Hashih

The Betrothed

Luke nodded when she said Sebastian’s name like a charm that pulled her back from the recesses of her thoughts and into the present. The low hanging fruit. The only other link the prince could think of that he could use to penetrate the enemy territory. If his intelligence network had produced results within the timeframe that was given them, then there was no need to enlist the help of another unwilling peasant. The fact that there was no solid lead bothered him, because every minute that the resistance was operating within the walls of his home posed an increasingly greater risk for his family. If Sebastian was protecting his family and the family of his beloved by withholding information, then Luke too would do whatever it would take to preserve the health and lives of the ones he held dear.

“He doesn’t have to say anything if he is afraid of retribution. I will not pay him a visit only to endanger his and your family’s lives. My people will take care of all the digging, I just need directions – who to talk to, how to reach the person or persons, and be present where it matters.” His eyes wandered into the unopened box beside Rhiane. If she would open it and tap the screen of the device, Luke’s handwriting telling her the password would show. “He will be given direct communication access to both you and I using the encrypted line that we use. My mother need not know about this little project.” She would be against the outrageous idea of her son and would instead intensify the campaign about the upcoming wedding between the crown prince and the princess elect. Her present tactic was one that involved public distraction. She would entertain the general public with a fantastical love story so that they might forget the issues they were whining about.

“Principles can bend when applied with the right amount of pressure,” he added, moving his sober gaze to her. “Besides, I have someone that he loves. I can find a way for her to get out of this mess alive so she can watch her children grow into that kind of person she will be proud of.” Sebastian said that he loved Rhiane. It was obvious with the way she spoke about the former that he was dear to her heart as well. If Luke had not known that Sebastian preferred men, then the two of them would have a problem, but the fact remained that Sebastian loved Rhiane. And if he did love her the way Luke loved Callista, then Sebastian would exhaust all means possible to make sure that Rhiane lived a long, healthy, and happy life.

It was a promise that he thought he might use to encourage the cooperative spirit of Sebastian, but there was no guarantee that it would work. He might still insist on keeping the secrets of the rebellion. If he did so, though, he would be left with no other choice but to use force and pick-up information from people with weaker will than Sebastian.

“So you can live to witness how I am a man of my word, how I will keep my promise by not marrying Anelle Tuscano.” The slight crinkling of his eyes and the little tug at the edge of one side of his lips broke away from the grim expression on his face. It was brought about by the recollection of her reaction to Anelle. “I did not ask you to raise a kid with her or to be her friend, but to just give her a chance to prove her worth. She probably knows what she is doing, else she would not be in that position. Displaying hostility when you don’t even know how to use her weakness against her will get you nowhere. And you’re right the flirting will not stop.” In the world that she was living in at the moment, she may have a title that said ‘princess’ but she was still born a commoner. Anelle, on the other hand, was a true lady. “She has a closer relation to my mother than Luce Viscomi though. Her words may influence the queen. Let me voice out my unsolicited advice as well – hold off on the evil plans. There’s nothing to be jealous about.”

Just then, the pilot announced that they will arrive at the destination shortly. He consequently advised all passengers to return to their seats and prepare for landing.

The Betrothed

His answer was plain and simple, “Politics,” as if that single word was enough to explain his actions. Placating Anelle was an unnecessary evil he had to pick if only because he did not want to deal with the logistics of the tour himself. No matter how infuriating the silhouette of the Count’s daughter was to Rhianne, they needed her to finish the campaign, but more importantly they needed her because the queen said so. Other than the publicity stunts, scripts, and media screening, Anelle’s team looked after their transport, accommodations, food, and other personal needs. She practically monopolized the couple’s living standards while they were away from the capital so that the couple could focus on improving their popularity.

Luke retreated to the empty seat by his desk instead of following her to the couch. He glanced at the display on the screen, flicked few notifications out of the way until he found something that interested him. The budget for the reparations and Barron Ferullo’s remittance to the national government compared to his territory’s budget allocation, including other financial data about the territory. Could they really not afford a decent hospital and more than one doctor? He scanned the summary sheet, mentally noting glaring inconsistencies between the data and the Barron’s last audited report. “Not too long ago, I hated the idea of you. Can’t a prince change his mind?” Luke responded absently. The numbers demanded his attention yet again. Maybe the Barron still has enough in his treasury to build a second healthcare center, fill it with necessary medicine and employ decent professionals to man the building somebody just had to pressure the right people. But finding gaps in the reports demanded time and concentration. He left the data alone for now, it could be a useful distraction after he faced the farmers.

“Demanding a promise is not necessary.” He looked her in the eye and if she’ll study his face, she’ll find anxiety hiding behind those bright blue eyes. “Not a single cell in my body wishes to marry Anelle Tuscano. Not now, not after you’re gone.” The last sentence was said with a straight face, no pretense, nothing soft and fluffy to soften the blow. Luke wasn’t sure what she expected him to tell her -- did she want him to lie and make her believe that she was different from the others that came before her, that he would protect her and not murder her like the queen did Luke’s father. He paused, searching her face for any sign of fear or weakness. Keeping her safe from the resistance was one thing, keeping her from the ruthless House was near impossible. If he would not do the job of eliminating her, somebody else will. “She’s not the kind of person I can trust to properly raise our children,” he added.

“I was not informed about what happened to Luce, but you disliked her too, didn’t you? Why don’t you give Anelle and yourself some time, maybe you’ll find that she’s not that much of a witch.” An impossible task, he thought. Anelle was not exactly friendly, she just knew when to be charming and when to bite – a skill Rhiane ought to learn if she was going to survive the court long enough to produce an heir.

If he told her the real reason why he wanted to visit her hometown, maybe she would be less critical about the idea. Luke opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it. He leaned against the soft seat and reached for his not-so-warm coffee. Confessing his plans might instead increase her disapproval. Besides, he was going to push through with the plan with or without her consent. But the chance that she might be a little less hostile was tempting.

“I need to arrange a meeting with your brother’s partner, Sebastian.” That was what all the fuss was about. “When you were sick, I had a short conversation with him. He knows more than he told me that night, Rhianne, but he is not willing to talk. The resistance has spies in the palace. It makes their attacks much more precise and effective. Our spies are unable to penetrate deep enough to root out the ones in the palace. My sister’s, my family’s, yourself, all of your safety can no longer be guaranteed. Look at what happened to the SUV and the clinic. I could have lost you.” He could have lost a battle against the resistance. “I need to persuade Sebastian to help me and I thought visiting him is easier than ordering his arrest.”

The Betrothed

Maybe if it was Tobias who presented the device to Rhiane, it would be greatly appreciated and not carelessly ignored as if she hadn’t heard a word that was said about it. Truth be told, it was not Luke's idea. It did not even cross his mind that he needed to find a way to communicate with the princes elect, because really the royal was be better off on his own, playing the game of politics while basking in the attention that lovely women endowed him. Not for anything else, the device was for her security, so that the palace could track her whenever they needed to.

If he was even a bit provoked by her very commoner-like attitude of brushing-off the good graces of the crown, he didn’t say a word about it. Whatever form of frustration her initial reaction inspired in him was lost the moment she started listing the reasons why it was a bad idea to visit her hometown. Not that her arguments could change what was going to happen in the next few hours, but he could have listened to her more thoughtfully if not for the bitterness in her voice and jealousy reeking from her words.

“My other future wife?” Luke barked a laugh in the middle of her concerns. He leaned his back against the backrest and put the unopened box down on the couch. When she referred to Anelle as a red-haired witch, he just lost it. What happened to the farmer girl who used to run away from him because he threatened her with a very innocent kiss?

“I haven’t heard anybody call her a witch in such a long time.” His smile was one of those that reached his blue eyes, it was full of amusement. “I can fix your concerns, except that --” In one fluid motion, Luke pushed himself off the leather couch. He met her where she paced, and while other fiance would hold and reassure his jealous fiancee, Luke pinched her cheek playfully then added, “You are so irrationally cute when you’re jealous.”

The plans surrounding the tour of her hometown might not have gone through her, but it did not mean that there was no planning that happened. Reasons why it had been left off the original itinerary was floated and discussed in the background, thus informing Luke of all the risks. Unpublished media coverage of the Black family spoke ill of their daughter’s decision as much as it did the royal family and its constituents. When the PR team reached out to the family’s patriarch, the response did not even pretend to be polite. Rhiane was telling the truth when she said that she had the best temper among her living family members. Luke knew what he was getting himself into and despite the risks, he had to meet her family and find time to speak to Sebastian.

He let go of her cheek only to plant a quick teasing kiss on the same spot. “I appreciate your concern, ma’am. We will suspend the filming when we meet with your family, if you’re so afraid that it will not go well. However, we are not cancelling. I believe I have been in more difficult situations than meeting my fiancee’s foul-mouthed, skeptical family. Our arguments only look like friendly banter because we learn to take control of our emotions even in the most frustrating situations.” It was true though, that he believed to had been in a more complicated situation than meeting the parents of his future bride. His position exposed him to people of standing from different cultures, and with different levels of pride. Negotiation was a skill he was taught at an early age, because a good leader was one who could talk himself out of a tight situation. The difference, which was the greatest hurdle he must face, was that he would be negotiating with commoners, who could have ties with the rebellion, commoners who hated him and his mother for being born into the royal bloodline, commoners who blamed their poverty on people like himself.

“Whatever Anelle and I had was in the past,” the prince added. He hoped to sound as sincere as he could telling his fiancee without actually saying the words that she was his present, that she need not worry about him looking at the woman other than as an employee appointed to make sure the public adored the couple. “There will be no frolicking through the fields or discussions over a glass of wine. Instead, let me see the places and meet the people who meant something to you – where you grew up, who your best friend was, the farm that you managed, Sebastian.” Especially Sebastian.

The Betrothed

Anelle’s winged eyes slid to Rhiane. Her red wavy hair cascaded past one shoulder, covering the corner of one eye, but not its intensity as Anelle sized up her rival. Back straight, chin held high, and eyes that judged every imperfection on the subject’s face and manners – the quintessence of a noblewoman’s stare was aimed at the farmer. In Anelle’s point of view, Rhiane was not even worthy to be in the same room as the crown prince. She was an impurity in their midst that they had to bear with until the tradition of their ancestors was satisfied.

The contempt in her features, if it ever showed, vanished like a passing breeze. The pale-skinned noble’s face broke into a kind smile though she did step towards where Luke had built his workstation, then placed a hand casually on his shoulder. “Prince Alessandro arranged to squeeze in a few days visit to your hometown, Ms. Black. Did he forget to tell you?” Her fingertips ran the length of his arm, teasing, testing for any reaction.

“Anelle --”

The woman ignored him. “He does that sometimes,” she added as if implying that the prince was hers first, that she knew more about him that Rhiane.

“Some other time,” Luke suggested, pulling his arm away from her touch while giving Rhiane a pointed look. The queen would have it otherwise, but it was not a secret how the crown prince ruthlessly toyed with women sometimes without regard as to how they felt. Anelle was one of those who he was rumored to date in the past. Those rumors were true. Luke and the Count’s daughter were together for a summer or was it fall, but just like every other dalliance he had in the past, it ended bitterly for the woman.

Anelle straightened herself. If she was insulted by the coldness of Luke’s reaction, it did not show on her face. She even leaned her hip against the edge of his desk, watching her former lover shrug his broad shoulders when she suggested, “Perhaps over a bottle of wine?” A shrug was more than what she expected from Luke. His arrogance was on point and he often did not tolerate people wasting his time. That he did not blatantly ask her to quickly speak what had to be spoken and then leave kindled hope that she had a chance to get to his head and pants once again. Nevertheless, the woman did not push her luck at flirting. Before the prince lost his cool, she detailed the itinerary after they land. As always, there was no time to rest.

The day was Rhiane’s as it was her hometown that would be featured. Anelle asked the farmer to write down highlights of her life and then pin it to a location they would visit – her childhood hiding place, where she used to play, her school, the best restaurant in town, the best bar in town, where she first fell in love, the farm, etc. Following the success of the previous day’s broadcast, the general public would be treated to get to know more about their princess elect. It was a chance to glimpse at her life before the title, the designer clothes, and her fiance. Of course, Anelle told the couple that they would film the first meeting of Luke and Rhiane’s family. When asked if he was even slightly nervous, he answered with a simple, “No” before returning to his work.

As soon as she was done, though, Anelle wished the couple good luck, then left the room, but not without a meaningful look at the crown prince.

Luke took advantage of the privacy and picked up a box on the desk. It was Rhiane’s communication device. The technology was similar to his and it should adjust its fit on her wrist. Because of the argument they had the day before, he forgot that the device existed until Tobias reminded him that morning before leaving the spa.

He sat beside her, guessing what was on her mind after her pointed statement at Anelle’s flirting. “You will not let me hear the end of it if I told you that I plan to visit your family.” She had implied that they were not in good terms, maybe not even in speaking terms, but paying them a visit was better than ordering the arrest of Sebastian and forcing him to speak. In his mind, keeping a little secret from her was a lesser evil than flexing his military authority right in front of her eyes.

“Here.” Luke presented the black box to her, hoping it would distract her from Anelle and the sudden change of plans. “In case we get separated. It’s the same model as mine. It can connect to a lot of home and vehicle systems, except maybe the security override.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, unsure with what he said about the security override. “I’m on your top contact list. Call me if you find yourself in any kind of trouble.”

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.