Hashih

The Betrothed

Luke shook his head. “Lying on my back will make it more difficult to breathe,” he admitted. The painkiller helped make the pain more tolerable and breathing a little less torturous. Except for the way he walked, it would appear that he was fine, because that was how the crown prince would like everyone to perceive his state of health, but the truth was that he had been enduring the consequences of his rash decision since that morning. It was true what he told her on the first day they met, that there was no room for weakness in the world he lived in. Therefore, he and his family had to conceal from the world the side of them that was human and make it seem as if they did not get hurt or bleed.

“Why do you say that?” Luke untangled his hand from hers. The curtains were drawn shut and the lighting inside the room was dim as if to inspire rest. Nothing had gone according to plan. Luce Viscomi’s schedule was as ruined as the schedule he planned out for himself that day. If there was anything good that came out of the morning, it was that he was too preoccupied in their survival to even think about the woman who was probably on her way across the continent to another country. But then again, there was this other woman who had made a surprise attack and unknowingly crawled her way into the dark recesses of his subconscious. A woman whose ideals did not match his but were oddly the same as his. Maybe because the two of them were alike in such an opposing way. In other words, if he was yin then she was yang - two opposing forces, but when together brought balance. “A doctor is a doctor no matter where he or she works. Or do you still judge the staff at the palace because they are not peasants?”

A knock sounded at the door before she could answer. As soon as Luke acknowledged it, Nolan entered the room with a slight frown on his brow and a straight set lips. “Nolan, could you call the maid? Ask about lunch and what kind of a vacation home does not have an entertainment system.”

“Certainly, your highness.” The guard bowed his head slightly as he stopped at the foot of the bed for a second before finding the pocked door hidden in one of the wall panels. It led to a walk-in closet where the couple’s clothes for that day’s event were temporarily stored. “But not before you get dressed. I simply cannot say no to your uncle anymore.”

“Which uncle? Why?” Luke got to his feet, but the guard had disappeared inside the small room.

“The one who was appointed by your mother to be the Minister of Defense,” Nolan called back from inside the closet. “You have a meeting with the heads of states of the Treaty in five minutes and unless you are a cold corpse, then there is no reason not to be present.” He emerged with an off-white coat, staring straight into the wide blue eyes before they blinked off the surprise. Well, he shouldn’t have been surprised if he was more focused on being the crown prince rather than playing a broken-hearted puppy. “His words, not mine.”

The prince would have wanted to move faster, but his human limbs prevented him. Even Nolan’s irritation seemed to decline at the sight of his boss limp. “Take off the back brace.” The guard helped Luke detach the bulky brace then carefully assisted him into the coat. Normally, the royal would just shrug it on, but it was clear that Nolan’s stubborn charge was taking caution more seriously that day. The resulting ensemble was odd, because the neatly pressed coat did not match the mismatched length of his pants and the stained shirt he wore. His hair was mussed and not in a fashionable way. “Your computer is right there.” Nolan pointed at the desk, then gave his earpiece to Luke.
The younger man, on the other hand, raked his hand on his hair, sweeping it on one side to a more formal style. “How do I look?” Luke turned to Rhiane to ask her a question that he knew Nolan would not honestly give response to. “This will not take long, I’ll join you when we’re done. Nolan, the maid so she can setup the movie for Rhiane.” He limped his way to the desk. It was positioned in such a way that he was facing the bed and a wall was behind him. The computer was turned on after verification of his fingerprint, retina, and passcode.

Nolan left the room and soon after a maid entered together with the appetizing aroma of lunch. Luke’s stomach rumbled despite himself and despite being questioned by other heads of states about New Rome’s show of forces along its borders and its commitment to the impoverished nations it flattened to the ground during the last great war. By the time he was done stating the stand of his nation, the maid had already setup a television that was apparently concealed inside a panel. It seemed to descend from the ceiling after she tapped a few buttons. She was standing in front of the desk with a tablet in hand, waiting for her prince to ask her to step forward. When he did, she showed the list of movies that were available. Unfortunately, streaming service was not reliable on the mountains. Luke picked something lighthearted for Rhiane then pressed mute. “Help her with her food, please. She only has one useful hand at the moment.”

Even after the meeting had ended, he stayed behind the desk contrary to what he told his fiancee. They had wasted a lot of time and there was work to be done. His lunch was barely touched, though he stabbed a piece of meat one after the other while he studied reports and affixed his electronic signature on others.

Time flew by without him noticing. The next knock at the door was a doctor he knew all his life. His aged face softened when he spotted his patients. “Must you deprive yourself rest, Luke? I was briefed about the situation on our way here.”

Luke smiled sheepishly though he did not lift his head from the report of the palace intelligence about any abnormal communication pattern from that morning. “Doctor Gulsvig, five more page and I’m done. Could you start with Rhiane?”

The Betrothed

Well, that did not work out the way he imagined it would. His optimism wavered as did the smile on his face when silence followed his half-hearted suggestion of punishment. Of course, he did not believe that the unfortunate incident was her fault. It was the product of malicious minds, who hoped to unsettle the political balance of the kingdom for their own gain. But Luke’s concession that his fiancee was responsible for the eventful morning was only to oblige her to submit to the medical authorities. It was for her own sake anyway.

Then again, judging from the dullness in her eyes and the set of her lips, it perhaps upset her that another person accepted the validity of her confession that she was to blame. Luke believed the contrary. It was not her fault that the resistance had conspired to assassinate her. The vehicle she drove that morning was unfit for use and the rebels would come after them whether or not the couple survived the accident. The intention was to eliminate her, Luke was just a bonus. He could tell her that hoping to ease the anxiety his words brought to Rhiane, but doing so was like giving her a chance to retract her consent.

“Him?” They continued to discuss the terms of the princess elect though Luke’s grin was exchanged for a frown. “I asked him to come with us only because it is dangerous to be in that clinic if the rebels returned. Truth is, I don’t trust that man.”

He stretched his legs before him. The pain from the gash on his thigh had subsided as did the pain on his side. What remained though was how painfully unpleasant his pants looked like. Good thing the media was not able to snap a photo of him wearing such, else it might be interpreted that the crown prince was starting a revolution in fashion. Nothing was far from the truth than that conclusion.

“Don’t worry about the doctors from the palace, they are professionals who do not look into the status of a person before treating them.” But again, these were noble born professionals. Everybody was aware that there was no single noble who did not look down on the low-born peasants. Even the doctors who supervised her treatment from poison were sons and daughters of lords. “But if that is what will make you comfortable, then I can ask the doctor to stay a little longer.” It meant he was depriving the neighboring towns of the only medical professional in the area. Rhiane did not have to know about that.

Luke shifted his arm a bit and tried to find a more comfortable position. “I’d also stick around if you had asked me to, but…” He shrugged. “The medical team will take about three to four hours to get here. What do you want to do until then? We can order lunch if you’re feeling hungry.” She said she did not want to fall asleep, but it was inevitable if he left her alone to contemplate on the past events. He may not be experienced in trauma patients, but he had an understanding how the brain processes negative thoughts and emotions. It was always at the forefront of her mind, like a guard that would not let her pass. The worst part was when she was alone in her thoughts, because then she would have the chance to explore the what if’s and what could have been, which was the source of her guilt.

The Betrothed

Luke was not expecting her response, but he was glad that she did speak. Truth be told, he was not equipped to handle trauma patients. He wasn’t even qualified to tell her that he understood what she was going through, because in reality he barely remembered what it felt like to be in her shoes. To say that he was young when the tragedy hit him was not a lie, but for somebody like him who was born to royalty, there were means to skip the difficult part. The queen had made that decision for the traumatized boy who tried to keep a straight face but cried and screamed at night when he was trapped in his own nightmares. He thought that maybe talking about it would help her, admitting or even hinting that there was somebody else who had gone through the same pain might encourage her to heal.

The fingers he entwined with hers tightened as her loosened, as if telling her to hold on. With the brace restricting the mobility of his upper body, he turned just his face to her. “You failed them how? By not dying in that petty excuse for a clinic?” He frowned at her conclusion. She had no idea yet, because he had no time to tell her everything back at the clinic, but a faction of the rebellion was after the bad image her untimely demise would bring to the ruling house. The Palace Intelligence deducted that the premature elimination of the princess elect, after the masses’ warm reception of her, would not only hurt the palace’s capability to protect its people, but also reflect poorly on the crown prince who was known to have been in a relationship with the actress Sophia Keller.

Should he tell her everything? Half of him wanted her to know everything, because maybe it would ease the guilt that she was feeling, but the other half still wanted to keep her in the dark.

“If there is anybody you failed today, it will be your driving instructor.” The keep-her-in-the-dark half won. It was cruel to burden her with the thought that the people she thought she could save, held on to the hope that she would meet her end sooner than necessary, that these people would do anything in their power to accomplish the mission, that they saw her as a tool to reach a milestone – not even a goal – but a step towards the realization of one.

Luke kept his face solemn, though the corner of his lips twitched, and his eyes were a little brighter. He slightly bowed her head in mock reverence. “With all due respect, princess, you are a horrible, horrible driver. When I gave you the keys, I didn’t imagine that you will dash like the devil was on our heels.” The wind on his hair, the otherwise scenic route, were both overtaken by the fear that gripped his chest with the way she handled dangerous uphill curves and downhill descent. It was like riding a roller coaster without the reassurance of the rails and its periodic safety checks.

“Maybe it really is your fault,” Luke mused. He would give her what she wanted – his acknowledgment of her guilt. The same sentiment was repeated over and over again on different conversations at different places. It would not leave her alone or she did not want to let it go. She did not want to believe the many times he told her that she was not at fault. What better thing to do than acknowledge that everything that happened that morning was because of her. “Because of your horrible driving skills. If you had not let excitement rule over you, then we would not be in that clinic, we would not be in danger, and they might still be alive. Better yet, if you had picked the right pill and did not intentionally hope to sedate me, then we could have refused to be moved to that clinic and waited for rescue instead.”

A memory flashed in his mind – the storm pounding on the SUV’s roof, the tiny droplets doing their best to leap onto their skin and clothing, the lightning that lit the sky above the canopy of leaves, her blouse made translucent by the rain, her cold skin, and the urgency of her lips against his. The prince had to look away. The injured thigh was stretched before him, reminding him that he should ask for change of clothes before somebody else thought he was starting a fashion trend.

Mustering the confidence that came with the title, he cleared his throat. The next words he spoke were detached, as if he was truly pronouncing a court sentence. “Therefore, I shall not tell the doctor that you are fine with your sling. A punishment cannot be as merciful as that. You are to allow the doctors to do as they please, when they please, without physical or verbal protest. This serves as your punishment. Do you have any questions, princess?” He smiled for her a lopsided smile that had none of the seriousness of his tone. Luke figured that perhaps it would be effective to use her self-reproach against her irrational distrust to medical practitioners, thus appointing the impending procedure as a fitting punishment for the wrong she thought she did.

The Betrothed

What else could he do but agree to his cousin’s proposition, helplessly watch as the royal guard carried the farmer away, and silently question the unwanted emotion the prince could only guess was jealousy. But he had Sophia. And even if he did not, Luke could have any woman in the kingdom not from demanding submission from her, but out of her sheer will. The illusion of the prince charming that the media painted him to be – wealthy, powerful, intelligent, dependably strong, handsome – created a picture of perfection that most women would have wanted in a man. Even then, somebody else was touching, attempting to take away, what was rightfully his.

“Your highness.” Nolan was standing by the rear passenger door, calmly trying to figure out what his prince’s forlorn gaze was for. “The doctor already got off the SUV. It’s just you inside now.”

Luke cleared his throat. “Ah. I was just thinking.” And it was not a lie. He had been thinking about what had happened in the last few hours after he tossed the keys to Rhiane. The plan was to use her as some sort of a safety net that cushioned the loneliness that resulted from Sophia’s absence. What had happened?

Without saying anything more, he left the SUV himself with his bodyguard securing the rear. The villa’s security was expected to be thorough after what happened, but he needed to see for himself what had been done so far. “Are the lords and ladies of this region not going to be present to welcome us?”

“They were this morning, but they must be resting in the other villas as we speak. Should I request for their presence?”

Luke shook his head. “I do not wish to speak with anybody without an appointment.”

“Understood. I shall give out the order to the guards.” Two such uniformed palace guards were at the main entrance, holding the double doors open for the royal. The pair followed Tobias, the doctor, and the maid who ushered them to a makeshift clinic. Nolan shut the door behind him after politely dismissing the maid.

Luke inspected the room. There were two entry points, which were the door they used and a balcony. The latter was concealed from sight by floor to ceiling curtains. “There are guards outside,” Nolan offered the answer to the question lingering in his prince’s head.

“Cameras?”

“Twenty-four high definition cameras with heat sensors for when it gets dark. Each unit conforms to the palace security standards.”

The room was not where he expected he and Rhiane would be treated. It may have been transformed, to the best of the staff’s efforts, as a sterile room, but the sitting room was not a hospital. “We’ll get there, doctor. A painkiller will be most helpful at this time.” His eyes wandered to where Tobias had lain the princess elect, then frowned. Rhiane would only freak out when she realizes where she was, when the white linen and steel framing of medical bed registered in her head, when the scent of antiseptic filled her nostrils. It was not good for her present mental state to expose her to another stressor. “The medical team will take time,” he was telling his conclusion to the doctor. “May we wait in our room instead? It will be best for Rhiane to rest for now, but this environment is not helping.”

The doctor had witnessed the princess elect’s reaction to anything that had to do with the practice of medicine. He would have wanted to keep the patients inside the room to be able to monitor them and react accordingly should there be any emergencies, but the prince had a point. “Here, your highness,” the doctor offered a pill and a bottled water from the box of supplies he carried from the clinic. “I have nothing against your suggestion.” Though he thought the pain medication that was administered to the princess elect may have also lost its effect at that moment, but the woman either had a better pain tolerance than the prince or was stubborn enough to ask for help.

The couple moved to their room upon the prince’s request. Tobias carefully put Rhiane down to the bed then pulled the sheets over her without a word before exiting the suite only to stand guard outside the door. The doctor was the last to leave, making sure that the couple had means to call for help in case of emergency. “Doctor,” Luke stopped him halfway to the exit. “Why is there a makeshift clinic? Are there no clinics in this town?”

“The clinic you kidnapped me from,” the doctor answered in a low voice. “It is the only medical facility in this mountain.” And he was the only physician around. He wanted to verbalize it but didn’t.

“I did not kidnap you. I did not want them to vent out their frustrations on you, doctor, when they find out that we have escaped.” The doctor’s eyes widened in realization. Of course there was no more need for him once the royal medical team arrived, but he was dragged out of the clinic for other reasons. “Why they kept you alive is beyond me, but we cannot be sure as to the extent of their benevolence. That is all. I’ll call you when I need you.”

Luke watched the door close behind the doctor. The sound resonated in the silence of the room, so did his sigh. When they left the airstrip that morning, it did not cross his mind that it would be such an eventful day. He dragged a chair from the desk to Rhiane’s side of the bed. After what happened, he wasn’t so sure how she would react to his touch, so he gave her space. Luke sat languidly on the chair, staring at the door without saying anything for a long moment, until finally he found his voice.

“I was ten when I first witnessed a man killed in front of me.” He did not know what he was doing, and if it would do good rather than bad to her state, but the prince thought it would help if she could feel that she was not alone. Carefully, he reached under the covers to where he thought her hand was. His fingers carefully entwined with her even though he avoided her green eyes. “Seventeen when I first shot a man dead. He was about to attack my sister.” It was not easy dealing with the aftermath and the rationale was not important now. “If you would like some rest, to get away from the memory and this sorry reality, I can ask the doctor for a sedative. I know it may not help much, but the doctor will not allow strong liquor to be served even if I order him to.”

The Betrothed

The problem was not that the mobile device of the doctor was already phased out, it was just the royal guards used a different communication frequency which was not accessible for the general public, nor the military. It allowed for a secured and reliable communication among themselves and the palace. It explained how Luke contacted the palace when he asked Nolan to connect him to his mother.

Queen Camilla answered the call on the first ring. She had cancelled every appointment that day and was actively monitoring the situation with her husband. Just like Luke would not get used to attempts on his life, the queen could not say that she would ever be at peace with the fact that her children’s lives were at a risk because of the enemies she made. It triggered her maternal instincts to be pushed to the surface and then she would gather her children back to the nest, which was supposed to be the safest place for them. Her daughter, for instance, was escorted back to the palace from an event that she attended as the guest of honor. If the twins were not out of the country, they would have had the same fate as their sister.

“I will write a detailed report for you before the day ends,” Luke was saying while he crouched over the dead body outside the bathroom to inspect the rebel’s rifle. “It’s just not safe to speak at length right now.” Nolan and Tobias might have eliminated two of the threats, but there were three more rebels that they knew of while an unknown number could be hiding in the village. It was not safe to linger, also not safe to speak freely with the doctor – somebody he did not trust – around.

Tobias stepped out of the bathroom with the princess elect in his arms. The guard’s long strides and purposeful steps cried for the prince’s attention and meaningful glare. Had he not been injured, he would have been the one to carry the princess elect to their vehicle as a prince charming would do for her princess. But Luke was not so big a fool as to try to lift a tall woman considering the status of his health. Besides, what did he hope to gain by continuously being considerate for the farmer? The kiss was just a kiss, he reasoned with himself. It was a natural reaction of a man who was trapped in a cramped space with a beautiful woman who presented herself willingly to him. If he could turn back time, he would take a bit of rationality with him and choose against what feels was right, because she was a peasant. He may have gotten used to her, even enjoyed her company, but between him and her was a thousand reasons why they should not be together.

Yet, as Tobias passed by, Luke could not take his eyes off the woman that was carefully cradled in his arms. It should have satisfied the royal to see the farmer and the almost-nobleman sharing the same space, with the cousin he loved as a child, who was a cold and emotionless loyal servant, seemingly finding his match in the farmer. But for some reasons, it provoked an unwanted emotion within the royal. Maybe because of what he heard at the airplane and what he saw in Rhiane when she was with Tobias, Luke did not want Tobias to touch his fiancee.

“Luke, are you still there?”

The worry in the queen’s voice saved the prince from exploring the conflicting emotions within him. As if Queen Camilla’s presence reminded Luke that he was the next ruler of the kingdom, that he should not be distracted by menial things such as his emotions, wants and desires. It would not benefit New Rome, therefore it was not his concern. “I’m sorry, mother. I was curious about the rifles. Allow me to discretely open an investigation with the Defense Ministry.” The discussion between mother and son continued, wavering between passing information to personal thoughts about the well-being of the other. Luke gestured for Nolan to take the dead man’s rifle then followed Tobias out the door. The queen may have told her son that the link between him and his fiancee shut off automatically on such emergency situations, but he was used to keeping her in sight. He stood a few meters from the vehicle, watching from the corner of his eyes as the doctor and his cousin assumed seats at the back of the vehicle with his fiancee. The conversation with the monarch was cut short after the rifles were loaded inside the compartment. He promised to call back when they reached the villa.

The rear driver’s door was not locked when he pulled it open. As soon as he did, he met the doctor’s slightly round brown eyes then followed by his cousin’s. The latter’s instincts kicked in such that his hand reached for the standard issued pistol, but stopped upon recognizing who was the intruder. The guard’s eyes softened a little, but his stare did not waver. As if he was asking what Luke was doing standing by the door and making himself an easy target to any sniper nearby. Though Nolan was standing guard behind Luke, the prince should know better since it was not the first time he was caught in an ambush. The guard opened his mouth to say something, perhaps appeal to his royal cousin’s rationality, but the latter beat him to it.

“We need to get moving.”

The doctor raised his hand tentatively. “Uh… There are medical supplies that I need to get from the clinic. May I…”

Luke nodded, though he did not spare the doctor a glance. He was silently questioning Tobias, and what annoyed Luke was the truth that his cousin didn’t seem to have a clue what those blue eyes meant to say. “Tobias,” he started as the doctor alighted from the vehicle and hurriedly went back inside the building.

“Your highness.” Tobias’ head bowed just a little.

“Who was driving this vehicle?”

Realization dawned on the guard. It was visible in the slight widening of his eyes and the wavering of his confident posture. One corner of his lips twitched a little in a smirk or a scowl, Luke wasn’t sure. “I was,” he admitted. His royal cousin was trained to deliver messages clearly through his lengthy speeches, but sometimes the simplest of instructions were difficult to verbalize. Tobias reluctantly left the princess elect’s side to assume his position at the driver’s seat.

They were on the road in no time. Luke was back on the phone. Nolan had tossed the device to the prince after getting annoyed at his endless command to call this person or that person. He had instructed one of his staff to request a meeting with the Minister of Defense, and another to the Minister of Health. Responses from both were expected within the hour so he could verbalize his request. Another staff was called to personally give instructions to send a medical team, detailing the needs of the couple. He was not done yet, because right after that, was a call from the palace. The palace intelligence was supposed to confirm the location and the couple’s status with Nolan and was surprised to hear a different person at the other end of the line. A conversation about the barricades and checkpoints to be setup was inevitable. Luke unconsciously rested his hand on his fiancee’s knee as if to reassure her or himself.

It was then that the doctor reminded leaned forward and quietly repeated his advice that the princess elect should not be left alone even at night. “I will personally see to it, doctor. I can watch over her tonight,” was Tobias’ casual reply.

Hearing the short exchange prompted Luke to pull the earpiece from an ear, disregarding the previous conversation. “There is no need. We share the same room. I will call for help if needed.” He regarded Tobias who was quietly looking back at him from the rearview mirror. “You and Nolan had a long day today. Rest for the night. I need you both alert tomorrow.”

Nolan smirked. They had worked together long enough to understand what the prince was trying to do. Tobias nodded grimly and proceeded to drive in silence. Luke went back to his conversation and by the time they arrived in town, he had returned both the mobile device and earpiece to his personal bodyguard.

As expected, cameras and media personnel were camped on the village, waiting for the arrival of the couple, hungry for a juicy scoop. Their arrival had been delayed for over half a day and the itinerary for the day was still in question. Thankfully, the windows were tinted so no photo with their faces on in were taken. The ground security made way for the vehicle so that Tobias could drive them to the villa constructed for the couple’s comfort.

“Where here,” he whispered to Rhiane. She was conscious but unreactive. Witnessing a man shot dead right in front of her must be traumatizing. What the princess elect needed was proper counseling and perhaps something to calm her nerves. He knew because he was only ten years old when he was caught in a crossfire and had been forced to watch a man shot dead right in front of his innocent blue eyes. The person who shot the would-be assassin was the late prince consort, Luke’s father.

Luke freed her from the seatbelt, then reached for the latch to open the door. The painkiller’s effect had diminished by then and the act of bending his torso to reach for something shot a sharp pain from his side. He bit back the sound trying to escape his lips, but the sudden pain showed briefly on his face. He would have to let his cousin take her from him again.

The Betrothed

The raw emotions bundled in the terrifying sound of her scream frightened him more than the gunshot that echoed inside the small space. His ears were still ringing and his brain was absorbing the reality that the bullet was neither meant for him nor did it find him. For a second, a thought crossed his mind that Rhiane was shot, that the assassins had succeeded. But Tobias was standing a step away from the door frame. His cold emotionless eyes stared back at the prince, before seeking after the face he came for.

Luke saw it, the slight widening of his cousin’s eyes and the tight leash he placed around his emotions if only to stop him from shoving the heir to the throne aside to get to the woman and tell her that everything was alright. The rumors had a few bits of truth in it. If he had not heard the female guards talking about it, Luke might have missed the subtle change in attitude of his cousin where Rhiane was involved. For some unknown reason, it annoyed the prince.

“Tobias, take her. We’re leaving,” he ordered.

If it had been just the two of them – Luke and Rhiane – he might have given into the tiny voice at the back of his head telling him that his arms should comfort her and not his cousin’s, that whispered words looking to calm her should be his and not the guard’s. But the decisions he easily made, the consequences he easily damned, seemed uncomplicated when it was just him and her. Having other pairs of eyes trained on him, waiting for his next mistake, made it difficult. Turning into the callous, stuck-up, royal was easier.

He walked over the corpse of the rebel and knelt on one knee. Tobias took the opportunity and went to the princess elect. Luke could have watched the two from the corner of his eyes, but he purposefully trained them elsewhere. The rifle, for instance, was interesting. “Nolan,” he raised his voice. “There is a doctor somewhere in the building. Take him with us.”

“You mean this one?” The older bodyguard followed the doctor into the bathroom. A bruise was starting to show on his jaw as well as his cheek. The rebels may have spared him, but they did not pass the opportunity to hurt him in order for him to yield to their demands. Luke raised his head from the rifle he was examining, then nodded once.

“There are more than two, correct?”

The doctor nodded. “I do not encourage violence in my clinic. Especially when high profile people are involved. There are at least five of them. I would appreciate if the fighting will be taken elsewhere.”

Luke got to his feet with the help of the sink. There was evidence that the exertion did no good to the gash on his thigh, the fresh adhesive bandage had blotches of red, while the side of his torso was starting to feel the pain when breathing. “There will be no fighting if we can help it.” The rifle was slung over his shoulder as he limped towards the exit. “We’re leaving. Treat Rhiane while inside the vehicle.” He would not risk staying longer knowing that the two that they had dispatched had allies out there who probably heard the gunshot.

Nolan obeyed without question, keeping his weapon drawn as he led them out the building. If the royal guard had anything to say about the prince’s injuries, his mismatched pants, and his seeming protectiveness over the princess elect, he held her tongue for later. Yet his eyes wandered to the rifle slung over the prince’s shoulder. Luke also noticed it, that the piece of equipment was not an ordinary rifle. It was not inexpensive to be owned by peasants who supported the rebellion. “Give me your earpiece, Nolan. I need to make calls.”

The Betrothed

It could be confusing sometimes when the pulse raced, and the temperature rose when he thought he had everything under control. His actions, even the words he chose, were calculated. Those were meant to accomplish a goal, yet oddly he felt blood rushing to his face in split the second between releasing her and she leaning onto him.

Her lips were soft, but very much sure. It wasted no time and waited not for a sign that the man she poured her affection to would be capable of returning even a fracture of it. Sometime, somewhere during the past few days that they were forced to be together, something must have clicked inside her complex and confusing mind. Chemical reactions might have happened at the right place and at the right time, producing a state that was perceived by the woman’s consciousness as perhaps a crush or an infatuation.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you,” her voice floated in his subconscious, a memory from a not so distant past.

Maybe it was the same for the proud crown prince. His heart knocked so hard in his chest at the feeling that her gentle lips and honest feelings brought. She might even feel it as his arms went around her to pull her as close as he could against him without hurting her arm or his injuries. Without hesitation, without thinking of what could come out of the thoughtless indulgence, he returned the favor. There was no hurry in the way he kissed her back, as if their life was not in peril and they had all the time in the world. He did not want to scare her away by rushing her into giving into his demands. Instead, where their lips met, there were gentleness and patience. And even if they did not have the time, they at least had that moment.

But the sound of heavy footsteps and cursing pulled Luke back into reality. As if a spell was broken, he jerked his head up to listen. In between the dwindling drops of the tiring storm were voices and orders barked. Somebody must have seen through their deception. He did not expect it to mislead them for long anyway, but he did not expect himself to be distracted as well.

“You must get away,” he commanded Rhiane rather than asked it of her. Outside the cubicle was a small sink and a wall with an exhaust window. It was just large enough for Rhiane to crawl into. The stool he carried should help her climb towards freedom.

Luke pushed the cubicle door open, then led Rhiane out. He grabbed the stool and positioned it on the far end of the bathroom, opposite the door. “Go on. I’ll follow after you.”

Then again, before she could either argue against it or nod in agreement, a sound like an explosion disturbed the pretense of peace. The bathroom door swung open revealing a rain-drenched man armed with a rifle poised at the couple. Behind him was another man, younger, but with the same look of triumph in his eyes. “There you are, princess.” The man with the rifle cooed as Luke stepped between Rhiane and the gunpoint. “For a while, we thought that we had lost you, but you were right up our noses all this time. Clever trick.”

He took one step, then another, but the third was punctuated with a gunshot followed by a heavy thud. The rebel outside the door was on the floor, convulsing as blood pooled from his mouth and his eyes stared into Rhiane. The one with the rifle’s eyes widened in surprise. He spun around and raised the weapon to defend himself, but the royal guards were trained to be quick. A bullet had buried into the assassin’s forehead before he could even touch the trigger of his weapon. The man fell like a log, and as he cleared the view, the couple would see Tobias sanding at the doorway.

The Betrothed

The wind rattling window against its frame and the continuous prattling of rain against the roof prevented him from hearing enough of the conversation. However, raised voices and sound of forceful entry alarmed the heir. He was unarmed and though he might have a slight chance at a hand-to-hand fight, he doubted that anybody with the intent to accomplish what the SUV and the treacherous mountain path should have would come at them with nothing but their bare hands. “We have to --”

The metal pole crashing on the floor rang above the wind and the rain. He whipped his head to the direction of the sound in time to see the effects of his fiancee’s pig-headedness. Barefoot and resolved with what she had to do, Rhiane went around the bed and to the door that was forced shut. Luke pushed himself to his feet. Thank the painkillers and adrenaline he moved, rather limped, relatively faster than he thought he could and was able to place himself between the princess and the door.

The thin barrier failed to keep the sound of raised voices addressing Rhiane, trying to reach out to her under the pretense that they understood how she was suffering in the hands of the royal family. They positioned themselves to sound as the savior she was longing for, even if she did not need one. “Don’t even think about it,” Luke said calmly when it appeared to him as if she was about to reach for the latch and yield to the appeals of the people from the other side. Having been able to observe her around peasants, he thought that she was the kind who would readily place her trust on people with kind words for her. He remembered the cannoli from their first unofficial date, the artisans, the educators, her maids, strangers who were invited to share a moment with her. It was not healthy, especially when there were people who sought to forever silence her in the name of the cause they believed was for the betterment of the kingdom.

Luke took a step closer to her, forcing her to take a step back, but he held her in place with his hands on both her upper arms. “Listen to me, Rhiane.” Behind them, the rebels banged on the door with their fists or the butt of their guns. It would not hold long enough for their rescue to arrive, especially if anybody in the group would lose patience and shoot the locks or the hinges. They had to do something. He glimpsed past her to a window, which then shut the storm out of the room, a door that he thought would lead to a bathroom, and what he guessed was a janitor’s closet. “Evolab and the breaks on the SUV. Those were not meant for me.” He did not want to make her worry by letting her know the real situation, but if he continued to keep it to himself, Luke doubted that the farmer would listen to him. “The rebellion wants you dead. Tobias knows about it. I can explain everything later or you can ask him, but I can’t let them have what they want. We need to move now.”

He grabbed the wrist of her good arm, intending to pull her away from the door. The truth about their present circumstance, how her life was in more danger than his, should have convinced her to heed him. What Luke forgot was how the woman had little regard to her health and general safety. Perhaps she believed in the cries of the assassins at the other side of the door, or perhaps it was because she hated him with everything that she was that despite hearing his side of the story, she chose to plant her feet firmly on the ground. If he could, or if it would not make him look foolish, he would have swept her off her feet and carried her where he intended to go, but his injuries would only get worse. Instead, the prince tightened his grip on her wrist and pulled her.

His other hand dragged a chair by its backrest. The metal screeched against the tiles as he crossed the room with it. Without regard for the noise, or maybe he wanted to create such a commotion, he swung the chair as hard as he could on the window. Its metal legs smashed the glass, but he used his body to shield Rhiane from the shards that could unfortunately find her. Shouts emanated from where the rebels waited. Commands were thrown into the air. He couldn’t clearly hear what was being said, but he hoped it was to pursue the couple outside the facility. The window was large enough to fit an adult. They could use it as an escape route, but the prince was bold in his choices. He dragged Rhiane and a metal stool into the bathroom. That time, the stool was carried without making the scraping noise.

The door shut behind them just in time as a sound of a gunshot resonated followed by the door banging against the wall. Luke pushed Rhiane inside one of the cubicles and pressed a hand against her mouth in case she thought it was a good idea to scream.

“Fuck! The bitch escaped!” The voice was muffled but audible.

Another person cursed. “What are you waiting for? Follow them!”

The hand remained clamped on her mouth, his body covering hers inside the cramped space. There was no space for air to be between them, and honestly personal space was the last thing on his mind. His heart pounded in his chest as they listened in the semi-silence for voices or footsteps, any hint that somebody thought about searching the bathroom. He would not give the rebels what they wanted even if it meant being her shield. “I didn’t mean what I said earlier about --” Luke whispered to her ear but couldn’t finish the statement. If she could see his face, it was a wonder how the overconfident playboy blushed at the thought of what happened inside the SUV, especially at a time when both their lives were in danger. But if either or both died that day, then he or his ghost would forever regret not telling her. “It’s not mediocre and I don’t want you to go with Tobias.” The words were said in rapid succession, as if he would not be able to say it if he gave his mind enough time to think. “I’ll take my hand off, please don’t make a noise.”

The Betrothed

Luke could try to contact the palace again. It did not appear as if the storm was about to ebb soon, and though there was little comfort with the thought that no sane person would brave such a weather, he could not be sure how safe it was to stay in the medical facility. The doctor may not have shown them any sign of ill intent, but he could be a sympathizer of the rebellion who might have given a tip to the crown’s enemy about the whereabouts of the royal couple. Until proven otherwise, Luke would find reasons to doubt the intentions of strangers around him.

“The doctor said you need it, so it stays where it is.” His eyes were still wandering, trying to figure out what was beyond the walls and behind the windows. Was the building surrounded by a village, was it in the middle of the woods? Unless he knew enough, it was difficult to plan an escape route. Absently, he reached for his wrist expecting to feel the smooth and relatively cold surface of the device, but instead soft flesh met his touch. “Our medical team will be able to fix you better. Until then, bear with the sling.” He absently touched the strap over his chest which held the brace in place. It was uncomfortable, but at least it fulfilled its intended purpose of restricting his movements. The same could be said about the sling. He imagined that it too was an uncomfortable contraption, but it was the best that the facility could offer.

He ignored her comment about him being worse that Sebastian. The latter was known to the prince only through a brief phone conversation therefore he would not decide whether it was a complement. All he knew was that Sebastian meant a lot to Rhiane, and she to him. Did she liken him to somebody she considers as her brother? Maybe it was what she meant when she said that she liked him. Suddenly the memory of her lips, the manner in which she responded to his otherwise emotionless gesture, shot up to the forefront of his mind and effectively shut down other thoughts. No, she did not think of him as a brother.

“I don’t suppose a mediocre kiss is enough to get inside a person’s head and presume to understand how he thinks.” Luke stretched his legs before him. He didn’t notice earlier, but the medical staff cut the right leg of his pants while he was sleeping, possibly for ease of access to the injury above his knee. The alteration could have been better if the other pant leg was trimmed off as well. Besides, the doctor might not be aware, but the article of clothing they ruined was probably more expensive than the doctor’s mobile phone. “But if you wish to speak to the farmers yourself, then by all means meet with them. I do not have the time to listen to grown men and women whining about their situation. I will tell my mother that I was the one driving the SUV so that there is nothing to discover, nothing stopping you from dragging my cousin with you to a room full of farmers.”

He kept his gaze away from her, as if the faded curtains and cracked tiles were more interesting to watch than the play of emotions on his fiancee’s face. She mentioned Tobias again as if the guard had earned her trust more than him. As if the guard was able to offer more than what the prince offered her. He would not pretend to understand the logic behind it, the reasoning of a peasant woman who rather picked a barely noble man to a future king. Anyway, if it was what she wanted, then there was no reason for him not to ask Tobias to stick by her side. Allow her to indulge in the presence of one who was lacking so that she could appreciate what she stood to lose.

“You do not want to know how my mother will treat you and your family if she finds out that you are partially responsible for what happened.” The queen had always thought that Rhiane was replaceable. It would entail additional work, but it would ensure that the future mother of her grandchildren would not incite rebellious thoughts into her grandchildren. “Remember how they are the reas--”

Muffled voices from beyond the room cut through his train of thoughts. Luke paused, frowning. It sounded like an argument though he could not make out any word.

The Betrothed

What was the point in carrying a mobile device around when it could barely make a call? Luke glared at the outdated model he gingerly placed on the bedside table. The old piece of technology could be blamed for not being able to effectively catch the signal. Or it could be the receiver was broken, which explained the static. Nevertheless, the failed attempt to make contact with the queen left Luke with nothing to do but study the opposite bed as Rhiane was being tended to by the doctor.

After he had time to re-evaluate the room, it was difficult to deny that it was indeed not at par with the hospitals he’d been to. That one had Smaller budget, perhaps, but maybe it was because the facility was not catering to a city as populated as the capital. The budget was rationed based on the population density that a facility was expected to service. While it might be true that he should not be expecting the same sophistication as the Medical Tower back at his home, the budget should have been enough to provide the same treatments that was available in the capital. He was not looking for a state-of-the-art facility anyway, just a relatively practical treatment that was nothing revolutionary at that time. To hear from the only medical professional in the room that it was impossible to dream of having close to the same service level as the hospitals in New Florence was disturbing.

The field of medicine may not interest him, but the well-being of the people was his business. The right to the highest attainable level of health was among the first of the many human rights re-established after the war. It made the state responsible for the quality of living of its people as well as making sure that healthcare services were accessible to all and was provided without discrimination. Such was part of the mission statement of the Ministry of Health. Was it wrong to trust the reports and study the figures? Had there been a problem that was a threat to the kingdom, Luke would have paid more attention into the industry. Then again, the Ministry of Health seemed to be doing its job well such that there was no more outbreak of diseases, no more repeat of the plague, it also supported innovative researches in the field of medicine.

Luke wanted to know more, to interview the man while the prince had nothing better to do than stare at the walls and listen to the whistling wind, but Rhiane stirred and talked. Her voice might be laced with sleepiness and confusion, but it did not lack character.

Tentatively, he tested the mobility of his upper body given the brace that was supposed to keep him from placing pressure on the cracked bones in his chest. When it didn’t hurt due to either the pain killer or the brace, the prince carefully sat on the side of the bed before his foot touched the floor. The nurses had dressed him with the shirt he lent Rhiane and strapped the brace over it. The doctor would have something to say if he saw the patient getting on his feet, but since the doctor left the room, nobody stopped Luke. He dragged his injured limb with him across the room and into Rhiane’s bedside.

A chair beside her bed became Luke’s next base. He lowered himself onto the cushion, finding the right angle for his back to rest comfortably. “Rhiane,” the name was tested on his tongue. Would she remember what happened inside the SUV? That he tricked her into taking the sedative? That she had admitted some things to him? “You’re wrong. You need all of those.” It was difficult to understand how she thought she did not need help to feel better after she fractured her arm.

Luke touched his free hand on her uninjured upper arm, a gentle pressure to remind her to stay in bed. She may argue that he should be lying down as well, but if he did not rush to her side then he was almost certain that the princess elect would rip the sling apart and demand to find the road to call for help. “You’re only going to hurt yourself more if you insist on taking it off. Leave it while we wait for the boys.”

The rain would not pause. He looked away from her face and away from the memory of the backseat. The heavy rains deprived him from the view outside. The loud pounding noise, stopped his ears from hearing the sound of an approaching vehicle. The doctor may have said that the boys were on their way, but the weather seemed impossible to cross.