When Luke planned the brief homecoming tour for Rhiane, he thought that he was doing it for her own good. Why not? The end goal was to convince Sebastian, a prospective informant, that whatever information he could pass on to Luke was crucial to protect the sister, who Sebastian loved dearly, from the claws of the faction of the rebellion which wanted her dead. She may have survived two assassination attempts, but losing her to the enemy while hoping they’d stop coming after her was unacceptable. Thus, visiting her family was planned to secure her safety.

He thought the action was in itself a move away from the typical selfish political act he was so used to committing. He was doing it for her, but it had not crossed his mind to talk to Rhiane about his plans. He had assumed that, like his other subjects, she would be grateful for his willingness to go through all the hassle just not because it was an embarrassment to the whole world that his team could not crack down the rebel operations, but because it was his wish to keep her out of harm’s way. Little did he know that the true reason she detested the idea of visiting home was the ghosts that still haunted her from the past. Had Luke been more perceptive, had he endeavored to ask and listen to her, he would have realized sooner how stupid it was to agree to Anelle’s terms just so she’d squeeze a few days visit into their busy schedules. 

With Sebastian and the other attendants having left the tent some minutes ago, the prince would have enjoyed the quiet solitude except that he was plagued with thoughts about his fiancee – the woman who ran away from his touch and flirtations, but admitted that she liked him. That stranger who was willing to go out of her way and confront the ghosts that haunted her for him. Because he asked her to. 

A platter of fresh fruits, eggs, and breakfast steak was left untouched on the table. The prince neither had the will nor the appetite to continue eating after the short conversation with Sebastian. He leaned back against the backrest, browsing through the news, trying to find recent articles about Rhiane Black on the internet. He scrolled through websites, but didn’t expect a name close to his hear to come up.

He pulled up the contacts list to dial her number. The princess’ cheery voice greeted Luke on the second ring. “Calista,” was the greeting he returned in her favor. 

A pause. Then the words that followed were unsure. “Uhh… Am I in trouble?”

“Did you do anything that would put you in trouble?”

“Luke.” The prince could imagine the expression on his sister’s face just by hearing the whine on her voice. Of course, she did an act or two which either her older brother or her parents did not approve. She was a teenager, and teenagers – royal or not – tend to explore the boundaries of what was permissible. 

He leaned his head against the edge of the backrest, lazily pulling up the page he was browsing. That one where a headline named Aidan Verrastro as the princess’ seemingly constant companion in events and functions. Photos of the pair broke the monotony of the text on the page. Photos of his sister and Aidan arriving at a formal function, watching a sporting event, or sitting at the side lines of a fashion show.  “Well, I’ve been reading the news and a certain headline caught my attention. I wonder when were you going to tell me about Aidan.” 

A nervous laughter. “We’re just friends. You were friends too, weren’t you?”

“Yes, of course. Aiden and I --”

“The Verrastros are our allies. He is his father’s heir. He graduated from a prestigious university overseas, earned his master’s degree at the capital. He is also a fine gentleman like you, dear brother.” She would have kept babbling if her brother did not cut her by calling her name twice.

“Aiden and I are of the same age,” Luke continued after she stopped talking. “No, actually he is a year older than me, which makes him ten years your senior.”

“Age is just a number, Luke. I like him because he gets me.” Callie hesitated. Luke felt his sister’s apprehension reverberating in the short silence, could have guessed the words that would follow were truth that he rather not hear coming from her. “I – I don’t get to talk to you as much as before,” the princess added in a small voice.

“Callie --” If he was sitting in front of her, he would pull the sibling he loved dearly against him while apologizing for the distance even though they lived in the same address. But it was the princess’ turn to cut his sentence off with her cheery voice and ever so positive disposition.

“I totally get it. You’re the crown prince. Mother puts more pressure on you than on any of her kids. The kingdom and the whole world watch you. I can’t be selfish. I can’t always have the brother I love by my side to listen to how my day went when the rest of the court was being tiresome. I’m not saying Aidan takes your place. It’s just that he gets me.”

“Callie, he is too old for you. He’s also not the fine gentleman you thought he is. I can prove it. How long have you known him?” Nobody was good enough for his sister. Maybe when she was older, he’d back off a little, but until then it was his job to talk sense to the princess. And if that didn’t work, he’d have to scare the boys off too.

“No. Don’t put one of your men to go spying on Aidan. I’ve known him long enough. Longer than you and Rhiane had known each other, and look at you already falling for a woman outside your class.”

Falling for a woman outside his class? The crown prince put the device down then barked a laughter. “Definitely not. Not me.”

“Really?” Her voice was filled with amusement. “I don’t buy your lies, dear brother. Breaking your schedule, not following the itinerary, sleeping in an old farmhouse with no room service, keeping her by your side when there’s no reason to --” Callie tsked. “That’s not quite the Prince Alessandro I know. There is just one explanation for all of it – love. It makes mum worry, but she thinks she fixed the situation by sending Anelle over. I think she’s wrong.”

“What did you say?”
“Hmm? Mum sent Anelle to fix the situation. It’s okay, Luke. I don’t judge you for falling for Rhiane. She’s pretty, intelligent, and kind. She manages to keep up with your attitude, but most importantly she brings out the best in you. I like that. You’d be a fool to trade her for a fancy flower like Anelle – pretty on the outside, rotten on the inside.”