Rhiane didn't elaborate when Luke queried her on how she had failed. Acknowledging it alone was painful; speaking of it aloud would be more torturous than she could currently endure. It had been clear from when they first met that the crown prince cared little to nothing when the general public thought of him. The frequent arguments that were had over whether the commoners were of any consequence had revealed his bias and outright dismissal of the peasantry; such bickering had even occurred earlier that same day. Despite all of this, Luke was an intelligent and perceptive man, and they both knew the only reason she had ever set foot in the palace was as a way to bolster the royal family's reputation among the populace. He had seen how much she cared about every 'beggar' and 'whiner' she came across. More than once he had tried to convince her that she was above associating with them now she was a princess elect. He had to know how the woman whose worth was coupled with the strength of her reception, who was an incessant bleeding heart that shared a meal with her maids, might internalize the rebellion's assault.

Silence fell between them as he squeezed her hand for reassurance and she turned her face away to try to hide her feelings. Rhiane hadn't expected him to understand how the assassination attempt rocked to her to very core of her being. It was the only thing she had left- her confidence in earning the lower class. The wealth, the stature, even her fiance were not hers, but trappings bestowed upon her by the monarchy so long as she perform for them, none of them permanent nor truly owned. Both her father and Gerard were obstinate enough to remain estranged indefinitely. Children were a hope for the future but not a reality. Her health had been heavily impacted such the night of the engagement ball. None of her endeavors were close to bearing the fruits of success so early in her political career. The smiles of the public had bolstered her, though, when the aristocracy scorned her. Now she was uncertain how pervasive this wish for her death was among those of her socioeconomic background.

The princess elect was visibly swallowing down the grief on her face when Luke made his commentary about her driving instructor. It was such a wild departure from the seriousness of their previous topic it jolted her out of her wallowing. There was a hint of a smile on her features at the playful accusation. It was perhaps her favorite part of Luke; his sense of humor, even when it was buried beneath a layer of cynicism and sarcasm. Idly she wondered if this was what had made Sofia attracted to him. A more petty part of her thought the actress craved the prince title more than the person, and that she was superior in the way she cared not an ounce about such things, but it was entirely possible his mischievous streak was what the other sex found so charming.

Amusement danced in her eyes as well as admiration for Luke. Rhiane did not know she had confessed her feelings to him when she was succumbing to sedation and she did not clearly recall the kiss they had shared at the clinic because it was sandwiched between the horror of being told she was a target and then being discovered moments later. She was ignorant to how well he could now interpret the subtleties of her countenance. Though she was not staring at him like a love-sick admirer, utterly starstruck by his presence, it was undeniable she gazed upon him more fondly than Tobias, than Nolan, than the doctor, or anyone else with whom she had regular contact.

Her progress away from crushing guilt was undone the instant Luke, albeit not with sincerity, concluded perhaps it was all her fault. Her betrothed's tone was too light to be truly damning but still dealt an invisible blow. If she hadn't taken the keys the men could still be alive. If she hadn't let the excitement go to her head and had instead been cautious with her driving the rebels the doctor might not have been assaulted. If she hadn't frozen at the sight of the deer they might not have gone careening off the road and left Luke with a sizeable gash and broken ribs. Her face became more pale under the lights of the bedroom and she briefly looked as if she might be violently ill. On another person his strategy might have worked- but as much as she was resistant to his stance she was not at fault, sharing her irrational views seemed to grow the negativity.

Rhiane did not return his grin as he announced his punishment. She was quiet, obviously wrestling with the rational request made, leveraging her self-inflicted shame against her distrust of medical professionals. The princess elect was wildly uncomfortable with the proposition but didn't feel she had the ability to reject him outright. She had to take responsibility for her sins and, even if he was teasing her, this might be the only way she could do her penance. After a prolonged pause she finally relented in an unusual way. "I want the doctor from the clinic," she insisted softly as if this were of dire importance. "I still don't like doctors, but I trust him. If others have to do the treatments I want to stay with me, and I'll only do it if you both insist I have to," she finally said.

It was the closest she had ever been to agreeable on the topic. "The ones at the palace are polite but.." she struggled for a second to articulate her thoughts clearly, "I feel like when he looks at me he sees me as a person and doesn't judge me for having poor parents. He understands why I dislike his profession." It was almost certainly true. The doctor might have been born in a major city, but Rhiane was not his first patient who had lost loved ones to disease, illness, or lack of proper care because laborers worked themselves to the bone before seeking medical attention. He had purposefully chosen the village as his assignment. The man had no airs and, arguably, more experience and empathy about her discomfort than the royal attendants who worked exclusively with people of privilege. It was still a concession Luke would have to make; however, were he to be agreeable, he might be able to utilize this doctor she slightly favored to inch her closer to cooperation without coercion.