A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips for the peaceful victory. “They believed us last night, didn’t they?” Not that he was smug about how they fooled a bar full of people under the influence of alcohol he bought for them, but it came out sounding that way. He was a damned fool if he believed that he did a great job in fooling Rhiane’s friends and acquaintances the night before, because it was much too clear that he was fooling none other than himself. It was perhaps out of convenience that he wanted himself to believe otherwise. He fooled himself in believing that he was just pretending, that he did not care for the farmer just because she was born without a title. 

Ruling over the common people was what was expected of him. Caring for their welfare was expected of a good king, but the concerns of these people did not rise above the concerns of his peers and of the nation itself. He understood that the common people were what made up kingdoms and empires, but no kingdom would stand without its noble houses, lords, and royals. It was a tricky scale to balance. He was left with the choice to pick the support of the people or the support of the noble houses, because the two worlds found it difficult to coexist.

Therefore, when Rhiane told him explicitly how she thought that the people would reward him if they thought that he sincerely cared for one of them, Luke bit back the urge to argue against her point. It was the masses or his noble lords. Choosing a commoner bride was an attempt to appease the masses. However, commoner spouses didn’t survive long not entirely because the royal spouse always despised the commoner, but because the people behind the royal did not approve. 

Luke squeezed her hand one last time before letting go. He exited from his side of the vehicle. The gentle warmth of the sun was welcomed especially in the midst of the coming winter. Faces of strangers greeted him as well from a safe distance which his security forces predetermined. Men in black suits and stood attentively to keep the crowd from the prince and his fiancee. He could feel the curious stares boring at the back of his neck as he rounded the vehicle and gestured for Tobias to step away from the rear passenger door. Luke wanted to be the one to assist Rhiane down the vehicle, he wanted to be the only person touching her hand.

She still believed he was pretending. He wanted to believe that he was just pretending. A lie. A flagrant lie. But was he prepared to acknowledge it? To acknowledge that he cared for her, a woman of low birth, more than he ought to? Yet time and again, she showed that she did care for him not just through her words but also through her actions. Even as they had just walked out of a bitter argument, she still thought of him and how she could help foster trust between the crown and her people. She did not care for the crown and his money, his fame and the prestige of being given the title of a princess. She had proven to not want more than the promised future for her family. She would fight his battles for him even when he said no. Even if she thought that he was just pretending to care for her for the sake of his and his mother’s image. Luke hadn’t met a woman as selfless as the farmer. 

With a gentle tug, he pulled on the latch and opened the door. His hand extended towards her, offering assistance. “Smile for the cameras,” he leaned forward to whispered to her ear. The very same advice he had given her during their first meeting.