"Luke, you don't have to," Rhiane interjected once he announced his intention to tend to the farm for the day. Glancing between her stunned father, who sat with his mouth hanging open in shock, her brother, whose lips were slightly parted in surprise, and her betrothed, who was as stubbornly confident as he always was, she began to realize that things had quickly spun out of her expected parameters. She had anticipated yelling, arguing, and bickering, and then hoped that they would leave within an hour, with the entire visit quickly forgotten. The princess elect had been forthright in that she did not believe a reconciliation with her family was possible at this time, and Luke had countered his real goal had been to have a private conversation with Sebastian. Why he was now entertaining this provocation, this challenge, was baffling.

"I think it's an excellent idea, Prince Alessandro," Sebastian intoned calmly with his endless patience.

"You do?" Hubert asked. He had snapped out of his stupor to look at his son-in-law incredulously. Most of his anger had dissipated with the heir to the throne's announcement that he would be joining them in the fields. While he had not forgiven or accepted the younger man as an appropriate suitor for his daughter, he was too taken aback by the offer to keep a firm grip on his hostility.

"It will give Prince Alessandro a chance to better understand what it was like for you to grow up here," Sebastian explained placidly, "and it will also given him a chance to prove his sincerity as future king and as your future husband to Hubert and Gerard. Sometimes feelings are better shown through action than words." The aristocracy would balk at the image of their sovereign doing physical labor, but no one in the room could deny the points that the blonde foreigner raised. If Luke toiled and struggled, it would be easier for the doubting men to believe he really cared about Rhiane, as he would be doing it for her sake. Conversely, if he abandoned his tasks within an hour, they would have their proof he was a man who was neither committed nor invested.

"This is ridiculous," the sultry brunette objected. "He has much more important things to do than help you harvest crops." Now that Sebastian had weighed in in favor of the idea, she knew she was fighting a losing battle, but she had to try to make them abandon this fool's errand. As bad as things were now, she didn't want it to escalate or worsen, as she had a difficult time imagining that Luke would truly follow their lead on how to operate the heavy machinery, test the soil, or inspect the rows for signs of pests.

"He can borrow some of my clothes," Sebastian offered as he stood. Of the three he had the best attire; there were no stains, no rips, not even wrinkles with the exception of where he had rolled up his sleeves. It was the superior option if Luke did not want to jeopardize his relative finery for his adventure in the rural landscape.

"Luke," Rhiane said as she grabbed his hand, turning her head to the side and whispering so the other occupants of the sitting area could not overhear. "It's not necessary. You don't need my dad's blessing. You could get hurt out there," she said, "and won't you miss some of your meetings? This isn't worth it." Concern laced her voice. He had chastised her once that he did not need her to fight his battles or protect him, but that was precisely what she was doing, though she did not realize it in the moment. Much as she had been injured by the emotionally charged discussion, especially when Sophia was mentioned, she was willing to endure those wounds if she could prevent him from being similarly affected by verbal jabs, muscle strain, fatigue, or even the political consequences of skipping some of his obligations.

All of them waited for a response. Hubert, Gerard, and Sebastian did not know what was being said, but they were smart enough to surmise that Rhiane was making a final plea to Luke's sensibilities, as she clearly disagreed. Only the latter of the three knew with any certainty, but it was dawning on the former two that the strong, proud, independent woman was attached beyond what the arrangement required, and that she was apprehensive about allowing him to undertake any risk, no matter how minimal, on her behalf.