Hashih

The Betrothed

The five-year-old Crown 56 was a well-maintained car owned by a lieutenant, who happened to be in the right place at the right time when Luke stepped out of the building. To say that Lieutenant Corning was bullied into loaning his automobile to the higher-ranking officer was a lie. First of all, it was Nolan who approached the lieutenant and not Luke. Second, and more important, it was a temporary trade in favor of the other officer. The aged, but well-maintained Crown 56 for one of the super cars that the prince’s bodyguards had the privilege of driving. Corning didn’t even bat an eyelash.

The ride was pleasant enough, though not at all comparable to what Luke was used to. He can manage to read from the screen of his computer, and with enough care, even type an email or annotate a document. It was not the ideal working environment, but he could manage. He had to, because time was of the essence. Luke had not yet told Rhiane, but their hours in the capital was already numbered. The queen confirmed that the couple was set to depart the following day. There were no details of their itinerary yet, but he anticipated days spent convincing peasants that the crown was on their side, which meant that he was expected to be at least courteous if not supportive of their pleas. Then the nights would be reserved for lavish parties meant for socializing with the nobility. Two different worlds whose loyalty he was supposed to secure. Just the thought made him tired.

Just then, the communicator notified a message. It was from Lavanchy, and it was bad news. As expected, his princess refused his request. Stubborn woman. If only she knew how quickly she was climbing up the ranks of the most frustrating people in his world. She was actually a close second to the queen.

Tobias,

Kindly do so. I leave her in your capable hands.

Also inform Ms. Black that she may dine in the common dining room next time she plans to have lunch with the maids.

Luke

He was unsure how his sudden invitation was interpreted by Rhiane Black. If he was in her shoes, he would have taken it as a follow through for the flirtatious attempts from the night before, or perhaps a testimony that he was sincere when he told her that his temporary freedom was not the best thing that happened to him since the day they met. But at that point, there was little chance that she could guess why he was asking her to join him. It was neither for political reasons, nor for business reasons. He could have appeared by himself, which was his original plan, but then the Sophia incident happened. Unfortunately for him, she would be in attendance together with that American COO, therefore the need for ammunition, which was his fiancée. He was not expecting her to conduct business or to converse intelligently with the investors and other important guests, she just needed to be both present and presentable. Luke believed that she would have no problem with the latter.

A few more minutes and they were switching cars. Nolan was just too relieved that their little excursion encountered no incident that endangered his passenger’s life. Luke personally thanked the happy lieutenant before they drove away. The venue was not too far away. With their pace, the navigation system estimated that they would be arriving in fifteen minutes. Luke hadn’t heard from Tobias yet, but he hoped that his second cousin was able to convince the farmer that there were merits in conforming to the crown prince’s whims.

There was no message from Rhiane’s new bodyguard even as the car stopped in front of the main entrance to the mid-rise building. Before he left the car, he keyed in a simple message that read:

Report.

There was no shortage of the word "PRESS" or "MEDIA" – from the gate to the paved walkway leading to the main entrance. Cameras flashed in the late afternoon sun as the future ruler stepped out of the car, still clad in his perfectly pressed uniform (minus the hat) and aviator sunglasses. He did not bother to smile for the cameras, unlike the advise he gave Rhiane the night of their engagement party, as his long strides conquered the distance to the interior of the building.

The Betrothed

Nolan suspected that there was something wrong when Sophia Keller stepped out of the car with her pretty head bowed and her glorious black hair shielding her face from curious eyes. He had been with Luke long enough to recognize a broken heart when he saw one. What struck him as odd, however, was that the crown prince spent half of the way to the air base trying to reach the woman. If he meant to end their dalliance, then he could have just sent her a clinical rejection letter, which Luke probably had a template for. The fact that he didn’t, but instead ate take-out from a fast food restaurant for lunch and waited for more than an hour inside a parked car, probably without assurance that she would appear, was evidence that he did not intend to end anything that afternoon. Then again, it was not his place to meddle with anybody’s personal life, especially not his passenger’s.

But it was still difficult not to try to guess what happened in the few minutes inside the car. Even as he expertly navigated the traffic, he kept on thinking back to the little details that might be a hint to solve the puzzle. However, if his royal highness’ behavior was any indication, Nolan could sense nothing amiss. The brown-haired man was still too absorbed in what he was doing to even show a either a hint of happiness or sadness, or anything in between. He was on the phone with different people for purely business purposes, which Nolan did not care about.

“Are we going to make it before 4 PM?” The passenger’s eyes were fixed on the tablet, most likely reading a report, or maybe editing a document. The truth was that he was reading about Alec Wescott, Chief Operations Officer of Evolab, the name Sophia uttered when Luke asked who. Wescott was not a descendant of any of the noble houses. He was an American expatriate. Technically, Luke had the capacity to revoke Wescott’s permit to work in the kingdom. It wouldn’t be too difficult to do so, as all it required was his signature and seal. But that would be too obvious, an obviously a desperate move too. It was not worth tarnishing his good name for. Besides, he was Prince Alessandro Lucius Castiliogne, lady killer, the most desired bachelor in Europe. He would not waste his time running after one woman who turned her back on him when there were others fighting for his attention.

“There is plenty of time, your highness.” Nolan’s voice cut through his thoughts. “We are meeting with the rest of the boys, switch cars, then we will be on our way to Evolab’s headquarters.” Good thing that the traffic was always in their favor. The privilege of driving for the crown prince.

It was two in the afternoon. Luke closed the window showing Wescott’s impressive degree and work experience and went back to editing the short speech he was asked to deliver that afternoon. He read two sentences from the middle of the page before he brought up the communicator window and typed in ‘Tobias Lavanchy’.

Tobias,

Where have you two been today?

I need Rhiane to meet me in the Evolab HQ at four o’clock this afternoon. Advise her attendants to prep her for a formal business event. I trust that they know how to properly dress a lady, but be the judge. I do not want to see the my fiancee either over or under dressed for the occasion.

Call me and let me talk to her if she refuses to dress and/or leave the room.

Luke

The Betrothed

When Luke was younger, the sound of a fighter jet’s engine used to enthuse him. There was something about the low growl of the engine that seemed to bring the blood in his veins to life. He used to dream about flight and speed and the view from above the clouds, because to the young prince it was freedom to fly like an eagle and watch the tiny world tick like clockwork from the distance. It was that vision that propelled Luke to pursue a career in the air force.

Years later, as he was seated among the company of uniformed men, the crown prince was glad that offices inside the base had walls thick enough to cancel the loud rumblings of air craft engines. Otherwise, no productive meeting would ensue while the flight drills were in progress.

It was already eleven in the morning when the meeting was adjourned. Division heads including Luke’s commanding officer was in attendance. It was a regular review of the prevailing issues, border security, and the escalating rebel situation. Although these rebels operated on the ground, the air force was key in surveillance and in supporting ground troops. His squadron, in particular, played a vital role in reconnaissance, making him among the most well-informed commissioned officer in the air force. The position also made him accountable to strategically conduct aerial surveys over areas where suspected rebel movement was happening. Therefore, he was not bluffing when he told Rhiane that it was his business to know the security status within the borders. He suspected that as much as he did not care to read about her background, she too did not take the time to really know who she was competing for when she joined the contest. It wouldn’t be surprising if she was judging him based on the aspect of his persona that the news loved to focus on – which was his alleged scandals and his reputation as a womanizer.

However, the thing about Luke that made him appear distant and as ruthless as the heirs that came before him was that he was effective in disentangling himself from his emotions while fulfilling his duties and responsibilities to the kingdom. There was a time for work and a time for amusing himself. Eleven in the morning was the blurred line when work and personal life met. He had finished most of the administrative work and had made his contribution to the advancement of peace and security in the kingdom, it was time for him to pursue his non-work-related goals for the day.

The crown prince politely declined the invitation to lunch by his commanding officers on the account of the need to be elsewhere entirely for the afternoon, which was partly true, because he was invited as a guest to the fiftieth anniversary celebration of Evolab, one of the oldest biotechnology firms in the world. However, there was another place he was supposed to be at lunch.

---

Sophia Keller had just wrapped up a photoshoot for a digital magazine when she received the message from ‘Pete’ that read:

Sophie,

I will be at basement one parking lot when you’re done with your photoshoot. Don’t ask me how I knew that you’re at the Shutterbug, I just do. I am waiting for you in a gray Crown 56. Registration plate number ACHJ 21.

Pete

Such a stubborn human being, she had thought when she read the message. She ought to roll her eyes and delete it right away, but the actress caught herself smiling. His tenacity may be viewed as annoying by many, but it was endearing to her. That he would not give up on her even when he could have any woman he chose in the kingdom made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. It was that very reason that made the black-haired actress decide to actually walk to the parking lot alone and meet with the crown prince.

The car he identified was easily spotted because Nolan’s bulky physique was standing guard just outside the driver’s door. Sophia was familiar with the variety of cars and hovercrafts that the prince used to travel the city in, but the old not too shiny gray car was not his taste. Probably something he borrowed for the occasion to minimize the chance of being recognized. When Luke’s bodyguard spotted the woman in her little black dress and high heels, he opened the backseat door and made no comment.

“Thank you,” she murmured before ducking inside where she found the sender of the message ‘Pete’ typing on a tablet in the dark with one hand while holding a phone to his ear with the other. Upon spotting her, she vaguely heard him tell the person on the other end of the line that he would call again, before he hastily ended the call. A cocky smile tugged the corners of his lips. “Hello, Pete.”

The smile turned into a grimace. It was his idea that Sophie use a codename for him. Pete was the name of the main character, and a pilot, in one of the old movies that they enjoyed watching. Sophia easily identified the character with Luke, but the latter of course disagreed arguing was that he was better looking than the American actor. But before he could start an argument or apology or both, the actress grabbed the lapel of his jacket pulling him towards her until there was nothing, not even an ounce of space, existed between them.

In the privacy of the parked car, Luke made up for the hours that he had ignored her, holding her the way only he knew how. Meeting him was a bad idea. Just two seconds in the same space as him and she was already climbing up his lap without a care if he messed up her lipstick. Sophia should have known by then that she did not stand a chance, and maybe she did know, but how could she resist the man who could make her heart flutter? The lips that touched hers was urgent, seemingly afraid that the moment would pass by and reality would kick in to remind them that none of it was possible. He demanded her attention and she gave it to him, drinking in the passion that he was pouring into the stolen time. She heard a dull thump as the tablet computer hit the flooring, but her prince charming didn’t seem to hear or care.

The actress did. She pulled away.

The blue in his eyes was swallowed by the darkness. Yet, even in the insufficient lighting inside the car, she detected a faint blush on his cheeks. Luke was as breathless as her. If only the public could see that the snobbish and arrogant crown prince actually had a vulnerable side. “What’s wrong, Sophie?” It was asked barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner. Sharing my space with her is necessary, but I assure you that the farmer and I are not – we are not even friends.”

“Lucius.” Her voice got caught in her throat. Photographs from the news and the internet came up to her mind, photographs that celebrated the love story between a commoner and prince charming. That prince charming used to be hers and no one else’s. “Luke, I can’t do this.”

The prince with his lopsided cheeky grin, raised a brow at her statement. “This?” He gestured at her straddling his thighs. “Of course, you can. You have my consent therefore, this is not considered rape.”

“No, silly! Stop acting dumb, you know what I mean.” She inhaled a steadying breath and moved to properly take the seat beside him, but his arms instantly went around her waist and pulled her against his chest. “If I scream and somebody heard, this will be the greatest scandal that your mother would ever have to cover up, your royal highness.” Sophie pulled away and he let her.

“Don’t worry about her, my mother is very creative in making excuses. What can you not do?.”

The actress successfully disentangled herself from the prince’s arms, but not his gaze. “I can’t wait for you. I thought I can, but I can’t be a royal mistress. It will not be good for my image, and most of all it will destroy yours. Besides, your mother will never approve it.”

He reached for her hand. “The queen is my problem. This will work. We can make it work, I promise.”

“No,” she took her hand back and placed it on her lap. “Not everything is under your control. I’m not like you who can easily step away from my emotions. I can’t watch you with that farmer on TV and pretend to be happy that you met her. I can’t stay in the sidelines while you marry her and build a family with her. Besides,” the actress swallowed hard. “I’m seeing someone else.”

The Betrothed

A seemingly lone black car sped across the East Harbor Suspension Bridge that connected the island fortress, Hermes, to the main land. The engine roared in the early morning light against the background of gentle waves in the calm sea sleeping beneath the bridge. There was no speed limit that it respected, nor any sane officer that would dare call the attention of its driver. Four more cars of the same build and make trailed not a hundred meters behind. All of which maintaining a speed above the city limit, but none seemed to care, because a passenger in one of those identical vehicles happened to be the crown prince.

One thing that Luke loved about being early was having the road to himself. If they had left the palace an hour later then his security team, those daredevil racers, would have to contend with significantly more civilian cars and wouldn’t have had the pleasure of driving as fast as they did that morning.

“Your highness, if I may offer an advise.” Gruff, thickly accented voice of his assigned chauffeur and personal bodyguard interrupted. The man’s brown eyes were hidden behind a pair dark of wayfarers that regarded Luke from the rearview mirror, which found his royal highness hitting call button for the eleventh time. It was on loud speaker and the sound of ringing had filled the air inside the car for what felt like eternity to the bodyguard. “If you ring her phone enough, you will end up in her ‘blocked list’.”

Luke shrugged without lifting his attention from the device on his hand. “Then you will lend me a communication device that I can use to call again, Nolan. Problem solved.”

“And then what? Drag me with you to dating purgatory? No, thank you, your royal highness, I don’t enjoy being reported to the network providers.”

“I can fix that for you, I always do – Hello?”

“Alessandro,” was all Nolan heard from the loud speaker. To his dismay, Luke had quickly turned the broadcast into a private conversation. Without a doubt, the person on the other end of the line was not the princess elect that his future king was parading around town the day before. Him and Luke may not be the closest of friends, but they had a history together. Nolan had been a part of the security team since the crown prince was fifteen. It would be fair to say that the older man was loyal to the often moody prince, but it was not to say that his silence was not without price.

“If you give us a chance to talk, I am sure that I can make you understand that this is--”

“No, no. Luke, this is not me giving you a chance to explain yourself,” she cut him off. “I answered the damn phone just to tell you to stop calling.”

“Sophie. Listen.” He took a deep steadying breath as the line was cut and the tone went flat. It was not how he envisioned his day would be. Sophia was the first person that came into mind when the doctor suggested to cut the link for a day. After what happened in his engagement ball, that day was one of the rare chances to spend time together, and he was going to maximize their time no matter how busy his schedule was. But it looked like none of his plans would see the light of day.

The car finally slowed to a stop before the main gate. Nolan took care of the protocol while the prince composed himself and prepared to face his duties. As usual, he had to distance himself from his emotions as to not let it cloud his better judgment. The fight was not yet over as the day was just beginning to unfold. If he could track her, and he would, then he could still do something to save them both from the evils of a misunderstanding.

Then the gadget that he was still holding pinged. A message alert popped on the screen from a person named Tobias. Without meaning to read it, his eyes skimmed across the words ‘her personal bodyguard’ which just made the message interesting. A man for his fiancée’s personal bodyguard? Whose idea was it? But as he reached the end of the message and re-read the name of the bodyguard-in-charge, he recognized the family name, then the first name. Tobias Lavanchy. The two of them had the chance to train in hand-to-hand combat together when they were kids, but really they were just playing around. Tobias’ father was the late king’s close friend and cousin. The former used to frequently visit the castle together with Tobias, who was the same age as Luke. There might had been a time when the two boys got close, but then again circumstances and their social differences had pulled them apart to the point that the two barely talked. Interesting how fate had brought them back together.

Tobias,

Allow me to thank you in advance for looking after my fiancée. I assure you that there will be no dull moments, but you must arm yourself with patience as she can be a handful. Kindly make sure that she is back in my rooms by five thirty in the afternoon. No extensions.

Luke

To Rhiane: kissy face

By the time he was done with the response, the car and its escorts had already found their respective parking spaces. Surprisingly, a number personnel still traveled using cars, maybe because they spent a lot of time learning to navigate the sky during work.

“Your highness, welcome back to Hermes,” greeted a man with gray crew cut and neatly trimmed beard after Luke stepped out of the car. He wore the same uniform as Luke’s, but with considerably more pins.

The prince, despite his position of power, saluted the older man. His position had no meaning inside the air base, although most everyone still had a problem with calling him by his given name.

“At ease.”

“You arrived early, Commander,” Luke commented as soon as he was released from the salute.

The older man nodded and motioned for them to enter the building beside the control tower. “Ah, I have heard that you will be reporting here today.”

The Betrothed

The lives of the aristocracy were largely public, from the son of the least of the lords to the queen herself, the lens of the camera had always been seeking these people’s strongest and most vulnerable moments with no clear purpose whether as to build them up or tear their inherited titles apart. The endless fake smiles, backstabbing, and dirt digging were a precious mine of juicy gossips and news that entertained the general public. After all, these were the people who were and would be charting the future of the kingdom, and perhaps each and every person’s destiny. Manners and poise were therefore two indispensable tools in a new noblewoman’s starter pack. Luke understood that the farmer had not yet had the chance to attend classes on either, but still he called out, though still in a teasing tone, “Language, princess.”

Expecting that a woman who had grown tilling the land in a relatively unknown town – at least unknown to him – whose company was perhaps livestock more than actual people would transform to a perfect lady was too much to ask. At least Rhiane possessed a natural poise and confidence that the court required at the minimum, but cursing and modulating the tone of her voice in situations out of her control could use some coaching.

Luke’s thoughts were along those lines when finally his lack of sleep caught up and pulled him into unconsciousness. He was normally a light sleeper, but he did not steer when the princess elect joined him on the bed.

Morning came too soon. The bedroom, despite the walls of glass, was still comfortably dim. The glass prevented the light from coming through by adapting its opaqueness to the time of the day. But anyway, the sun had not yet made its ascent. As Luke checked the time, he was not surprised that it was quarter before five in the morning. His body clock was used to getting up before dawn, with exception of when he had spent the night drinking or dallying with a lady. On that day, though, sleep would not claim him back even if he wanted to surrender to it.

The crown prince slowly got off the bed, careful to not wake up the woman sleeping on the far end. He stopped at the foot of the bed, stared at the space he occupied, then to where she lay asleep, then wondered what was so abhorrent about him that she had to choose the farthest spot possible. Well, if she did not want his skin touching her, then he strongly felt the same. There were others who would sacrifice everything to be where she was, and Luke thought that Rhiane was squandering the opportunity given to her.

Luke gave up on trying to figure out the peasant and instead checked on the computer that was propped on his desk. He quickly checked his schedule for the day that was logged by his virtual assistant, before heading to the bathroom for a shower and choosing his uniform, pins, and finally his boots. He was going to spend half of the day at the air base to oversee training drills and sit with the committee to discuss defense among other things. Sophia loved the air force uniform on him. She always commented that the color gray and the fit favored him, that it made the prince look more dashing than he already was. But to Luke, it was just another jacket with decorative pins. Regardless of what he thought, he would see her at lunch in his uniform.

His hair was still a bit wet, but he did what he can to keep the strands off his face, effectively pulling off and making quiff fashionable. He grabbed the hat that came with the uniform, tucked it under his arm, and prepared to leave when he paused as if remembering something. He should have called the queen earlier to confirm his freedom for the day. So, he dialed his mother’s number.

A sleepy voice picked-up the other end of the line. “Luke, my son, this better be an emergency.”

Luke leaned against the counter in the suite’s kitchen, looking at the other box of cannoli. Unlike him, the queen usually gets up much later, except on emergency situations. “Mum,” he greeted less stiff than the day before. “Have you spoken with Dr. Gulsvig?”

“Are you calling about the implant? Yes, dear, I turned it off last night. You have until six in the evening tonight.”

Luke frowned. “Who am I, Cinderella?”

The queen chuckled at the analogy. Her son was not used to having a curfew or restrictions in general, but well, actions had consequences. The queen reasoned that he did this to himself and her conscience was clean. “You have always, and will always be, prince charming, dearest. But be back by six in the evening. I’m planning a family dinner before you leave for the provinces tomorrow.”

“I’ll try my best,” he answered, not committed. “Get back to sleep, mum. I’ll call if I need more time.”

“No extensions. Don’t test me, Lucius. You know I love you and I am doing this for you.”

Not an hour had passed until the crown prince had left the castle’s premises. Unlike the day before, though, his mode of transport was in a car instead of a hovercraft. He sat at the back seat with his driver / bodyguard navigating the road. A car would command less attention, and besides he was not sure if Sophia’s taping location had a launch pad nearby.

Meanwile, on the nightstand at the side of the bed where he left Rhiane sleeping, were the plastic cards he was giving her the day before with a note that read “Happy independence day!” in his handwriting. If she happened to open the fridge, she would find a box similar to what he gave her the night before, although this one also had a note. It read, “Greed is definitely not good. Save some for me.”

The Betrothed

The purpose of the box of cannoli was neither to bribe Rhiane Black, nor to make her feel special. It was his curiosity, and perhaps a little bit of pride, that convinced the crown prince to ask for his sister’s help to purchase the dessert from a reputable pastry shop. One that was unlike the casual restaurant they had brunch in that morning. Luke’s intention when he made the request was two-fold. First, to refresh his memory on how the dessert tasted, and second, to share with the farmer girl the experience of biting into luxurious velvety filling that he was certain the commoner’s gift lacked. Cannoli was an unexceptional sweet treat. One could procure it from most pastry shops and bakeries. It was probably the reason why the farmer girl had a familiarity with it. However, like most everything, the truly gifted with culinary skills had a way of elevating food from conventional to luxurious for a price.

The box he asked Calista to buy was not meant as a gift for the princess elect. It was more for him than her, actually. When he saw the stranger present the unassuming box to his date, then saw the reaction on the naïve woman’s face, he couldn’t help but feel as if a challenge was issued from one man to another. Luke had no desire to win Rhiane’s affection, especially not that morning after she annoyed him with her stubborn viewpoints. Honestly, it was not about her. It was about an untitled young professional, who was probably struggling through quarter life crisis, working more than forty hours a week just to pay for the car he bought but could not really afford. It was between that stranger and him, the future king. Apparently, the woman who would sit by his side when he inherited the throne, who he was offering an access to his personal finances, would leave him for a box of sweets.

However, somewhere along the minutes that trickled into hours, the circumstances changed the plan and Luke was glad that he had the cannoli brought to his room.

“I had to enlist Calista’s help to for the tastiest cannoli in the capital. She enjoys sweets as much as you do.” But the princess herself would not be burdened with such a menial task, except when it was her brother calling for a favor. Crown prince or not, the same was expected of Luke.

Grinning like a schoolboy, he stared expectantly as the woman seemed to contemplate what to do with the good graces presented to her. Common sense dictated to take advantage of his generosity, yet he could almost hear the gears turning in her head as she contemplated if there was any consequence in taking the offer. In the end, her love for sweet things won her over and Luke had not seen her happier.

Too happy, perhaps, that it must have been purely instincts when she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. To say that he was surprised was an understatement. In the middle of quietly celebrating for a seemingly small victory, the unprecedented gesture made Luke tense for a quarter of a second. It was all he could to not to cringe. After all his touching and flirting, he had not forgotten that she was a low-born peasant and all of it was just part of his duty to his mother’s kingdom. He and Rhiane were not a real couple, and his heart would rather be somewhere else. The boyish grin was momentarily wiped off his face. He was not a good actor, did not need to be. Who knew lying and pretending would be very useful life skills?

The slight shift in the cushion as she very happily planted herself beside him pulled him out of his thoughts. He only barely managed to stop himself from retreating to the cold and distant crown prince as he turned to her with a small smile that failed to reach his eyes. “Don’t mind if I do,” he mumbled before taking a treat randomly. He stuffed it in his mouth in a manner that he could only do in the privacy of his own suite. They had kissed, he thought. Actually, he had initiated the kiss on both occasions. It just felt different than when he, with full knowledge that it was just for show, was instigating the romantic gestures compared to when she took the initiative. A kiss on the cheek was far from being a romantic gesture, but the issue was that one day was not enough to erase his prejudice.

Dark chocolate filling was smudged on his thumb after he pushed the cannolo in his mouth. He stared at it for a second, then at Rhiane. She may be in the act of choosing which treat to attack when he did attack. Luke wiped the dark chocolate on Rhiane’s upper lip. Grinning, he declared, “Moustache!” Then stepped away, out of her reach, laughing, before crawling into bed where he settled at the center. “Be quiet when you chew, sugar monster,” he called out as he buried himself under the covers.

She was not that bad, he tried to convince himself. He could have been engaged to somebody worse.

The Betrothed

Silence was not what he expected from her after his proposition. It was said with all the limited acting capacity that he had. Though it lacked genuine emotions, it sought to invalidate her perception that the man she would be spending a lot of her time with wanted badly to have nothing to do with her. It sounded like a good idea when he thought of it. His seemingly change of heart was supposed to be romantic. Something much less would have worked well with most of the ladies, but then most of the ladies did not need much persuasion. He was, after all, the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom.

Then why did it not work? Was his choice of words off? Was the expression on his face insincere?

The silence stretched on until after he held the door to their shared apartment open for her. The space was instantly filled with light upon their entry. Thanks to the cleaning service, it was perpetually spotless. The glass that he left on one of the kitchen counters had been taken care of, but in its place was a couple of boxes.

Luke went straight to the bedroom to find more comfortable clothes to sleep in. He had promised to call Sophia, but he was distracted by the mystery of the commoner who was repeatedly turning him down. The latest attempt happened while he was inside the walk-in closet, busy putting on sleepwear. Maybe he needed to let go of his pursuit and listen to the tiny voice in his head saying that there were other methods to make her more miserable, because the evidences were visibly against his goal that night. The farmer girl may be flustered by the physical attention he was giving her, but she was obviously not ready to be in a genuine relationship that involved feelings and emotions. There had to be a plethora of reasons why a lowly commoner would reject a crown prince. The answers may be in her write-up, which he should have already read, but honestly couldn’t find enough interest in.

There was one more trick left though. “I did advise you against self-deprecating remarks.” He emerged from the closet barefooted and bare chested, with dark blue pajama on, and ready to rebut when he found her bare back on him. Luke paused. He was tempted to repeat his comment about her style of seduction. Instead, he pointed to the sliding door with his thumb, reminding her, “Your clothes are in here, if you ever need something to wear.”

He stepped out of the bedroom to fetch a box that his sister said she brought. The prince chose one that was not obviously tampered, because knowing Cally, she would not leave without taking a sample of the goods. It was the final move for the night. If the box of dessert would not have the same effect as the one given to her that morning, then there was clearly something wrong with the woman.

“Before I start arguing with you again, because of your opinions that I do not agree with,” the prince stepped back into the bedroom, catching Rhiane before she went into the walk-in closet, if she ever even considered doing so. He sat on the bed before her and presented the box. “This is for you. Don’t mind the what the nutritionist says. It is fine to eat sweets at midnight before bed. We’ll just run together to burn the excess carbs.” His sentence was punctuated with a stifled yawn.

The Betrothed

The distance that she implied she needed, as she placed one foot behind another in a succession of steps, was respected. While he had consciously made a decision to exploit the commoner’s evident discomfort brought about by his actions, Rhiane screaming in the hallway was the last thing that Luke wanted. Such an incident happening with the press in close proximity would certainly mar his reputation. Over the years, his name had become synonymous to player, but he was not one who would force himself upon any woman. Besides, there was no need to do so until Rhiane Black.

Therefore, when she found her back pressed against the wall, Luke stopped his advance. He was merely trying to keep the distance between the two of them within the allowable range. “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance,” he recited an article from the Declaration of Human Rights, which was revived after relations between surviving nations were re-established. “Forget conscience and religion. Everyone has the right to change his belief. Though it might not be the case this morning, I now admit to the belief that I want more than business and work. Just like you are, I too am entitled to change my mind.”

She was being difficult, but he would not be employing the same tactic had she been more receptive of his flirtatious games. That she blushed and practically ran away from him was the reaction he wanted out of her. It showed that his future bride, no matter how impervious to his charms she thought she was, was nevertheless affected. Unlike him, who had years of practice, it would not be easy for her to truly separate personal from professional. Especially not when he started toying with her emotions for real.

Luke knew he ought to stop. A part of him believed that there were other ways to make her life miserable. Yet another part of him supposed that the mere discomfort and embarrassment she could have felt at that moment was not enough to cover for the damages that her careless declaration made. The prince would not admit that he was venting his frustrations borne of the very brief argument with his lover, even as Rhiane brought up Sofia. He was a painfully honest man, but growing up with vipers had taught the heir a lesson or two about deception.

Before he could respond though, the farmer sprinted towards the transport. Or at least she tried. Luke was taller, had longer strides, and was faster than her. He cut her and blocked her path with his body, then grabbed her wrist to stop her from running away. “I have never been more insulted in my entire life,” the crown prince admitted, and it was surprisingly true. “First you accused me of lying – the pink on your cheeks is truly lovely – then you had to reiterate that this is a business arrangement, and finally you would rather that I woo another woman. You are the one I will be marrying, are you not? Shouldn’t you – we – at least give us a chance?” She may again argue that the engagement was not what either of them would have wanted, or that he would not choose her if he was given a choice. It was both true. Painfully true. But the prince was ready to deny both that night to make her heart flutter, to give her hope, only break her come morning.

Without waiting for a response, he let go of her wrist and boarded the transport. The short ride was quiet and so was the walk to his suite. His communication band was on silent, but it did light up several times signifying notifications, which he barely read. None of it was from the person he would rather be spending the night with anyway.

The Betrothed

“What am I doing now?” He cocked his head to one side, feigning an innocent look, which probably would not work because of the spark of mischief that brightened his eyes paired with a cheeky grin that would have melted a thousand women’s hearts.

Castillo di Firenze, in all its glory, had a vast amount of floor area that even when it employed hundreds of citizens and housed the queens most trusted nobles, it was never crowded. The hallway, for instance, was thankfully empty at that hour. The double doors remained shut as the production crew packed-up the equipment while the director, Jonas, and Ms. Viscomi were probably doing a post mortem of the broadcast. Luke doubted that his and the princess elect’s voices could penetrate the concrete walls. However, with the increasing volume of his fiancée’s voice, any curious passer-by would overhear the conversation. That somebody might be spying on them was not among his concerns that night.

When the princess elect forcefully tore her body away from its contact with Luke’s, the latter did not protest. Instead, he remained where he stood while amusing himself with the fruits of his actions flashing on the farmer girl’s face. Gone was the confidently charismatic woman in front of the cameras, who, in another life would have inadvertently caught the prince’s attention. In her place was a doppelganger that panicked at Luke’s half-hearted attempt at flirting. Her cheeks were bright pink, just a few shades lighter than the color of the roses she cradled on her chest. She was speaking in a voice which pitch had climbed a notch. Her feet were taking her farther and farther from him. Luke was not a sadist, but her obvious discomfort brought a cheeky grin on his face.

“For somebody who did not even bat an eyelash at the prospect of getting naked with a stranger, you are being prude, Ms. Black.” Luke unclasped his gadget from the wrist. He raised it to his face and perhaps she would be able to deduce, though no camera was visible at the back end of the device that faced her, that he had just snapped a photo of her crimson face. Satisfied, he placed the gadget back where it belonged. Then, with a few short gestures, an image of the stolen photograph was hovered a few inches above the black band for her to see. “Has anybody ever told you that you look lovelier when you blush?” Wooing, as she called whatever she thought he was doing, was more than just the touching of skin or lips. The most meaningful of relationships would always start with words, and if hew as not allowed to torment her with his body, then he would do so with his mind.

Therefore, he avoided taking the bait, refusing to acknowledge what he had been trying to accomplish since that morning, which was to make sure that she didn’t get the wrong idea. For the purpose of his petty revenge mission, he was willing to forego his values as a gentleman – whatever that meant. “If you are looking like that or acting like a lady worthy of my mother’s crown like you did earlier tonight, I cannot promise that I can hold myself back from wanting to be near you and kiss you.” He shrugged, tentatively taking a step towards her, like he was approaching a scared kitten. If she saw his advances as a threat and ran the opposite direction, they were both in trouble. “Hardly my fault, isn’t it?"

The Betrothed

Satisfaction filled his chest not because Luke enjoyed the stolen moment of intimacy with the princess elect, but because he felt her stiffen under his touch. Yes, muscles were prone to a momentary freeze due to a pleasant surprise, and she did seem surprised. Luke, however, had reasons to believe that it was not the pleasure of his romantic advances that had rendered the commoner both speechless and motionless. Rhiane, of all people, understood that that the crown prince was tolerating her presence only because staying with her was the least of all evils that the queen could unleash upon her heir. If she was being her charismatic self, she would have at least said or done something that would add to the story that they were making the public believe, but that she froze for the second time after he kissed her made the crown prince a little suspicious.

The double doors were opened and closed by the attendants and the couple stepped back out into the present. Gone were the meticulous golden details and judgmental stares of the men and women painted behind gilded frames. The well lit clean smooth lines of the modern world greeted them. Luke exhaled as if he was holding the air far too long in his chest. He never did like rooms in the castle that were decorated as such.

However, as soon as they were outside, Rhiane almost forcefully disentangled herself from him while at the same time questioning his actions. The force in her voice that sounded like anger stopped the crown prince. It was not the restrained or even thinly veiled anger, but it as the emotion in its purest form. If she were a different woman or that they were arguing under different circumstances, Luke would have felt offended by her reaction, but given that his objective was to torment her, he thought that everything was working to his favor. He was doing the right thing, pushing the correct buttons.

Despite the flash of anger on her pretty face, or maybe because of it, Luke harbored a baffled expression that was uncharacteristically him. He had always been confident even when he knew he was wrong. “What wasn’t necessary?” The crown prince asked, provoking her. Then, without giving her a chance to clarify herself, planted another stolen kiss on her temple. “This? Was this not necessary?” There was a playful grin on his face as he whispered the words, as he wrapped an arm around her mid section. He tried to walk her to the direction of the transport to their residence.

She was eager to show the kingdom that they were falling in love, wasn’t she? Well, Luke thought nobody would believe that the player Prince Alessandro would be satisfied in a relationship that was not at least physical.