businesswoman suspected she'd not be able to exploit this tactic much unless her life was in peril again or she was pregnant. At those times the stakes were higher and thus the rules less stringent.

"I'm not exclusive to sugar," she remarked as she surveyed another item to sample. Luke's advice had not gone unheeded. Rhiane was a stubborn woman but she knew she had her limits and it was literally impossible to consume everything that had been ordered and delivered in such generous portion sizes. "I like spicy food too although all I've really had of it are peppers and a few simple recipes using them. Our farm never grew peppers really well," she lamented though she was so ecstatic about her dinner it was distinguishable only by the slightest dip in her voice. "One of our trade partners used to give mom samples of his peppers and I would eat them raw before anyone told me you're supposed to take out the seeds," she recalled with a little laugh at her childhood naivete.

With that she dipped her spoon into a delicate mousse as she watched her betrothed access a control panel for the television on the opposite wall. She was envious of the familiarity with which he navigated technology. Rhiane had proven to herself and the kingdom she was an intelligent woman but that did not mean she memorized and/or understood everything instantly. Social situations and accounting figures had always come more easily to her than other endeavors in her education. Hopefully she wouldn't need Tobias or Luke guiding her how to select a channel or play a movie after a few more times watching them queue up their selection.

"You do know not every woman likes the same thing I hope," she said with a roll of the eyes but her tone was still as bouyant as ever. He might credit her continued good mood on the rich silky taste of the chocolate mousse she was taking the tiniest little bites of between her sentences. "I really like the action and adventure genre," she thought aloud, "and suspense. Earlier today we watched a good drama. I guess I really like every genre," Rhiane concluded, "so I will take any and all recommendations you have since you're the expert. I especially want to watch the ones that help me understand all your references."

With that she settled herself into the covers and turned her attention back towards the screen as she dabbled into a bread pudding that was more often baked in other kingdoms. Its soft texture had helped make it survive to be on her medically approved menu; it also had a relatively mild taste and was a favorite of one of the sous chefs that hailed from another country north of New Rome. Unfortunately she was not allowed to have it at the hot temperature it was usually served at for fear that might aggravate internal abrasions. Even lukewarm she enjoyed the cinnamon and raisins that were dispersed throughout to give it a flavor that reminded her of home during the winter season. "You really seem to love film. What do you like best about it? I'm sorry, didn't mean to sound like a newscaster doing an interview," she laughed, "I was just curious about its appeal to you personally."