Although Rhiane could not be certain whether the trip to the hot spring was an unspoken award for her performance, a treat for the prince himself after a long day, or simply a whim that seized hold, she was determined to take full advantage of the luxurious accommodations. Her economic situation prevented her from being able to vacation, much less somewhere quite so fantastic, or in such a remote location. She could not help but be constantly amazed at the difference between the lifestyle she was born into and that of the nobility. This had been too lofty a dream for the former farmer to even imagine. Now that she was before the grandiose building that housed such an tantalizing experience, she felt quite invigorated.

When it came to the issue of maintaining security while she was soaking there was a slight disagreement. Rhiane, showing her typical disregard for her own safety, insisted that she needed no accompaniment whatsoever. Tobias refused to allow her to bathe without some form of protective protocol. They debated all the way until they reached they were before the doors of the women's waiting room. It was as close as the pair came to an actual argument. The bodyguard was too stoic and respectful to exhibit anger during most discussions and Rhiane recognized that her sole friend in the palace had good intentions. Lia and Octavia wisely stayed out of the spirited conversation and waited for the result. A compromise was reached that the princess elect would use a device that would keep her in visual contact with the prince's cousin, but the broadcasted image would be from the shoulders up so as to maintain some semblance of appropriate modesty, and they would only intervene if absolutely necessary.

She disrobed as she entered the steaming pool of water. While she would have liked to enjoy the sensation of slowly sinking into the liquid, letting its soothing heat massage away the tension in her body, she knew that tarrying too long would be invitation for an interruption from her detail. Rhiane moved to the far side of the pool and propped up the device given to her by Tobias on the edge of the smooth carved surface. The angle would reveal her head only as it the apparatus was several inches above the edge of the water. Her long hair and been twisted and wound into a haphazard bun at the back of her head to keep it from becoming tangled during her indulgent dip.

"You were right, I'm quite tired," the princess elect admitted as she rested her neck against the smooth stone behind her and gazed upward. The velvety black sky was dotted with starts that shone like brilliant diamonds. She had a pang of regret for not studying the constellations more in school. There was little to be gained from the knowledge of what myth was tied to what arrangement, and she never ventured anywhere where she might need their guidance, she felt that she was missing some enigmatic portion of their beauty in her ignorance. Briefly her attention flickered to her fiance as she idly wondered if he would know the stories behind each sparkling pinpoint of wonder.

"I will have Lia and Octavia...," Tobias began solemnly with this expectation this was her concession that she ought not to have gone into the hot springs at all. He had warned her repeatedly of the inherent danger of overheating when one was too exhausted to know when they might drift off in the warm embrace of the pool. There was even an ornate carved warning on the walls surrounding the women's section to remind them of the risks.

"No," she laughed lightly, turning her head towards the screen, "talk to me to help keep me awake. I told you I'd regret it if I didn't partake. Since you have to keep and eye on me anyway we can talk to make sure I do not fall asleep," she suggested glibly.

"I'm not good at..." he started again.

"I think I'm already started to feel more drowsy," Rhiane teased with an over-exaggerated yawn to help emphasize how adamant she was that he accept her proposal. It wasn't entirely fake. The nap in the SUV had helped restore her, but not sufficiently to chase away the temptation of the bed. Had she not been terrified of haunting nightmares she might have opted to retire early and visit the pools in the early morning before their planned departure.

They talked for quite some time about trivial matters, with the princess elect doing most of the talking, as she understood that her companion was sincerely of a more taciturn nature. Their topics meandered from childhood memories of Gerald and Edwin's pranks on one another, to anecdotes of the people in her village with their various problems, to what she might do if she had a farm and all the wealth in the world to spend on only its expenses. She revealed how fond she was of fruit-bearing trees because groves were easier to tend to than crops that had to be planted yearly, but how she would always plant extra carrots for herself due to their sweet taste, and all the equipment she had always wished to be able to afford. Ultimately the subject drifted to Rhiane's feelings on the afternoon's tour and her peers.

"Do you still believe that Prince Luke could end the rebellion in the same manner you spoke of earlier?" Tobias inquired. On the surface the event had been a success. He knew, however, that there had been a chasm that grew between the couple. He hoped to foster doubt in Rhiane's mind so that she would more easily forego her bizarre faith in the heir to the throne and join the revolution. His intentions were hidden beneath an impenetrable countenance and a vague question.

"I'm not ready to give up on him yet," she sighed as she momentarily closed her eyes. "But it's not my place to discuss strategy. No one has asked my opinion on anything except you. We're on an engagement tour and no one's asked me my preferences for a ring," she murmured. "If no one's given a second thought about what rock I want to wear on my finger, or what attire I'd want, they'll never care about something so monumental as what I want for changes in social and economic policy. All I can do is try to trust someone finds the answer." Rhiane shrugged as if it did not matter to her. The more than she and Tobias spoke the more it became apparent to them both that she was not quite so oblivious to the larger political machinations as she feigned. Her passions were nuanced, suppressed, and obscured by a pretense of disinterest, but became exposed with precise examination.

"Your ring?" Tobias asked puzzled.

"Just promise me that when you propose it will be fantastically romantic so that I can experience it second hand through your retelling," she requested without realizing that the only person in her bodyguard's heart was herself.