She was still upset over something really petty that it should have annoyed Luke, but he kept on thinking back on Sebastian’s words. How the foreigner thought his sister-in-law was doing all those sacrifices for Luke’s sake. She had never visited her late mother’s and brother’s graves, but she would brave the path to the cemetery beside her unwilling fiancé, because she cared about the role she played as the princess elect. No, she was playing along because she cared about the public’s general perception of the crown prince. And there he was with his perfectly styled hair and designer clothes, straight-faced and not at all feeling like being friendly. His thoughts skimmed between her angry tirade, Sebastian’s assessment of the situation, his sister’s unsolicited advice, and her heels. 

Absently, one hand lingered at her elbow, prepared to grab her should she trip.  He hadn’t forgotten about the unfortunate incident while she was in heels, which led the queen to believe that her son needed to make amends with the citizen of New Rome by parading his future bride across the kingdom. Those blasted shoes were the culprit, and there she was wearing yet another deadly pair.

The exasperation was barely noticeable from his words. “But first, we will go buy some sweets. Any good bakery around?” It was about nine in the morning. Still, the smell of freshly baked bread lingered in the air around the town center. The aroma alone reminded him of what she told to nobody in particular as she sat beside him in the car. 

The press seemed confused that the crown prince was looking for food in a rural town as if he was willing to taint his royal palette with the less than standard, homemade food of the commoners. “Ah, my team bought a few bites from over there.” He gestured without conviction, shrugged. “Would you like to check it out? It’s nothing fancy, just a common --”

Luke neither thanked the press nor waited for him to finish his introduction of the bakery. He gently nudged Rhiane to the direction the man pointed so they walked ahead of the man. Men in black suit effectively parted the small crowd to make way for the prince and his future bride. As usual, he continued to wear his business face – cold and devoid of any real emotions. The two of them was led to a two-storey establishment with a glass façade with the word Becky’s printed on the glass. A guard pushed the door open and proceeded to station himself at one corner of the shop. 

“You’re still upset.” It was not a question. He wanted to ask why, what was it that he did that upset her, but that meant accepting defeat and admitting that he was wrong. So, when he opened his mouth again, he commented, “Sweets always make you smile.” The door closed behind them and they were once again in a semi-private space. Thankfully the bakery was empty that time of the day. The chairs and tables were neatly arranged and clean. At the counter was a middle-aged woman. Her daughter came running down the stairs a few seconds later. Both stared at Luke as the initial shock of being in the presence of somebody whose face they only ever saw from the television took over. 

The prince led Rhiane to the counter where a glass display cabinet held samples of the freshly baked bread and pastries. He scanned the display for that familiar dessert. “Do you make cannoli?” 

The mother stuttered, blushing a little. “Yes, your highness.” It was the daughter that saved her. She looked as if she wasn’t even eighteen. 
“Eve!” The mother said the name like it was a reprimand. “Our sincerest apologies, your highness. We don’t have the ingredients.”

Luke nodded in acknowledgement as if he was already willing to let it go, but then he opened his mouth to make a demand. “Write down the ingredients that you need and it will be provided for you. Please make a batch or two. My staff will come pick it up in the afternoon. We will compensate you for your efforts.” He stole a quick glance at the other pastries on display. Rhiane could pick a couple of sweets in the meantime.

“Pick anything you like, but I suggest something bite-sized like those cream cheese brownies and those cookies, as we don’t have time to sit around and eat,” he told Rhiane.