Hashih

The Betrothed

The fragrant aroma of freshly brewed coffee was reminiscent of mornings back at the capital as well as sleepless nights staring at several monitors hoping to find the least evil of all the options. Coffee had been his faithful ally ever since he was old enough to dip his toes into the world of politics. Its fragrance filled the luxurious cabin of the private plane where Luke had locked himself in right after boarding. Ceramic quietly clinked against the surface of the built-in desk as an attendant brought in a third cup of coffee.

“I have no time to hear out excuses.” He did not even notice the woman in her neatly pressed uniform taking away the cup he recently emptied. If the night allowed him and Rhiane to pretend to be someone else, the morning woke the couple up from the fantasy. For Luke, it was back to making sure that his little projects were running as it should. What annoyed him was the reality that it some of it were not. Weeks away from the capital on his engagement tour and there still was no clear or helpful development about the identities of the resistance members employed in the palace. A few of the employees were interrogated, some were even apprehended, but none was clearly linked to the resistance. It strengthened his desire to speak with the only person he personally knew who claimed to have access to the rebels.

Unconsciously, his eyes slid to the person who shared the cabin with him. She had told him that she was not in good terms with her family, even claimed that none of the remaining members would come to the palace even if he invited them in to visit her when she was sick. It may anger her to know where they were headed to next, which meant he had to make sure that the meals were loaded with tasty sweets.

Luke’s phone conversation ended with a firm decision that he was going to bring in the Royal Agency of Special Intelligence into the investigation. Much as the palace would like to contain the information that it had been infiltrated, he needed people who had previous dealings with the resistance to read into the data that the Cyber Intelligence group collected. He took a sip from the cup and then switched the screen of his computer. Interactive charts floated into view – more data to interpret before he could submit a recommendation to his mother. It was what he did most of the night while Rhiane slept beside him on the bed.

After their romantic rendezvous at the pool and a brief encore after he helped her shower and get into fresh robes, the farmer had fallen into deep sleep. Tobias’ observation that Rhiane was fighting against fatigue in order to stay on her feet was correct, yet she stayed with him when he asked her to. Perhaps the only good her exhaustion brought was that she slept more soundly than the previous night. Nightmares could not haunt her when her brain was too tired to bring up the memories. And when Luke curled beside her to catch even an hour of sleep, she did not wake him up.

“May I come in, your highness?” A feminine-sounding voice drifted from behind the door. When Luke chose to ignore her in favor of the correspondence he was writing for the queen, the woman added, “My name is Anelle Toscano, I will be taking over Luce Viscomi’s responsibilities. May I come in?”

His fingers hovered over the keys, wondering why the name sounded familiar then what Luce’s immediate replacement could mean. The door slid open after he expressed permission for her to enter. A tall slim woman entered into the cabin. Her hair was dyed red, her skin was luminous, and her face beautiful. If it was enhanced, it must have been done by a prestigious clinic, because it was difficult to tell. Luke’s eyes went wide in recognition. He almost choked on his coffee.
“Good morning, your highness and Ms. Black. My name is Anelle and I will be your Image Manager starting today. I am here to brief you about our next destination.”

“Where’s Luce?” The prince, who coughed the liquid into getting to the correct route down his stomach, asked. Anelle’s thin lips stretched into a smile. She had the confidence of a highborn lady, somebody who was too high up in the food chain to belong to the palace workforce. There was familiarity in her green eyes when she turned to look at the prince.

“She has been relieved, your highness.” The smile turned cocky. “Are you not going to ask how I’ve been since we last spoke to each other?” Her eyes glossed over the other occupant of the room before turning back to Luke to meaningfully add, “Perhaps another time? I am here to discuss our plans for the next leg of the tour. In about thirty minutes we will be arriving at Ms. Black’s hometown.”

The Betrothed

No, she would not understand. A peasant worried about where to build his home with his wife, what to feed his family, how to dress his children, how to educate them. A royal, on the other hand, worried about how to balance the contradiction of a nation, managed trade-offs in order to gain the upper hand in every trade agreement and treaties, maintained the satisfaction of his subjects and allies, and most of all protected the interest of his people. A peasant may settle with the approval of his family or his neighbor, but the crown prince had more people to please or appease than that.

It was tempting to start reasoning against her beliefs, but Luke did not take the bait. The freedom that their little charade made him feel was more precious than a battle of wits he otherwise craved. It was a price he was not willing to pay. Therefore, the prince kept slowly threading the water while wondering if the spa had a cellar somewhere or if the staff would tell him that they had only tea for their guests.

As he braced himself for the cold before he was about to rise to a shallow part of the pool, Luke felt arms pulling him back, stopping his brave advance. Startled and confused, it took him a moment to realize who it was. Her voice was soft, almost hesitating, but whatever spell the late hour had cast upon her pushed her to continue. “I am,” he admitted with a sigh.

And just like that the illusion that he was a different man and she was his equal shattered. Standing in the middle of the pool were the betrothed couple, both sober, but Luke would rather not be. At least if he was a little drunk he would have something else to blame for the sudden fluttering in his chest, for the thoughts that swam in his head, and for turning around to face her instead of walking away. “You’re making it difficult for me to make the right choices.” Her body pressed against his was the last straw. His possessiveness brought him to the women’s bath despite all the warning lights going off in his head. He undid his robe knowing that if he took a dip in the warm water with her, he would not get out with with his sanity intact. Rhiane was a temptation he was not supposed to give in to, but the more time they spent together, the more they learned about each other, the more he felt himself being drawn closer and closer into the flame.

Just like his lips as he leaned in. It was his turn to snake an arm around her. He pulled her against him as he touched her lips with his urgently. The kiss was unlike the one they shared in the morning. The night brought firmness that the tentativeness of that morning lacked. As if he was already sure that it was what he wanted as well, not because his mother told him so, or that he did not want to hurt her feelings. He wanted her even when he should not.

“I don’t know what to do with you.” His breathing was labored when he briefly pulled away.

Because she would not be his queen. Like the others before her, she would die before her children were old enough to remember her face.

Luke pressed a kiss on her forehead wondering how he ended being caught up in a mess of emotions with a farmer girl right in the middle of it. “You make me so mad right at the same time I want to just pull you aside and kiss you. Don’t ever wear those clothes again and stop fighting my battles for me, because you don’t need to prove anything.” It was not that he did not see the wisdom in what she did, but she was looking at it only from the point of view of a commoner. Politics and the world stage were shoved to the backseat as the common people rejoiced the face and the voice, they hoped they would finally have in the palace – a hope that finally the people in power would see and hear their pleas. But politics and the global community were as important as the hope of the people. Power was maintained by the kings and queens by striking a careful balance between their people’s happiness and the happiness of those whose support kept the crown on their heads.

But before she could rebut, he leaned in again for another kiss. She was correct right from the very start – he had ill intentions when he entered the pool for the women.

The Betrothed

Her choice of words amused him so much that he chuckled, looking away and shaking his head. Was that how Rhiane had always seen him – a handsome devil? His face turned into the sky as his amusement faded into the night. The stars were plentiful and bright. It shouldn’t hurt the balance of the universe if one would fall and grant him one wish that night. “Handsome devil.” Luke seemed to test the words as it quietly rolled on his tongue. A grin brightened his face even as his mind wandered to places from his past, to memories of faces he used to know. Did they see him the way his betrothed did? His birthright, his title, his fame, and his fortune were bits and bits of precious stones encrusted a mask he wore everyday as Lucius Castiglione – him and every other child born to the royal family. The shiny stones drew people towards him, women especially, because what shiny thing was not interesting? Yet, when all of it was shed, when the mask was broken, when the human face behind the glamour was revealed with all his flaws, how much of these so-called ‘friends’ would still stand by him and tell him that it was alright to be human?

“I had been called worse,” he added seemingly proud after a pause though none of his thoughts betrayed the carefree expression on his face. “I can’t say that I am sorry for sneaking in and apparently getting in the way of your soul searching. If I had walked the other way, then I would have missed this beautiful naked lady, who doesn’t seem to mind talking to strangers with alleged ill intentions. Although must it always be an ill intention that prods a gentleman to seek the company of a lady?” His face turned right at the very moment she inched hers closer, lips slightly parted as if to add more commentary about her subtle attack on men and their urges. But the next words died in his throat, together with his resolve to keep either his reputation or freedom. If he thought he could thread the flames ang not get burned, he was horribly mistaken. Rhiane was an undeniable beauty and he had a soft spot for beautiful faces. The night, the shadows playing on her features to soften it, and the light of the moon caught in her eyes, made him pause. Her lips were slightly parted too. And he waited patiently for those lips to be his again, but she whispered something making them both hesitate.

She was right. He had a nation to run and there he was, needlessly flirting with a woman who wasn’t even his type. “Even as a kid, I was expected to study how to run the family business. My childhood was not ideal. You could say that I had been working, seeking approval from my superiors, striving to be the best ever, since as long as I could remember.” He found her hand and entwined his fingers with hers, then held on. “Just a few more minutes.” Just a few more minutes of being someone else other than the next king of the land. “Or are you feeling too tired?”

A slight blush colored her cheeks. With a frown, Luke touched her chin, gently tilting her face to the light for an inspection. A warning at the pool’s entrance talked about the risks of staying too long in the pool. Was it ‘too long’ already for her? “Maybe we should get you back to the room. You can watch movies or the news. I’ll order wine.”

Luke unclasped their hands before he waded into the shallower part of the pool so he could fetch her robe for her. The night was not getting younger anyway. As much as he wanted to stay in the pool pretending to be somebody else, Rhiane must be tired from all the talking and touring and interacting with the people. Besides, she was still recovering from physical and emotional trauma. It was selfish to keep her if she would rather lay down and rest.

The Betrothed

Well, she had a point. A true gentleman would not be caught sneaking in the women’s bath, not if he wished to keep his reputation as much as his freedom. But there he was standing in front of her, staring into the unexpected traces of laughter hiding behind her eyes as she gently told him off. For a few seconds, he thought that she was going to turn around and walk away, call for her guards – Lia and Octavia – to assist her out of the pool.

“You don’t seem to mind that I do. Otherwise, you would be yelling for the guards right now.” He flashed her a confident smile tinged with mischief. If he had thought that his mind was fully in control of the situation even by knowing that neither him nor her would be protected from each other by layers of clothing, he was wrong. An irritated Rhiane and an equally irritated Luke was effective in staving off any tinge of desire that evolution had injected in his male genes, but when she made that sound of amusement and he decided to forego whatever had made him so irked, he had unknowingly brought them in dangerous territory. She took a tentative step back, but it was alright, he let her. It was probably for the best that they held back until they were properly wed and she was ready. “You may not believe me, but I find the women’s bath to be a more favorable venue than a bar in meeting people who I can talk to. Although, I would really love to buy you a drink right now.”

He savored the warmth of the water, feeling it relax the muscles of his body, hoping it did the same for her. “I heard that there is a crown,” Luke frowned, pretending he was unsure as well. There was a crown, he even had one. It was made of gold and gems, but it was not as heavy as it looked. The rulers wore it only on special occasions. When they got married, it would be part of the ceremony. He would be wearing his too, then would be placing her wife’s atop her head as a symbol that she was being accepted into the royal family. It would be nothing as grand as the queen’s but it was a symbol of power in itself.

The anecdote brought a smile to his lips. Rhiane was unlike the women he grew up with, went to work with, or even casually hooked up with. She was raised outside the capital, unrestricted by tradition, and had no expectations to meet other than that of his family’s. “Wow. I thought my sister has a problem.” He snickered, probably remembering one of the many times that the little Callie bullied Luke into doing a favor for her. The twins were younger than her, therefore it was easier to order them around. Even as they grew older, even up to that night, the princess bullied her older brother to review and revise her position paper then called up and demanded him to pass the phone to Rhiane.

The device clamped on his wrist vibrated underwater. As he lifted it to the surface, a faint golden glow became visible from the surface. Luke made a quick gesture to make it stop before even reading the name of the caller. If he started, he would ruin the night by stepping back into the shoes of the crown prince and wearing the proverbial crown. “Just work. It can wait,” he commented casually then let his arm plunge back into the comforting warmth. As comforting the water was, the two of them had their legs working to carry them along plantations and fields the whole day that it deserved rest. He glided back to where he found a stone bench, then motioned with his hand for her to sit beside him.

“My younger sister is as much of a bully as you are in that story. Except that she doesn’t feel the need to give me a crown or bribe of any sorts, she just orders me around. I’m much older than her so I don’t fight with her, but our younger siblings do.” He paused, looking up at the stars. Life was much simpler when they were younger. The smile that brightened up his face slowly faded. “They enjoy hiding in my room, pestering me, and breaking my stuff. Then if I scold one of them, especially the twins, they will cry and run to our mother.” He turned his attention back to her. “So where are you from, Miss Green Eyes? And what brought you to this hot spring alone?”

The Betrothed

Luke leaned his head back against the smooth rock. A gentle breeze glided close to the surface, caressing the fine angles of his face and lightly ruffling his already tousled dirty blonde hair. A soft sigh escaped his slightly parted lips. He could enumerate proof that Tobias was more than just doing his job, more than just being a friend to Rhiane, or he could enumerate the differences in the royal guard’s behavior that Lia and Octavia observed, but the princess elect would not be as close to seeing the truth than she was an hour ago. Nothing Luke said seemed believable or credible enough for Rhiane and her prejudices.

“Not without ulterior motive.” He should know, because it was how his brain was wired. Besides, he could feel it in his bones, how those dark gray eyes stared at his fiancee with longing masked as professional alertness. His possession was being threatened. Just like he did his best to protect her from the Resistance, he stubbornly refused to give her up and let Tobias win.

But she continued in an almost flat tone how a certain diamond ring didn’t matter to their engagement. Luke nodded. His eyes were fixed on the army of stars blinking down at them. It was impossible to see such a sight in the capital where the lights always shone bright and the mysterious great beyond was not a thing that mattered in their lives. He listened to her voice like a faraway whisper. What would she do if she found out that he personally bought Sophia a ring the same day he ‘lost’ the princess elect’s engagement ring? Because Rhiane was correct when she said that Luke could be thoughtful. An asshole too.

The sound of soft splashes of water and her declaration of her intention to leave alerted the crown prince. He was torn between feeling insulted and annoyed at her for being so dense. The weeks that they had known each other should have taught her that the arrogant prince would not lift a finger to do anybody any favor if it was not important to him. He was raised to be an ambitious ruler and a shrewd businessman, and to believe that his time was more precious than her and her family’s lives put together. That he chose to use his time to seek her out on a night when he should be making decisions for the future of New Rome was testimony of…

Of what?

His eyes were almost black as he stared at her while she reached for the discarded robe. “Nolan is in there,” Luke blurted out before he could think it through. ‘Nolan might be in there,’ was the more appropriate statement. Thank the shadows falling on his features, it hid a slight blush that colored his cheeks because of the lie and the unwarranted urgency at which he spat the words out. “I did not come here to argue as well. I was just --” He was just stating facts, was what he wanted to say. If he did, he would only sound as if he was baiting her into another argument with him. The words were swallowed bitterly. “Can we not be Luke and Rhiane – the prince and the farmer – tonight?”

He was tired, she was tired. Being each other’s enemy was as tiring as being at odds with the generally accepted logic that the two of them were not meant to feel for each other. He had Sophia Keller as much as he had a reputation to uphold. She, even in designer clothes and her beautiful face, did not fit into the world he was born in. The engagement was nothing but a temporary political arrangement. Soon, it would expire. One way or the other, his family and his family’s allies would see to it that the queen ruling beside Luke was one of their own – not a commoner and definitely not a nameless farmer.
That night, though, they were alone inside a space where neither the dynasty nor the rebellion existed. Luke stared at the woman who, without warning, crept into his fickle heart to claim a part of it. It may be just a fleeting infatuation or admiration of her feminine charms, but one thing was sure – that after a glimpse of the woman hiding behind the insignificance of her name, he wanted more.

“Such a lovely evening.” Luke pushed himself from his perch, then stepped deeper into the pool until the water was up to his chest. He crossed the distance to where crouched as she reached for the robe until he too was crouching behind her, not really touching except for his hand that reached for her arm. He shared his warmth to help fight against the cold autumn night. Gently, he urged her cool skin back into the enveloping warmth of the pool. “If I were Kronos, I would stop time and stay right here as long as we can. Don’t go.” His voice was low, as if afraid somebody would hear. “My name is Alex.” A slow smile stretched his lips as he turned her around and led her deeper into the pool. “I don’t know your name, but I bet my mother’s crown that it’s as beautiful as you are.” A short pause, then he chuckled lightly realizing his mistake. “Sorry, sorry.” He lifted his hands up in mock surrender, then added, “I’m not supposed to have a mother who wears a crown. Let’s do it again.” And he repeated the pick-up line except for the part about his mother, hoping against all hopes that it would lighten the mood.

Neither apologized to the other, and it was not likely that anybody would yield anytime soon. But he wanted to spend time with her and make her laugh the way Tobias did, make her forget about the fatigue weighing down her shoulders. He did not plan on allowing her to stay too long submerged in warm water, but a few more minutes shouldn’t hurt… Right?

The Betrothed

“It was a long and tiring day,” Luke admitted stifling a yawn. He turned his body at an angle enough to touch the device and make it lie on its smooth glass backside. If Tobias was still watching, he would have a very beautiful view of the v-shaped constellation of Andromeda. The royal guard may not be physically present, but it still irritated Luke that his cousin found a way to preserve modesty while still spending time with Rhiane in the spa. “Thank you for your loyalty and dedication, Tobias. Lia and Octavia are stationed nearby should anything happen while Rhiane and me are here. You may take the night off. Nolan already did.”

If it had been another royal guard, it would have been easy to rotate assignments and replace him. Tobias was selected for his affiliation with the crown and its crown prince. The two boys were near inseparable when they were kids that the queen had hoped Tobias had cultivated loyalty to her son. And if Tobias was loyal to Luke, then the royal guard was bound to be loyal to Luke’s future queen. In the world of prestigious titles and power, loyalty was everything. Good for Tobias, because there was no question about his loyalty, it was his intentions that Luke was not happy with. Rhiane would be his queen. She was his fiancee, and one day she would be the mother of his children. He might have told her that he wanted to live separate lives, but honestly the prince did not want anybody remotely touching what was his.

Then, he caught wind of the conversation between the ladies. The word “ring” slipped from his finacee’s lips and suddenly he knew what they were talking about, what Rhiane and Tobias were talking about. Carefully, his eyes left the night sky and slowly descended into the moonlight reflecting on the smooth skin of her shoulder and back. It glistened with the droplets clinging to her skin. He remembered holding her in his arms while she fought against the nightmares that visited her at night, thought about the look on her face that morning when he kissed her. If she was not a farmer and he was not a prince, would he kiss her again? He looked away as Callie’s high-pitched question betrayed the supposedly confidentiality of the conversation.

“Your engagement ring?” There was an engagement ring. Callista remembered touching it, fitting it on her finger, imagining that magical moment when her prince would kneel on one knee and with hopeful eyes finally ask the question that ladies long to hear. There was an engagement ring designed for whoever was selected to be the crown prince’s bride. “What are you talking about? It is important, so very important that without it, the engagement doesn’t feel real. I will not say yes to a proposal without a ring.” She raised her slender hand in front of her face.

If the royal tradition would be followed, the ring should have been fitted on the princess elect’s finger during the night of the engagement ball. Yet the whole kingdom was aware that the ball was cut short after the unfortunate accident of the future bride and the urgent departure of her future groom.

Frowning at her own ringless fingers, the princess kept her lips pursed. If she hadn’t known any better, she could have told Rhiane that her ring was with Luke, but even she was unsure that her brother would hold on to something that symbolizes everything stood against. The most plausible answer was that the crown prince intentionally lost the piece of jewelry as his final and most resounding statement against the breeding ritual. Callie dropped the subject after that, redirecting the conversation to the retelling of the experiences that Rhiane collected during the time away from the capital. Same as her older brother, the princess lacked the freedom to roam the kingdom freely. She was curious about what she would find. Luke too. But the princess thought her brother had more pride than what was healthy therefore his enthusiasm would not show.

The same enthusiasm was held back, tightly leashed, and sealed away at the farthest recess of his brain. After the threat named Tobias Lavanchy was neutralized, he found a man-made stone bench where the water reached up to his chest when he sat. His broken ribs were healing well that he had foregone wearing the silicone brace. Again, he stole a glance at Rhiane, wondering if her injury had been kind to her as well.

After a few more minutes of being alone in his thoughts, he heard the women say their goodbyes and promises to talk to each other again. Luke lifted his head from the smooth rock that cradled it to raise a brow at his fiancee across the pool. Awkward silence blanketed the area. Now that there was only the two of them, what do they do?

“I lost the ring,” he finally admitted in a matter-of-fact way. Silence was worse than their squabbles. Besides, they were already mad at each other, what else could he loose after he admitted that he lost the engagement ring. “If you want one, show Luce a photo of the ring and she will buy it for you. I already asked Tobias to rest for tonight. He’s been working really hard lately.” So, it was just him and her, was what he wanted to say. He would stay with her and keep her awake, so she doesn’t hurt herself, were the words forming at the tip of his tongue, yet he did not have the courage to say. Luke shrugged. “Men are not that thoughtful,” he added, more to himself than to her.

The Betrothed

If the presence of the female guards was not enough clue to guess that the princess elect might have let go of several hours of sleep in favor of the warm pools, the voices drifting from the natural spring convinced Luke that he was in the right place no matter how bad the timing. The light, melodious sound of her laughter fluttered in the air as if carried by the streams of smoke casually escaping the surface of the water. It made Luke pause with one hand against the smoked glass of the sliding door. Either the farmer had finally snapped or she was sharing the night with someone else. No, she was enjoying the night with someone other than him. It was treason.

It could have been treason, except that living their own separate lives was his idea. He had drawn the line the first night that they met when he told her to stay out of his business and she agreed provided that he would do the same for her. Who she wished to spend the time he stole from their tight schedule with was up to her, as much as it was up to him if he wanted to warm his bed with pretty noblemen’s daughters. Or perhaps a warm shower and a fine bottle of wine would help take the edges off before he returned to his temporary office to dive back into the intricacies of politics and economics.

The prince sealed the crack between the sliding doors, determined to tend to the kingdom’s demands, when an insistent beeping resounded from one of the benches. His shirt and pants lay discarded on the bench, burying the communication device which was curled on itself. The outline pulsed a soft golden light. Luke picked it up, flattened the display, then picked up the call from his younger sister.

“Hello, Luke,” greeted a very cheery Callista. “Hey! Turn the camera back on. You look exceptionally handsome under the dim yellowish lighting. And besides, I miss my big brother.” She was whining and pouting the way she had always done since she was a kid. Despite the image of a polished lady that the media projected her to be, there was a certain childlikeness that the public was not allowed to see.

“No. I’m about to take my robe off.”

The princess made a sound between disgust and dismay, but she did let go of the topic. Luke sat on the bench, watching his sister from the softly glowing screen. “I need to talk to Rhiane. She got me this.” The camera’s vision was filled with the basket and the multitude of products that Rhiane must have bought form the locals that morning after their argument. The princess happily showed the items one after the other, telling his brother how thoughtful her soon to be sister-in-law was and how lucky he was to have been engaged to Rhiane. If only she knew the kind of torture of having Rhiane in his life.

He wished he could tell his sister about it – about how his mind was in conflict with itself, how his nature was rebelling against his logic, and how much he would give to be the one she would choose to laugh with under the stars even when her stubbornness frustrates the hell out of him. But he just snorted, as if none of what she said was true. “Bribery is a crime, Callie. Do not trade your soul for a bag of goodies.”

The princess rolled her eyes dramatically. “Please let me just talk to her.”

Luke’s initial thought was to say no, then reason that he was busy with the paper that Callie had asked him to look at, if only to guilt her into taking back her request. But there was something to gain in indulging the princess. “A minute,” he said with a dramatic sigh.
Long strides brought him quickly back to the sliding doors. He pressed a panel-like switch that automatically slid the door open. The cold autumn breeze from the mountain caressed his cheek and the exposed skin of his hands and feet. Just by the dramatic drop in temperature between the waiting room and the outdoor, he wanted to run and take refuge in the hot water of the spring. Yet, poise held him in place and prevented him from acting like a panicked little boy. One foot ahead of the other, he crossed the short threshold as his bare feet were greeted by the smooth pebbles surrounding the pool. His robe was tossed carelessly to the side before he allowed himself to dip into the warm water, allowed his tensed muscles to relax.

She was talking about a ring, but what surprised him more was that she was alone. Well, technically. He recognized the device sitting not far from Rhiane as a surveillance camera. Tobias asked something about Rhiane’s ring, and the latter asked to be promised about a proposal.

“Rhiane,” her name rang in the night sky before Tobias could respond. It was half an accusation and half a plea. He waded through the water and the steam to her corner of the pool and then handed over the comms device. His back was purposefully placed between her and the camera’s lens. “Callie wants to talk to you.”

“I just want to thank her,” Callie’s voice excitedly spilled out of the receiver even though it was not on speaker mode. She raved about how she was touched by the gesture even though they had not yet spent time together as sisters, that Luke was always around her so they could not talk girl-to-girl. Because she grew up with three brothers and a mother who barely had time for her children, a sister was what she had always wished to have. Now that Rhiane was almost part of their family, the princess was more than thrilled.

Luke listened to the conversation with a bored expression. Casually, he leaned against the edge of the pool, arms crossed about his chest, enough so that the device was smothered with the image of his glorious back.

The Betrothed

A little over twenty-four hours after he attended to a global matter together with leaders of different nations, Luke was sitting behind the lens of the conference call again, cascading the agreements and promises of proposals to be reviewed to the heads of ministries and/or their representatives. His uncle, the appointed head of the Ministry of Defense, was in attendance, and as usual critical with how his nephew managed the situation. The next steps had to be examined thoroughly as it posed a threat of diplomatic measures. Whether he liked it or not, the final decision rested on his shoulders as external relations had been under his jurisdiction. And because of the urgency of the matter, Luke had been on the phone with his staff since after the engine of the SUV roared into life. He had almost forgotten about the woman sitting beside him, or the argument they had, if not for the sudden weight of her head against his shoulder. Luke had cupped her cheek gently, careful not to wake her – not that he thought he could – encouraging her to use him as her makeshift pillow.

Afterwards, after the vehicle was safely parked inside the hot spring resort, he had to leave the sleeping princess elect in order to face the responsibilities which he would not turn his back on. It did not matter then that his cousin and Rhiane’s bodyguard, Tobias Lavanchy, was left to look after her. Did Tobias carry her sleeping form like a princess in his arms? If she woke up surrounded by the royal guard, would she like enjoy his warmth more than Luke’s? Finally, would she finally realize how Tobias deserved her more than the fiance she was forced to endure for as long as she lived?

“Your highness?” asked a gentleman with round, gold-rimmed glasses. He looked about in his early forties, but Luke knew better than judge his people’s age based on their appearance. The lord leaned closer to the camera, making his image on the virtual meeting room appear to be at an odd angle. “The line might not be --”

“No, I heard you.” Luke cleared his throat. Mentally, he berated himself for drifting off and dwelling on thoughts and memories which were not supposed to be present. “I expect the analysis on the budget first thing tomorrow morning. You have the format, yes? Send a copy to the Minister of Finance as well. We will make a decision before the week ends.”

Tendrils of steam reaching up to the dark sky speckled with blinking stars waited for him outside the conference call. But he did not arrange the short detour for himself. Half of his mind listened to his constituents, while the other half wondered if Rhiane woke up enough to realize that she should be taking advantage of the limited time they had at a resort. If not for the commitments he made, Luke wouldn’t be caught inside the room. After everything that they had been through the last few days, a few hours away from the cameras’ judgmental lenses, a few hours to relax and enjoy the mountains, was not too much to ask. Such were the thoughts floating in his head when suddenly an idea occurred. Tobias.

A lord cleared his throat, a thick elegant brow arched in question as he cut himself in mid-sentence. “You were about to say something, your highness?”

Luke was aware of the virtual sets of eyes focused on him, waiting for anything, something. The most expectant of which was his uncle’s meaningful stare. Without Luke consciously knowing, he had opened his mouth as if to say something, his posture a little stiffer and his eyes widened in what appeared to be a sudden realization. Of course, it had nothing to do with the present topic, but everybody knew of the heir’s quick mind and temper therefore pausing mid-sentence to give way to what it seemed was either an objection or concession from the next king. “Carry on,” was all he said. No explanations, none was expected.

As soon as he did, a message box popped up on the screen. “What are you doing?” Luke barely glanced at it and the name of his uncle perfectly spelled out in solid blue letters. The lord was one of his greatest critics. One of the piranhas who circled around Luke, waiting for him to slip and make a fool of himself. The lord was too close to the succession for Luke’s comfort, but there was little he could do to change the law his ancestors penned. As long as Luke was holding the position, Callista was safe from the machinations of the power struggle within the House.

The message was ignored. The prince struggled to mentally stay into the meeting, but his mind rebelled here and there. His thoughts drifted to Rhiane, to the afternoon’s engagement. He was a silent observer, more than just a little annoyed at her pig-headedness but at the same time grateful that she did all the work. And now that he was tied to his commitments to the nation, while she was alone with his cousin, Tobias. She could be enjoying a dip in the hot springs and he could be… Luke asked – ordered – Tobias to keep his eyes on the farmer at all times.

He was on his feet as soon as the meeting was concluded. Under normal circumstances, he would wait for the minutes and comment on anything that was missed or wrongly covered, but that night he had a shorter than usual patience. With Nolan on his heels, he left the room and asked to be led to the outdoor pool. There was one for men and another for women. He changed into a robe and ordered for a change in clothes be sent to the women’s waiting room. Ignoring the attendant’s comment that he was going the wrong way, the prince continued to the entrance.

Octavia and Lia were alert at the double doors. If any of the two was surprised to find their crown prince, it did not show on their faces. Gossip was also missing that night. They greeted Luke in unison, but said nothing about the pool being for women only.

The Betrothed

The food was decent and so was the wine. It was not something Luke would crave or miss, but homecooked food was a novelty that was missing in the capital. The flavors were unique in the region, boasted the baron at one point. He was quite proud of the local cuisine, which was obvious with the speed at which he devoured the contents of his plate. His wife ate with more poise than he, often silently reminding the lord of his manners. The prince, on the other hand, took his time. Chewing and examining the food was a perfect excuse to discourage a conversation, even with his fiancee.

Rhiane, on the other hand, did not appear as if she was about to speak to him anytime soon. Starting a conversation with the stubborn woman was not in his priority as well. It was as if the cold war between the couple had escalated to a point where both were engaged in a silent contest wherein the loser was the person who would first speak to the other. It may be a childish contest, but each had a reason to be frustrated with the other for. And perhaps that night they had both reached the limits of their patience.

Luke had ignored her and was continuing to do so when the device on his wrist vibrated. The notifications were all disabled, except for messages coming from any member of the security team. Because of the perceived urgency, he glanced down at the screen just as the text floated on the black screen. Tobias. If it was anybody else, Luke would have appreciated the information, but it was Tobias. The underlying message told the prince how his cousin closely watched the princess elect, how sensitive Tobias was to her needs, and how easily it was for the guard to see through her bright smiles and witty responses. At the same time, he felt bad for allowing himself to be blinded by selfish emotions to such extents that he had failed to look out for the farmer. Since Evolab, he had decided not allow the rebels success in their endeavor, which was to position Rhiane as a martyr in order to deface the ruling house. None of it would matter if she fell ill because he was too proud to ask her how she was faring or if her arm was even bothering her.

“It is rather late, my lord.” His quiet voice commanded attention from the baron while talented young citizens played music in the background.

Lord Ferullo’s eyebrows traveled up his forehead, coaxing wrinkles to ripple the otherwise smooth complexion. Suddenly, the wife was interested in the conversation too. “The people have prepared more presentation for you and your fiancee, your highness. I highly recommend staying a few more minutes.”

“We must decline as we are behind schedule and Rhi –” He caught himself about to say the farmer’s name, followed by a declaration that she needed to rest. The person in question was sitting beside him, and she would have heard and interpreted his words in a way that suited herself. Just as quick, he continued with, “I have a conference call within the hour.”

Without waiting for the baron’s response, Luke got to his feet and clinked his glass with a silver utensil. The high-pitched sound gathered the curious attentions of the attendees. “We – myself and Rhiane – thank you for extending your hospitality. Unfortunately, we need to leave to attend to other matters. But the food is nice, the wine is abundant, and the night is young. Please enjoy the night. You have our utmost gratitude for welcoming us into your home.”

Hands clapped together after the crown prince finished his short speech of appreciation. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to get up on her feet. When she did, though he still did not ask how she was feeling, Luke snaked an arm around her waist as a silent gesture of support.

---

The itinerary presented to them stated that they should fly out of the mountains that night, but Luke had made other arrangements. The direction was given to Nolan and Luce Viscomi was also notified. Not too far by land was a spa with a natural pool of warm water exposed to the cool autumn night with its multitude of stars. Nolan drove them to the spa, while Luce made necessary adjustments to the schedule.

The spa was frequented by nobility spending a few days on a vacation in the mountains. However at that time, the whole place was shut down in anticipation for the arrival of the VIPs. It was only Tobias, Nolan, Luke, Rhiane, the caretaker, the cook, and two other members of the royal guard in the property. Luke was not lying when he said that he had to attend a conference call, though it was not within the hour. He occupied one of the rooms, set it up as a temporary office, while he left Rhiane in the bedroom that they were supposed to share. She was free to roam the property, sleep, or indulge in the soothing warm water of the natural outdoor pool. Whatever she felt was right, and whatever would help her recover a little of the strength she poured out to her people.

The Betrothed

If her declaration that she found rest in the clothing of a common person was a reminder that the woman that would bear his heir and the future of the nation was farmer, then the whole afternoon was a confirmation that the nightmare had indeed bled into reality and the reality was one that he was living in.

Not a single word was spoken between the couple since Rhiane had stepped out of the vehicle to surprise everybody in attendance, and perhaps making headlines throughout the nation and the world at her bold choice. Luke had known without glancing over his shoulder how she chose to appear before these people and whether or not it served its purpose, what was done had already been done. There was no more room to backpedal and only the future could tell if she had made the right choice or if she was, as she confessed inside the vehicle, selfishly doing it for herself.

It was the baroness who was the first to verbalize her disapproval, which she bundled tightly with the pretense of concern. “Had she been feeling cold in the clothes the stylists chose for her, she should have said something to them and not to these common people. They have little money to spare and perhaps most of it are allotted to food, not clothes,” Lady Ferullo was telling her husband, though a bit louder than what was necessary. They were at the plantation by then, strolling in between neat lines of green which was dotted with the occasional red bud of a pomegranate and under a dome protecting the crops from the impending harsh weather. It was almost winter, but the leaves were green, and blossoms sprout out of its twigs as if daring the cold to stop it. Research and technology had enabled trees to thrive even when it was not supposed to.

Luke ignored the comment. He essentially ignored most people in attendance. A reporter who had braved the crown prince’s temper stepped into his line of sight at one point while Rhiane was lightly conversing with an older woman. The reporter commented how quickly the couple were back to their feet given what happened yesterday. “It is expected of us,” was his simple answer. But there was no warmth in the way the words formed in his mouth. Unlike his fiancee, the prince’s responses were direct, clinical, and businesslike. If he could answer a question with one syllable, he would. And since he told Rhiane that the afternoon was hers, he refrained from commenting about the failed assassination, reassuring the reporters that the palace would release an official statement soon. Just the same, he avoided any encounter with the farmers, though he quietly listened to their narration about the village and the farm. Any questions that he may have – and he had many – were taken note of in his head, to be researched later when he had time.

Perhaps what he enjoyed most was how Lord Ferullo fumbled for answers. Surely it would be taken out of the broadcast but knowing how little the man knew about the economy of the lands entrusted to him was enough.

The afternoon quietly slipped into darkness as the day was shortened by the season. Soon, they were ushered into the town hall. It was not quite as spacious and grand as the dining hall the aristocrats occupied in the villa, but it was clean, well-maintained, and decent enough. Several tables were setup on the ground, forming a semi-circle around a raised dais. Rhiane and Luke were seated beside each other in perhaps the best seat in the assembly. Beside Luke was the Baron and his wife, while taking position beside Rhiane was an elder, who acted as the commoner leader of the town. He was not a nobleman, but was entrusted a role in governance. The other tables were occupied by selected families.
A plated dinner of delicacies prepared from produces of the land was offered to the esteemed guests, while they were entertained by traditional music and dance from years almost forgotten because of the war. Conversations about the harvest and the seed quality continued even through dinner. Luke’s silence did too. By that time, it was also rather apparent that the couple was avoiding interacting with each other. It could be that both were busy talking with other persons, sometimes Luke would step aside to make a call or answer a call, while Rhiane entertained the farmers and their families with her kind smile and friendly demeanor. Still, it was a glaring flaw, something that the Lady Ferullo would not forget to talk about the next time she met with her other highborn friends.