Rhiane smiled brightly as she stepped into the warm shower with Luke. It was not quite large enough for both of them to be under the stream of water at the same time without touching; of course, that was his intention. Needing to wash was merely a convenient excuse to share in tantalizing close proximity. "I didn't quite have enough time to coordinate hiring a chef with everything else," she teased with a playful roll of the eyes. Rinsing herself off was simple enough. The crown prince, however, was absolutely filthy from the fields. She reached over to a nearby shelf with a variety of products and picked the nicest soap and sponge to help him scrub himself clean. Most of the odor from fertilizing the fields had disappeared down the drain, but the soap's fragrance would conceal any lingering remnants.

"I took up cooking after my mother died," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Can't say it's one of my favorite things to do, but I don't dislike it either. The real secret to making people think you're good at it is staying within the scope of your abilities. It's a lot easier to make a really amazing sandwich than it is a more technical souffle. It also helps if whomever you're feeding has worked up an appetite. When you're starving and exhausted everything tastes better," the princess elect added with a roguish wink as she traced circles on his skin with citrus-scented suds thoughtfully. When she had first arrived at the palace she had wanted to stay in the kitchen and watch the masters work at their craft. She had no illusions of an innate undiscovered culinary talent, but it was intriguing to watch anyone hone their passions, to be so absorbed in making amazing creations that the entire world faded away. Her personal attendants had made it clear that there was no room in the schedule for her to ogle any members of the castle staff.

Over the course of the next half hour they flirted and kissed, moving from the the shower to the antique bath tub. It, like the shower, was designed to only accommodate one large individual or perhaps two children. The innovative couple were able to both get in by having Luke climb in first and Rhiane curl up on her side beside him. Soaking in the bath was pure bliss. Hot water soothed pulled muscles, dulled the ache of blisters, and helped their bodies relax better than when they had been standing. For once the brunette was content to bask in silence. There was something magically peaceful about escaping to a corner of her house with someone and simply enjoying their company after a long day. It was a new experience for her and one she did not want to ruin by arguing philosophy.

He hadn't the opportunity to discuss it, but she was hopeful that a day of labor made her betrothed appreciate what it was like being a peasant. More than once she had heard the lower class described as "lazy." While it was true some of her former peers were afflicted by such a vice, most of them toiled endlessly, their livelihood dependent on long hours under a merciless sun. She didn't expect that Luke would completely about-face about the source of the commoners' struggles, but she was optimistic that his viewpoint had shifted, and that he might more seriously consider that his fellow aristocrats rushed to a judgment convenient for maintaining their privilege. Neither side of the equation lived in Utopia. Rhiane did not have the power to change things for the better, but if her fiance was compassionate and understanding for those of low birth, perhaps he and their future children would enact policies that would make New Rome less oppressive.

They were still basking when Sebastian knocked approximately thirty-five minutes after he had departed with their soiled clothes. "I'm going to leave your things on Rhi's bed for when you're ready to get dressed," he announced after he entered the adjoining room. A closed door separated them, allowing them their privacy while he continued. "It's a good thing that I checked your pockets, Prince Alessandro, because you left a couple small things in your slacks. After they were cleaned I put them back," he advised. His footsteps could be heard retreating from Rhiane's bedroom before closing the door between her bedroom and the hallway.

As Luke would know, there hadn't been anything left in his pocket. Sebastian was slyly hinting, in a way that would not arouse suspicion, that he had left something in the refreshed garment. He had promised a certain amount of information before the work day had begun. Determining the best way to deliver it had been tricky, but depositing a data stick in Luke's pocket was an easy method of transfer, especially since there was much for him to review. On the stick were copies of partially redacted emails and forum posts going back to just before the engagement ball. All of them centered on discussions on how to approach the royal to be: debates as to her viability as a martyr, praise for her empathy, exchanges about if she could be kidnapped, concerns about her personal philosophies (which were unknown to them). The conversations escalated sharply with the news she had possibility slept with the heir to the throne. As Sebastian had alleged, many had become critical of the martyr plan if there was even a tiny chance there could have been conception, and there was rallying to save the public's darling before she 'became too attached' to the monarchy, especially Luke himself, who might have 'brainwashed her with insincere seduction games.'