Sebastian watched the crown prince talk. It was not the words the royal used so much as the way he said it, the sentences he avoided, the proclamation he felt almost fell off the other man's lips. He could tell from watching the broadcasting footage that Rhiane was developing feelings for her future husband. When she had left for the capital she had been absolutely insistent that she would not be a fool falling in love with an aristocrat that had no hope of reciprocating her feelings. At the time she had walled off her heart successfully and kept her intimate life purely physical- something he suspected was the basis for her marriage proposals. To the merchants and farmers of this town she was an ideal candidate: not seeking romance, sensual, financially successful, able to keep and run a household on her own, open to satisfying them sexually without needing real affection, with no divorces or illegitimate children to worry about. There had been no reason to suspect that Rhiane would change, and yet she had. Sebastian could see it in her subtle glances and body language during the daily reports on the tour. It would not be long until others could as well.

But what was more surprising than the stubborn brunette harboring an infatuation was that he thought Luke genuinely cared for her. He did not admit it outright to Sebastian, but he alluded to it, and the very way he referred to her made it seem as if the pair had already exchanged their vows. Something in the heir to the throne's disposition struck him as protective and possessive as a man speaking of his wife. This was no longer a discussion purely about the rebellion. Luke wanted to shield the princess elect with the same determination and fervor as his sister and mother. Perhaps Rhiane did not see it yet, but this was proof the engagement had transcended beyond political arrangement.

"The rebellion may be united against the crown," Sebastian said slowly, "but there are factions within it, I agree. It is suspicious that it's so well-funded," he conceded, "but I am not a member of the so-called revolution, Prince Alessandro. When Rhi still lived at home she refused them what must have been a dozen times," he elaborated, not realizing that this was news to Luke. His lover had suggested she had been visited, but had purposefully withheld how many overtures were made. "Hubert and Gerard followed her lead. After she left, they didn't want to be part of a movement that went against her, even if her joining the contest was the reason for their estrangement. As much as they hate the monarchy right now, they love her, and don't want to endorse a group that has anyone in it that wants to make her a martyr."

He leaned back against the back of the bench. "No matter what we do, there will probably always be someone who wishes her harm. I'm telling you, from what I do know, the rumor you are sleeping together is having an affect. Consider the logic," Sebastian urged. "If there is someone behind it, someone who does not care about the common folk, one of their chief motivations for killing her is to frame the royal family. How well could they convince the world you'd murder someone carrying your child? Or the queen would? The nation would unite in sympathy and outrage. It wouldn't galvanize the people against the crown, it would make them more loyal." For a moment he paused. Sebastian hesitated to speculate even mentally, but if Queen Camilla was having doubts about her future daughter-in-law, she could assassinate her valuable pawn to try to capitalize on the fame. It was a risky gamble, but one she could take if times were desperate.

"In a single day, I've been told some of the most vocal proponents for Rhi's death have stepped back," the blonde advised, "much to my relief. Unfortunately, this has also increased support for kidnapping her before things become more complicated. This morning's statement and your trip here will have them more panicked and desperate than last night. I would stop them all if I could, but my contacts are outliers, people who read the exchanges but don't participate in any of the plans. Quite honestly, my concern is what Rhi would do. She's always..." he drifted off.

There was no kind way to say that Rhiane had an unhealthy fixation on her own demise. From her perspective, it could be an opportunity to die while she still had control, before her life spiraled into misery. It was easy for Sebastian to imagine a scenario in which she'd seize upon the chance to meet a premature end before enduring a relationship that would only end in tragedy and one-sided heartbreak, and before she was weaponized against Luke, assuming Sebastian was not mistaken about the blossoming romantic feelings. He leaned forward and rubbed his face before running his hands through his hair. Quietly he resolved to ask her what her thoughts were about the rebellion to gauge her potential response to an abduction.

A soft pinging alert went off on Luke's device- a message from Tobias. [i]She appears to be having a nightmare. Wake her up now?[/i] it asked. Without Luke's reassuring presence, it was not a shock that the still-traumatized woman was struggling in the land of dreams, plagued by her recent memories.