It was equal parts amusing and infuriating to Tobias how his royal cousin was so possessive of the fiancee that he had previously declared he did not want. Had he been confident that this was a manifestation of sincere emotion, rather than Luke simply coveting his own "property," he might have considered forfeiting his affections for the woman in question. As it was, he suspected that the heir to the throne only cared for Rhiane because she was "his," and was thus not seriously invested. Since they were children the crown prince was reluctant to share any of his toys. The former farmer was not a playtime bauble, but in the eyes of the queen she was also not a person, and the heir to the throne shared some of those same prejudices.

Rhiane's eyes were glued to her betrothed as he entered the bath and descended into the pool. Despite all their bickering, and their most recent heated argument, it was undeniable that she remained attracted to him. She had doubted whether or not any semblance of feeling would continue after they consummated their relationship. He was a playboy and she was a woman who spurned romantic attachments. It was more normal for the odd couple to lose interest in a partner once they had the "victory" or experience of physical intimacy; that was had happened  historically. The morning foray had only drawn the princess elect deeper into her infatuation. Now that she knew the warmth of his embrace, the earnestness his passion could have once he shed his title temporarily, and how well they matched were when they did not fight, she could not dismiss him as easily as before.

She had ripped away her gaze, her face slightly flushed, and Tobias had glared from where he was connected via the device. Moments before he had been able to coax Rhiane into a conversation that played into his favor. Luke's parade into close proximity made it impossible to ignore the quiet yearning of the sultry brunette's features. Intercourse was not encouraged before marriage but it was also not forbidden in official arrangements. Tobias could not voice a single warning or objection because he was the interloper and it was well within Luke's right, if not expected of him, to take some advantage of shared accommodations and privacy. This knowledge was why he strove to keep them from being alone when the opportunity arose.

When the princess elect realized who was on the phone she immediately brightened. She inched away from Luke, so that the inherent temptation of him was not distracting, and became absorbed in laughing and chatting with her future sister-in-law. They filled a void for one another. Just like Callista did not have a sister and had a mother who was often too busy for her, Rhiane also had only brothers and a deceased mother that was absent in her life. Any hope she had for another woman in the family had been dashed some time ago. Gerard was gay and devoted to Sebastian, whom she adored but was not female, and her father refused to consider the possibility of remarrying. Hubert Black had only enough room in his heart for his late wife Violet.

Perhaps more surprising than their fast friendship was how genuine and forthright Rhiane was with the princess. Luke had witnessed her interact with a wide variety of people during the beginning leg of their tour. She was almost always warm, gregarious, charming, and sociable, most of which were traits she shared with the only daughter of the queen, but it was difficult to discern where the act ended and the real Rhiane began. She was so adept at interweaving her charisma with a fictional idealized version of herself that even the courts could not perceive the veil that existed. With Callista she was different. She was kind, thoughtful, and patient, but she also spoke with a tender care that proved her honesty. There were parts of herself she shielded the innocent royal from, such as her injury, trauma, or morbid sense of humor, but she was more free with her than anyone save Luke himself.

"Ms. Black was having difficulty staying awake of her own accord," Tobias intoned loudly enough that he would be heard by the backside looming in his range of vision, but not so loud he would interrupt the spirited discussion taking place a couple feet away. He trusted his audience knew why this was important without needing to explain. An exhausted visitor to the hot springs could overheat and/or drown if they fell into a deep enough sleep. "I will need to be reconnected when you leave to keep an eye on her status," he added with certainty in his voice. He did not believe that Luke would want to stay longer than necessary, much less coddle the fiancee he had ignored during dinner. The bodyguard also hoped his words might encourage his rival to depart if he did not have the implied responsibility of watching over Rhiane.

Just as Tobias was about to sever his surveillance camera he heard the topic of the ring resurface. "Oh, it's not that important," Rhiane was saying hastily. "It's nothing to worry about," she reassured, "just something that popped into my mind when I was getting undressed."

Typically the engagement ring was chosen before the bride or groom was selected. There were several reasons for this: the image of a happy union had to be cultivated from its inception, the candidates could not afford their own jewelry, and the crown had expensive tastes. Heirloom rings were informally forbidden. Approximately half of the queens of New Rome met with tragic ends that made some of their possessions difficult to salvage. Even if they were reclaimed there was the issue that a pure-blood did not want to share what a peasant-born queen had once worn. Sometimes the original ring from the induction ceremony was kept. Other times the kin of the sovereign would replace the engagement ring during the duration of the engagement as a sign of love, because their taste changed, or the design did not suit the person. Infamously one particularly petite previous princess elect had such a large band and stone that it was viciously mocked until it was exchanged for a more delicate setting.