What Luke told Nolan was partly true, that he had no idea why he was doing what he was doing. It was not in his character to stoop so low as to knock at a peasant’s door and hope that somebody would be kind enough to open the door for him. No, it was usually the other way around. He could have secretly ordered the arrest of Sebastian and have a team interrogate the man until every secret was unearthed, but there he was standing at the doorstep of a patriarch who, if given a chance, would love to bruise Luke’s royal face using his dirty fist just because Luke was a prince.  

“There’s still time. Just say the word and we’ll raid this property to get you whatever it is you came here for.”

Luke sighed. “It’s too late. She’s definitely going to make my life miserable if I did that.” 

Just then, the door cracked open revealing a foreign face that was neither Hubert nor Gerard Black. Nolan tensed, finding comfort from the cold metal of the gun. The surviving family members were easily searchable from the database, so was Sebastian. The latter looked a bit rougher than his photo, but it was unmistakably him. 

“I did not wake her up. Don’t worry she’s well-guarded,” was his response when he asked about Rhiane’s whereabouts. “We have been traveling and interacting with people a lot since the tour began. I’m afraid that Rhiane hasn’t been getting enough rest so I let her sleep whenever she finds time to do so.” It was both the truth and a slightly modified version of it molded for his purpose. The princess elect advised that Sebastian was full of principles and empathy, that he was a man who listened to his heart perhaps more than he did the logical voice of his brain. Disclosing Luke’s decision to allow his betrothed to rest and not force her to work for his plan hoped to convey the message of how both he and Sebastian cared for the woman. Rhiane was the only bargaining chip he had, and the sole connection he knew that both males could bond about. If all went well, it too could help sway Sebastian to Luke’s favor once they met with the rest of the Black family.

Consequently, he followed Sebastian to the garden without protest. The grim looking Nolan was a few feet behind, but he entered the garden when Luke did. 

It was a small piece of land that was spared to grow the flowers she must have liked. The colors complemented each other and the way she arranged the plots was like an abstract painting. If Sebastian was paying attention, it was difficult to miss the amusement on the royal’s face as his blue eyes scanned the garden as if memorizing the names of the flowers for future reference. “Which is her favorite?” He asked before answering his questions or confirming the speculation.

“Rhiane did not know until this morning that I had plans to visit her family.” Luke remained standing near the gate, not trusting the bench to be clean enough to spare his pants from unwanted stain. “She was not entirely happy when I told her about it. Your guess is correct. I do not care about making a good impression or meddle in her family affairs.” His eyes narrowed and his voice a little less friendly. “Tell me more about that rumor you heard.” Because although they shared the same room since the day after the engagement ball, it was just recently that he and Rhiane shared a bed in a meaningful way. Whoever was the source of the rumor he was talking about must be closer than he thought. “It is actually you who I wanted to meet. You have connections in the rebellion and that is exactly what I need to protect Rhiane, my sister, my brothers, and the queen.”