Was it that obvious? Luke was not getting enough sleep since they left the capital. Between the carefully orchestrated publicity stunts, which unfortunately was supposedly meant for rest, was the only time that the prince had to deal with the problems he left at home. He may have people doing the legwork for him, but it was in his nature to want to personally see to it that everything was running smoothly. The reason he was tired that day had nothing to do with work, though. On the contrary, he let it sit alone on the desk while he faced a problem of a different nature. As far as he was concerned, Rhiane was too deep into her nightly beauty rest to know what he was up to the night before. 

Luke was blocking the doorway to the suite that the princess occupied inside the private jet. It was a compact, yet luxurious space equipped with entertainment options installed across a white leather-covered sofa. It had its own bed and bath, suitable for long flights. Luke was surprised to find his fiancee awake and not spending her spare time napping.
 
“That is true.” Luke nodded thoughtfully, thinking back to the last three days that they spent sharing the same space. How easily she fell asleep as soon as she found a surface to lean her head on, and how he or Tobias carried her to bed. “And I can probably get more sleep if a certain princess does not snore like a congested rhino.” It was obvious with the way the corner of his lips twitched to a sly smile that he was exaggerating. Rhiane was not a bad roommate. She seemed uninterested in his attention, she was not trying to seduce him into sleeping with her, and most of all, he could pretend that she was not around because she could fall asleep relatively early and not stir until dawn. He pushed himself from the frame and walked to where she was lounging rather comfortably. But before he could repeat his proposal to watch the sunrise with him on the cockpit, a knock sounded from behind.

“Excuse me, your highness and Ms. Black,” the voice started. Luke could pretend not to hear, but he knew better. The cheerful voice of the tour’s perpetrator was not prepared to be shut-off by the moody royal. Besides, it was a rare opportunity those days to be able to speak to the couple without any camera pointed at their direction.    

He motioned for her to enter before crossing his arms over his chest. Beyond the pocket door, he briefly had eye contact with his cousin, Tobias, before the latter looked out into the clouds outside the window. The door slid close behind Ms. Viscomi. “This will be quick,” the woman announced, all smiles. 

“Make sure that it is. Nobody is flying this thing.” 

Ms. Viscomi was the least concerned at the prince’s declaration. She had accompanied the royal family in several of its private jets to know that at some point, it could fly on its own. Nevertheless, she reaffirmed that the meeting would not take much time. “Our next destination is a town called Arossa. It is a remote town which grows and trades fruits and vegetables that thrive in cold climate. This leg of the tour aims to strengthen the public image of Ms. Black by showing off her knowledge in the industry.” She turned her attention to Luke. “We have arranged a dialogue with the local farmers, your highness, and they would appreciate it if you would address them directly.”

“I do not see the benefits in having a dialogue with the farmers.” It was with clinical aloofness that he answered the appointed image manager. “What would they talk to me about? Ask to subsidize the cost of fertilizers and high-grade seeds, or inhibit the entry of imported crops or perhaps ask for the land to be awarded under their name?” He could not, and he would not be placed in a tight spot by volunteering to hear the grievances of the poor. There were reasons for allowing foreign crops to enter the market, reasons why the land still belonged to the lords. Perhaps he could do something about the fertilizers and the seeds, if they asked for it, but he knew from experience that they would not be satisfied with what he was willing to offer them. “I would rather speak to Baron Ferullo. Arossa is his territory, is it not?”

“It is.” Luce Viscomi’s eyes flickered to Rhiane briefly, as if silently asking for her help to intervene. “My lord, we are working on your public image as well. If we’re going to sell the fairytale love story between --” The manager cut her sentence off. Her eyes widened momentarily, remembering something else. She took a deep breath before continuing, “Although the public has had an overwhelming response to the personality of Ms. Black, I remember reading about a weakness being pointed out by some people. It’s that you two lack the intimacy of a new couple.”

Luke glanced sideways at Rhiane. She did not like being intimate with anybody, more so with him. She made that clear the night he tried flirting with her and failed miserably. “I’m not cut out for theatrics.” He walked purposefully out of the room without waiting for anybody to say another word.