A little over twenty-four hours after he attended to a global matter together with leaders of different nations, Luke was sitting behind the lens of the conference call again, cascading the agreements and promises of proposals to be reviewed to the heads of ministries and/or their representatives. His uncle, the appointed head of the Ministry of Defense, was in attendance, and as usual critical with how his nephew managed the situation. The next steps had to be examined thoroughly as it posed a threat of diplomatic measures. Whether he liked it or not, the final decision rested on his shoulders as external relations had been under his jurisdiction. And because of the urgency of the matter, Luke had been on the phone with his staff since after the engine of the SUV roared into life. He had almost forgotten about the woman sitting beside him, or the argument they had, if not for the sudden weight of her head against his shoulder. Luke had cupped her cheek gently, careful not to wake her – not that he thought he could – encouraging her to use him as her makeshift pillow. 

Afterwards, after the vehicle was safely parked inside the hot spring resort, he had to leave the sleeping princess elect in order to face the responsibilities which he would not turn his back on. It did not matter then that his cousin and Rhiane’s bodyguard, Tobias Lavanchy, was left to look after her. Did Tobias carry her sleeping form like a princess in his arms? If she woke up surrounded by the royal guard, would she like enjoy his warmth more than Luke’s? Finally, would she finally realize how Tobias deserved her more than the fiance she was forced to endure for as long as she lived? 

“Your highness?” asked a gentleman with round, gold-rimmed glasses. He looked about in his early forties, but Luke knew better than judge his people’s age based on their appearance. The lord leaned closer to the camera, making his image on the virtual meeting room appear to be at an odd angle. “The line might not be --”

“No, I heard you.” Luke cleared his throat. Mentally, he berated himself for drifting off and dwelling on thoughts and memories which were not supposed to be present. “I expect the analysis on the budget first thing tomorrow morning. You have the format, yes? Send a copy to the Minister of Finance as well. We will make a decision before the week ends.”

Tendrils of steam reaching up to the dark sky speckled with blinking stars waited for him outside the conference call. But he did not arrange the short detour for himself. Half of his mind listened to his constituents, while the other half wondered if Rhiane woke up enough to realize that she should be taking advantage of the limited time they had at a resort. If not for the commitments he made, Luke wouldn’t be caught inside the room. After everything that they had been through the last few days, a few hours away from the cameras’ judgmental lenses, a few hours to relax and enjoy the mountains, was not too much to ask. Such were the thoughts floating in his head when suddenly an idea occurred. Tobias. 

A lord cleared his throat, a thick elegant brow arched in question as he cut himself in mid-sentence. “You were about to say something, your highness?” 

Luke was aware of the virtual sets of eyes focused on him, waiting for anything, something. The most expectant of which was his uncle’s meaningful stare. Without Luke consciously knowing, he had opened his mouth as if to say something, his posture a little stiffer and his eyes widened in what appeared to be a sudden realization. Of course, it had nothing to do with the present topic, but everybody knew of the heir’s quick mind and temper therefore pausing mid-sentence to give way to what it seemed was either an objection or concession from the next king. “Carry on,” was all he said. No explanations, none was expected.

As soon as he did, a message box popped up on the screen. “What are you doing?” Luke barely glanced at it and the name of his uncle perfectly spelled out in solid blue letters. The lord was one of his greatest critics. One of the piranhas who circled around Luke, waiting for him to slip and make a fool of himself. The lord was too close to the succession for Luke’s comfort, but there was little he could do to change the law his ancestors penned. As long as Luke was holding the position, Callista was safe from the machinations of the power struggle within the House.

The message was ignored. The prince struggled to mentally stay into the meeting, but his mind rebelled here and there. His thoughts drifted to Rhiane, to the afternoon’s engagement. He was a silent observer, more than just a little annoyed at her pig-headedness but at the same time grateful that she did all the work. And now that he was tied to his commitments to the nation, while she was alone with his cousin, Tobias. She could be enjoying a dip in the hot springs and he could be… Luke asked – ordered – Tobias to keep his eyes on the farmer at all times. 

He was on his feet as soon as the meeting was concluded. Under normal circumstances, he would wait for the minutes and comment on anything that was missed or wrongly covered, but that night he had a shorter than usual patience. With Nolan on his heels, he left the room and asked to be led to the outdoor pool. There was one for men and another for women. He changed into a robe and ordered for a change in clothes be sent to the women’s waiting room. Ignoring the attendant’s comment that he was going the wrong way, the prince continued to the entrance. 

Octavia and Lia were alert at the double doors. If any of the two was surprised to find their crown prince, it did not show on their faces. Gossip was also missing that night. They greeted Luke in unison, but said nothing about the pool being for women only.