Hashih

The Betrothed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Betrothed

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips for the peaceful victory. “They believed us last night, didn’t they?” Not that he was smug about how they fooled a bar full of people under the influence of alcohol he bought for them, but it came out sounding that way. He was a damned fool if he believed that he did a great job in fooling Rhiane’s friends and acquaintances the night before, because it was much too clear that he was fooling none other than himself. It was perhaps out of convenience that he wanted himself to believe otherwise. He fooled himself in believing that he was just pretending, that he did not care for the farmer just because she was born without a title.

Ruling over the common people was what was expected of him. Caring for their welfare was expected of a good king, but the concerns of these people did not rise above the concerns of his peers and of the nation itself. He understood that the common people were what made up kingdoms and empires, but no kingdom would stand without its noble houses, lords, and royals. It was a tricky scale to balance. He was left with the choice to pick the support of the people or the support of the noble houses, because the two worlds found it difficult to coexist.

Therefore, when Rhiane told him explicitly how she thought that the people would reward him if they thought that he sincerely cared for one of them, Luke bit back the urge to argue against her point. It was the masses or his noble lords. Choosing a commoner bride was an attempt to appease the masses. However, commoner spouses didn’t survive long not entirely because the royal spouse always despised the commoner, but because the people behind the royal did not approve.

Luke squeezed her hand one last time before letting go. He exited from his side of the vehicle. The gentle warmth of the sun was welcomed especially in the midst of the coming winter. Faces of strangers greeted him as well from a safe distance which his security forces predetermined. Men in black suits and stood attentively to keep the crowd from the prince and his fiancee. He could feel the curious stares boring at the back of his neck as he rounded the vehicle and gestured for Tobias to step away from the rear passenger door. Luke wanted to be the one to assist Rhiane down the vehicle, he wanted to be the only person touching her hand.

She still believed he was pretending. He wanted to believe that he was just pretending. A lie. A flagrant lie. But was he prepared to acknowledge it? To acknowledge that he cared for her, a woman of low birth, more than he ought to? Yet time and again, she showed that she did care for him not just through her words but also through her actions. Even as they had just walked out of a bitter argument, she still thought of him and how she could help foster trust between the crown and her people. She did not care for the crown and his money, his fame and the prestige of being given the title of a princess. She had proven to not want more than the promised future for her family. She would fight his battles for him even when he said no. Even if she thought that he was just pretending to care for her for the sake of his and his mother’s image. Luke hadn’t met a woman as selfless as the farmer.

With a gentle tug, he pulled on the latch and opened the door. His hand extended towards her, offering assistance. “Smile for the cameras,” he leaned forward to whispered to her ear. The very same advice he had given her during their first meeting.

The Betrothed

Luke nodded when Nolan met his stare from the rear-view mirror. The prince was made aware, through several occasions, that Rhiane was fond of these unannounced closed-door meetings. Denying her the privacy would only mean disaster for the tour and the most possibly their joint image. So, he just nodded and bit back a dry retort, waiting for her to give him a piece of her mind.

When she began her little speech, Luke turned to look at her only because it was polite to do so. She was beautiful that morning. She was beautiful with her bare face and naked body, but the carefully placed highlights and contours enhanced her features. His attention was arrested by her lips as it moved, the waves of her hair cascading down her shoulder, the gentle planes of her face as the morning sunlight worshipped it. She was as beautiful as a goddess from the ancient texts, but he was not about to agree with her proposal.

Luke’s answer was a flat, “No.”

He let the silence stretch between them, before speaking again. “This is not the capital. The people I have on the security team is stretched too thinly as it is. I cannot put more strain by creating a different itinerary each for the two of us. Not today.” The prince was firm in his refusal. Sebastian might have given the information that the rebellion was leaning away from the idea of turning Rhiane into a martyr, but it had only been a few days since the last attempt. The memory of her tears as she tried to make sense of the guilt she pinned on herself while they were inside the wrecked vehicle, the pain of her broken arm that she fought to hide from him, the way she thrashed in her sleep as nightmares invaded her dreams. It was something he’d rather not relive for the second time. It hurt him to watch his stubborn fiancee brought down to her knees by circumstances he could have easily prevented. Therefore, if anybody asked if he was protecting her health, he’d surely claim that he was doing it for his own sanity.

“You may argue that this is your hometown. Maybe you trust the people whose face you knew and whose childhood was similar to yours, but I don’t. Loyalties can be bought, Rhiane.” He paused, searching her face for any reaction. “I don’t want you to be the one paying the price just because I was not careful enough. Besides, it’s right about time that we stopped pretending.” Making the people believe the lies that the crown worked so hard to propagate was secondary to her safety. If it would make it easier to convince her that sticking together was the better option, then he’d have to nurse that spark of hope he’d seen in her gaze until it burned into something more than a distant dream. Until it turned into a semblance of reality.

With the bouquets sitting in between them, Luke reached out to cover her hand with his. A gesture which he was certain Rhiane was already used to at that point. “I don’t care what they believe or how they imagine me to be, but if lying to them means pretending that I care for you - that I am in love with you – then they got it all wrong.” His thumb traced nervous circles at the back of her hand. “I’m saying that it’s about time we stopped pretending that this was all for the queen and the dynasty. You told me you like me. I feel the same. These emotions can make a fool of us.” He laughed a humorless laughter, tilting his head to the side, waiting for her to call the bluff. But was he really bluffing? Was he saying it to convince her to abandon her idea? “My mother does know me more than I know myself after all. She sent Anelle to get me to remember how the high-born ladies differ from…” The words trailed away, knowing that there was no polite way to say it.

The Betrothed

Well, actions speak more truthfully than words. The fact that she held his cousin’s opinion higher than his own was, to Luke, a blatant declaration of how she trusted Luke way less than she trusted Tobias. Never mind that he was the crown prince, that he received a higher level of education than the royal guard, that he had the treasury of the royal household at his disposal. Unlike those born with noble blood, title, education, and gold were of least importance to a person of humble birth. Didn’t she say something similar that morning as she shoved him out of his room and went on praising his cousin for being more of a man than Luke?

“I changed my mind.” The prince leaned against the door, his blue gaze wandering out the window as the words tumbled out his lips. There were several people she could ask for opinion on the matter. In fact, there were four of them seated inside the moving vehicle. She could have asked Nolan too if she wanted to hear what other people thought. That would have been the logical thing to do. Gathering data from two different sources was better than taking the first information collected at face value, because in that case, there would be a third-party to validate the second party’s claim. However, she didn’t. Tobias’ opinion was enough. If the royal guard said no, would she have closed her mind to the idea as well?

“Anelle said that we shall be meeting with the appointed leaders of the town. There are no noble lords present, just common people. And afterwards, the marketplace.” He had never been to a total marketplace, but she needn’t know that detail. “I believe we can find a souvenir that we can send my sister from there.”

He was of course annoyed that she had to lean on Tobias’ opinion even if it was just for the paintings. He was also aware that he was acting like a child. She made it clear that morning that if not for Luke’s title, Tobias would have been the better man. It might have hurt his ego, but it did more than that. He was the type who didn’t care for what people like Rhiane thought of him and his actions. That was the Luke he understood. Yet the truth remained that he was affected by her words, that she made him angry and frustrated and jealous. “I will write a note for her.” As if saying something entirely unrelated would redirect his thoughts. He wanted to talk to his sister about Tobias and Rhiane without painting the latter in a bad light. Callista was his only ally in the palace then. It seemed that it remained true to that day.

“Enough talks about the presents for my sister. Let me brief you about today’s itinerary.” Luke took on a business-like tone with the princess elect as he described how the tour would move forward after they stepped out of the car. Her homecoming was designed to showcase her life in the rural agricultural town, emphasizing her humble roots, and how she grew up to be the intelligent, beautiful woman that captured the crown prince’s heart. They would begin at the town square, then head to the marketplace where she did her trading. They would visit the bar they visited the night before as well as some local restaurants she frequented. The only school in town was also part of the itinerary. A few of her former teachers, trading partners, and drinking buddies would also be interviewed. Finally, before the day ended, they would come visit her mother’s and brother’s grave.

The original plan was to visit the cemetery before heading to town, but there was the matter of her dress and the marketplace, which inspired the team to switch the timeslots. “We should have enough time to look around and browse the crafts and produces.”

The Betrothed

When he was little, his father would make sure they organized a little surprise for his mother’s birthday. Did he know that she must have made a deal with her father that she could remarry into nobility once her lowborn husband outlived his purpose? Maybe he did. Knowing the late prince consort, he possibly did know of the lonely fate of becoming the crown princess’ husband, and yet he went for it. He made the most of it while it lasted. He made memories with Luke which were too difficult to forget. Perhaps it was so the boy would have a spark of happiness to hold on to when the prince consort was gone, but truth was it made moving forward without the father he loved all the more difficult.

It was in this regard that Rhiane and himself were equals. Life gave them both persons they could love only to be snatched away right before their very eyes. Sebastian said Rhiane did not have time to mourn. Luke wondered if it was really that bad an idea to have had worked hard instead of acknowledging her pain, because by doing so at least she could pretend that her mother and brother were out there working hard too for their family.

So, as he listened to her recount the memories of her mother and siblings, Luke could not make himself turn away. It was as if it was disrespectful to pretend that he didn’t care to hear about her past when she was putting forth a brave face.

“I visit my father’s resting place at least twice every year – on his birthday and on the anniversary of his death.” The prince pulled the earpiece off an ear and held it on one hand. A gesture that implied that he would not be disturbed by politics or any other external factor. “I would bring his favorite whiskey, sometimes his favorite beer, then I’d drink half of it while --” He paused, one corner of his lips tilting up to a half smile. “Well, you may think I’m crazy and there’ll be lots of rumors if this comes out in public, but I sit there right where he rests and tells him about my day. It almost feels like sharing a drink with my father.”

Nolan met the prince’s eyes at the rear-view mirror. A flash of sympathy, before the guard was looking forward to the tree-lined road ahead of them. The guard knew how true the prince’s words were, because he was the only person allowed to accompany his royal highness. Afterwards, they would go out drinking more. But Rhiane didn’t need to know that.

When she easily maneuvered the topic of discussion into something less sad, Luke was happy to follow her lead. Funny how the princess elect was encouraging the prince to buy a present for his sister when the latter was practically telling him off for not putting forth an effort to buy Rhiane stuff he personally selected. Well, these two would definitely enjoy each other’s company while he was gone.

“What about I pick one of your paintings for Callie?” She’s giving it for free to Tobias, why wouldn’t she give one to Luke or Callista? “Before we leave, if you’re still not convinced to bring all of it back to the capital, then at least allow me to select a piece for my sister. It’s from your hometown, it’s something that you made, and it’s something that I picked for her. The perfect souvenir, don’t you think?” He hoped Tobias was listening.

“The two of you nagging at me for the same reason,” he mumbled under his breath as the vehicle neared the town square.

The Betrothed

The itinerary was simple – more of the prancing-around-total-strangers act, while the two of them smiled as if nothing else delighted them more than being paraded like prized cows in a marketplace. Their shiny black SUV would be filmed entering Rhiane’s hometown. Its smooth surface bouncing off the soft morning rays would contrast against the rough roads of the countryside just as its passengers distinguished themselves from the townspeople who waited to welcome their princess elect back home. Of course, a team of professional creative crew was on board to make sure that the cameras capture the perfect picture that was the rural landscape where the princess elect grew up on.

Anele briefed Luke about the morning itinerary out of fear that the prince would be adamant to follow a blind lead. She was correct. Finding himself in the midst of a crowd of peasants was not something that the prince was fond of. He was forced to learned to tolerate being surrounded by nobles, but even the week they spent visiting places in the kingdom he rather would not set foot on was not enough to get him to be used to the idea.

He adored the solitude inside the vehicle, yet more than fifteen minutes passed since he gave the order to Tobias, more than ten minutes since he made himself comfortable inside the parked SUV. Not even the shadow of the princess elect was in sight. The impatience embedded in every royal’s DNA compelled him to look up Tobias’ contact number if only to remind the royal guard that it was well past the deadline. Was it his fiancee making a statement again? Perhaps she was pressing the point that she owned her time and nobody, not even the arrogant Prince Alessandro, the future king, her future husband, could compel her otherwise. The thought irritated the royal. Peasants might be in possession of enough time that they squander it like some of his noble lords spend their fortune, but the crown prince was a busy man. He hated waiting.

Then finally after what felt like an eternity and a day, the rear door was pulled open to welcome his beautiful fiancee together with her bouquets. The floral scent instantly wafted inside the vehicle, overtaking the subtle car scent, grabbing Luke’s attention. He eyed the flowers, then the princess who pulled a piece of pastry form her lips, then bluntly declared, “You’re late.”

If he had any comments about his fiancee baptizing his ex-lover as the devil, he kept it to himself. No emotion betrayed the mask he put on as his gaze glided to the view of trees sailing by the window. Finally, they were moving.

Without looking, he traced a pattern on the communication band. A soft feminine voice greeted him. “How did you forget to prepare funeral bouquets?”

“No, Luke. I did not. I specifically picked the arrangement and flowers. Imported blooms, mind you. I don’t settle for less than perfect.” She paused as somebody seemed to ask her for instructions. Luke turned to Rhiane, then cut the line right at the moment when Anelle was about to say something.

He regarded Rhiane’s version of bouquets, the flowers he remembered vibrantly coloring the princess elect’s garden, that patch of land which Sebastian worked hard to maintain. Both were not as polished as he would like them to be. A work of an amateur who had little passion in flower arrangement was how he would describe them. He could tell her to forget about them. The palace had prepared something more beautiful, more polished. And it was true. The crown could provide her the nicest things in life, but it might not be what she desired. He could give her access to his fortune, but it was not what she wanted. Callie was right, he was an ass. Surely, Rhiane saw that too. Could be one of the reasons she did not trust him to bring the paintings back to the palace. And he knew too that if he said something about the flowers she or somebody else picked from their backyard, she would take it as a criticism against her person.

“They look and smell wonderful.” His blue eyes averted from her face. An attempt to start a conversation, because he wasn’t even sure if she was in the mood to speak to him that soon after her outburst. And he was not about to apologize for nothing, because he was not wrong.

The Betrothed

Her confident stride in her stilettos would have been made a statement had there been a concrete floor beneath her shoes. Yet the compact soil and sprinkling of grass which a tarp flooring covered silenced her steps until hers were like a stealthy ninja which the crown prince barely noticed. Or perhaps it was because when Anelle stepped into the makeshift prep room, he was still on the phone with his sister discussing about the younger royal’s preference in men – a delightful topic, if Anelle had a say on the matter.

The noble lady announced her presence by casually occupying an empty chair opposite Luke. She noticed his blue eyes flickered to her face just as soon as she was comfortably seated. Her wavy tresses was pulled away from her face through a voluminous braid that started at her crown, tracing the side of her face until it freely fell over a shoulder. Tendrils of red artistically escaped the braided masterpiece to carefully fall over her high cheekbones. She smiled as soon as she caught his gaze.

Luke’s expression did not change, though he bid a quick farewell to his sister through a reminder that sounded a promise.

“You are being too hard on your sister. She’s a grown woman with a rather unorthodox taste.” Anelle shrugged.

Her audience did not look happy. A flash of annoyance in those clear blue eyes was all the warning she’d receive, all that he was willing to grant before he called the guard. “Callista is seventeen.” There was exasperation in his tone as if Luke had repeated the sentence over and over only for it to fall on deaf ears. “Did you know about her and Aidan?”

The image manager shrugged again. Her eyes glided over the unfinished breakfast before finding the tailored coat at the far wall. “I’ve known for a while now. The queen does not disapprove yet. Maybe because she hasn’t found a better match for your sister. At least one of you might have a shot at love. So, Prince Alessandro.” Her eyes slowly slid back where she focused on his striking, though quite annoyed, face. “You wanted to see me?”

He did not. Luke almost spat the words and laughed. “Yes, actually.” He picked up his unfinished cup of coffee, leaning the cup against his lips, and frowned. The coffee had gone cold and useless, so he put it back on the table. “I wanted to talk to you about the visiting the resting place of Rhiane’s late mother and brother.”

“Hmm? What about it?”

“I don’t want any media presence inside the cemetery.”

If the proclamation surprised Anelle, it did not show on her face. Her eyes continued to watch the prince, her lips as relaxed as every muscle on her face. She blinked slowly then leaned forward. “We already talked about this, Luke. The more emotion we capture on camera, the better, right? Then your role is to be her knight in shining armor. Comfort her. Make the masses believe that a prince --”

“That’s not what I want.” Luke seemed to have lost interest on her face. He pulled up his present unopened mails and browsed through the subjects one by one. “No cameras, no media coverage. No guards. You may all wait for us at the exit.”

She shook her head, smiling. “It’s not possible. Everything is already set.”

Luke stared at her pointedly as if he did not understand word that she said. Maybe that was the case. Nobody told the crown prince’s demand was not possible, especially not right at his face. The two of them might have shared a common past, but she was not about to deny him his wishes. “Make it so, or I’ll do it myself.” He pushed his chair back and strode out of the tent forgetting his jacket, though not really. He expected somebody else to carry it for him, to bring him what he needed when he needed it. That was the spoiled prince everybody knew and Luke was acting the part pretty well.

“The car is this way.” Nolan gestured to the same SUV that the prince and his betrothed rode to the bar the night before. Behind the royal, another gesture was made to tell one of the staff to bring his royal highness’ jacket to the car while Nolan opened the rear door for their royal guest.

The Betrothed

Luke laughed again. Callie reiterated her point. The queen herself was worried that she was losing her son to a commoner. It was obvious, even for the princess, that the future king and New Rome’s deadliest lady killer had found his match in an untitled woman hailing from an unremarkable province. That no matter how much he denied his sister’s accusation, it did not change the fact that the Luke everybody knew wouldn’t sit beside the commoner’s hospital bed while she was ill nor choose to lay down beside her so he could hold her close when nightmare plagued her. No, the heir to the throne would have stayed in his suite examining proposals and data, he would have ordered a staff to prepare a separate room for the princess elect so that he could enjoy his privacy.

“You are stubborn.” He could hear her sigh.

“Tell me something I don’t already know. Callie, you are steering away from the topic. As your brother, I am advising you to stay away from Aiden Verrastros or do I have to --”

“Don’t.” A short pause punctuated the princess’ resolve. “Don’t even think of spying on him.”

“There’s no need to resort to such measures.” Because he did order background checks on his sister’s earlier flings. For some cases, he even planned how to break her up with the boy. “I know the man. I have an idea how he spends his spare time and he does have many.”

“But we’re just friends, Luke.”

He opened his mouth to reply to that statement only to be cut short by Nolan’s sudden intrusion. The royal guard’s face was as cold as stone left outside the estate during winter. He found his royal highness at the table with his mobile device on one hand. “Excuse me, your highness, but there seems to be a situation.”

Luke wanted to roll his eyes. When had there been a lack of situation?

“Lady Anelle and Ms. Black seems to have a slight misunderstanding,” Nolan continued.

“And you need me to do what exactly?” Everybody expected the crown prince to have an answer to every kind of crisis, even ones which had nothing to do with politics or external affairs. Tobias or any member of Rhiane’s personal guards could have easily handled the situation, but they had to come to him for instructions. Luke sometimes wondered if it was his decisiveness which attracted these people to come to him for guidance or that he had made a host of mindless subjects who acted only upon his wishes. “Tell Anelle I need a word immediately,” the prince added after a short pause.

There was no need to turn and check if Nolan had gone. Unlike his old fling, the older man knew his prince well enough not to linger. Then the siblings got back to their discussion about Callie’s date and Luke’s stubbornness. From Aiden’s diamond necklace gift to the princess to the latter’s gasp of disbelief upon learning that her brother had not even bothered to pick an engagement ring for his fiancee.

“Oh Luke, that is so – I don’t have a word for it.” The tone of her voice was somewhere between feeling sorry and angry at her brother. “You buy expensive presents for Sophia all the time! Why can’t you get my future sister-in-law something pretty?”

He shrugged. “But I gave Rhiane my credit card. She could have bought anything she would want to buy – diamonds, a hovercraft, a villa, a new farmhouse.”

“Oh dear. O dear. I hope you didn’t tell her that.”

“I haven’t.”

“Good.” A loud sigh. When she spoke again, Callie’s words were slow and careful. “You know I care about you a lot and I am only saying this because I love you. Luke, you’re a self-centered ass who has to get your game together. She’s not going to stick around if you keep on caring about the high society’s standards. Rhiane may be a farmer’s daughter, but you know deep inside that stubborn heart of yours that she makes you happy – I know that she does. And that is all that matters. For once, stop being considerate about what your subjects think and do something that does make you happy.”

“The same logic that made you decide Aiden was good enough even with your age difference?”

“Luke!”

---

Anelle tilted her pretty red head ever so slightly. Eyes wide and clear, she stared at the princess elect with the same puzzlement as the first time she came face to face with a kangaroo or an octopus. She could not believe that a commoner had that much gall to talk back to a high-ranking noble, even threaten to remove her from the room should she refuse to do so herself. Rhiane may be the crown prince’s fiancee, but the farmer had not earned the position on her own. Prince Alessandro would never stoop so low as to willingly take a commoner as his queen.

“Your attendants?” The noble lady drawled the syllables lazily. Somebody had to put the impudent commoner in her rightful place. Her perfect winged eyes passed a glance at Rhiane, then at the attendants who stood at her side. “Ladies, we have a schedule to beat. Go on, fix the farmer to make her look like a princess. I’m sure it’s a lot of work, but I trust you’ll do fine.”

It was at that precise moment when one of Rhiane’s female guards welcomed herself inside the tent. “Excuse me, my lady,” she addressed Anelle directly. “His royal highness wishes to have a word with you.”

Ruby red lips stretched into a knowing smile. Anelle cast a sideways glance at Rhiane. “In private?”

“Uh --” The guard’s brows furrowed. “I suppose.”

The lady hmmed, smiling to herself as she turned on her heels and left the presence of the princess elect without another word. The silence was enough. The mystery behind the urgent summon was enough. The hint of a private meeting when the prince probably had not bothered to ask how Rhiane was faring was enough. Regardless of what it was about, leaving the impression that she was wanted while the farmer was left to her duties as the princess elect, was a sweet victory. Little did she know that the prince was only defusing the situation, while taking advantage of the chance to personally tell her about his decision not to let the media into the cemetery.

The Betrothed

When Luke planned the brief homecoming tour for Rhiane, he thought that he was doing it for her own good. Why not? The end goal was to convince Sebastian, a prospective informant, that whatever information he could pass on to Luke was crucial to protect the sister, who Sebastian loved dearly, from the claws of the faction of the rebellion which wanted her dead. She may have survived two assassination attempts, but losing her to the enemy while hoping they’d stop coming after her was unacceptable. Thus, visiting her family was planned to secure her safety.

He thought the action was in itself a move away from the typical selfish political act he was so used to committing. He was doing it for her, but it had not crossed his mind to talk to Rhiane about his plans. He had assumed that, like his other subjects, she would be grateful for his willingness to go through all the hassle just not because it was an embarrassment to the whole world that his team could not crack down the rebel operations, but because it was his wish to keep her out of harm’s way. Little did he know that the true reason she detested the idea of visiting home was the ghosts that still haunted her from the past. Had Luke been more perceptive, had he endeavored to ask and listen to her, he would have realized sooner how stupid it was to agree to Anelle’s terms just so she’d squeeze a few days visit into their busy schedules.

With Sebastian and the other attendants having left the tent some minutes ago, the prince would have enjoyed the quiet solitude except that he was plagued with thoughts about his fiancee – the woman who ran away from his touch and flirtations, but admitted that she liked him. That stranger who was willing to go out of her way and confront the ghosts that haunted her for him. Because he asked her to.

A platter of fresh fruits, eggs, and breakfast steak was left untouched on the table. The prince neither had the will nor the appetite to continue eating after the short conversation with Sebastian. He leaned back against the backrest, browsing through the news, trying to find recent articles about Rhiane Black on the internet. He scrolled through websites, but didn’t expect a name close to his hear to come up.

He pulled up the contacts list to dial her number. The princess’ cheery voice greeted Luke on the second ring. “Calista,” was the greeting he returned in her favor.

A pause. Then the words that followed were unsure. “Uhh… Am I in trouble?”

“Did you do anything that would put you in trouble?”

“Luke.” The prince could imagine the expression on his sister’s face just by hearing the whine on her voice. Of course, she did an act or two which either her older brother or her parents did not approve. She was a teenager, and teenagers – royal or not – tend to explore the boundaries of what was permissible.

He leaned his head against the edge of the backrest, lazily pulling up the page he was browsing. That one where a headline named Aidan Verrastro as the princess’ seemingly constant companion in events and functions. Photos of the pair broke the monotony of the text on the page. Photos of his sister and Aidan arriving at a formal function, watching a sporting event, or sitting at the side lines of a fashion show. “Well, I’ve been reading the news and a certain headline caught my attention. I wonder when were you going to tell me about Aidan.”

A nervous laughter. “We’re just friends. You were friends too, weren’t you?”

“Yes, of course. Aiden and I --”

“The Verrastros are our allies. He is his father’s heir. He graduated from a prestigious university overseas, earned his master’s degree at the capital. He is also a fine gentleman like you, dear brother.” She would have kept babbling if her brother did not cut her by calling her name twice.

“Aiden and I are of the same age,” Luke continued after she stopped talking. “No, actually he is a year older than me, which makes him ten years your senior.”

“Age is just a number, Luke. I like him because he gets me.” Callie hesitated. Luke felt his sister’s apprehension reverberating in the short silence, could have guessed the words that would follow were truth that he rather not hear coming from her. “I – I don’t get to talk to you as much as before,” the princess added in a small voice.

“Callie --” If he was sitting in front of her, he would pull the sibling he loved dearly against him while apologizing for the distance even though they lived in the same address. But it was the princess’ turn to cut his sentence off with her cheery voice and ever so positive disposition.

“I totally get it. You’re the crown prince. Mother puts more pressure on you than on any of her kids. The kingdom and the whole world watch you. I can’t be selfish. I can’t always have the brother I love by my side to listen to how my day went when the rest of the court was being tiresome. I’m not saying Aidan takes your place. It’s just that he gets me.”

“Callie, he is too old for you. He’s also not the fine gentleman you thought he is. I can prove it. How long have you known him?” Nobody was good enough for his sister. Maybe when she was older, he’d back off a little, but until then it was his job to talk sense to the princess. And if that didn’t work, he’d have to scare the boys off too.

“No. Don’t put one of your men to go spying on Aidan. I’ve known him long enough. Longer than you and Rhiane had known each other, and look at you already falling for a woman outside your class.”

Falling for a woman outside his class? The crown prince put the device down then barked a laughter. “Definitely not. Not me.”

“Really?” Her voice was filled with amusement. “I don’t buy your lies, dear brother. Breaking your schedule, not following the itinerary, sleeping in an old farmhouse with no room service, keeping her by your side when there’s no reason to --” Callie tsked. “That’s not quite the Prince Alessandro I know. There is just one explanation for all of it – love. It makes mum worry, but she thinks she fixed the situation by sending Anelle over. I think she’s wrong.”

“What did you say?”
“Hmm? Mum sent Anelle to fix the situation. It’s okay, Luke. I don’t judge you for falling for Rhiane. She’s pretty, intelligent, and kind. She manages to keep up with your attitude, but most importantly she brings out the best in you. I like that. You’d be a fool to trade her for a fancy flower like Anelle – pretty on the outside, rotten on the inside.”

Estermere Academy - Military School RP

No classes on the first day? His father would be disappointed. The general did not send his son on a vacation, but to be turned into a somebody who would carry out the king’s ambition. He sent his son to the academy not to mingle but to bruise faces, cut flesh, make enemies, and then crush them. It was a good thing, therefore, that the general was not present to hear about the leniency of the Academy he was so proud of. Although the younger Kampf couldn’t help but compare his first day at the Academy to his first day at training camp at home, he was not his father. Maybe one day he would be as strict as the old man, but not that day.

A small smile graced his face as he nodded in understanding to the professor’s instructions. One more day of vacation couldn’t hurt. Then perhaps tomorrow they'd ask the students to break each other's noses. Just imagining the new world he was in made the egdes of his nerves sing in excitement. Yet, he did not get on his feet ahead of the crowd. Gus waited for a generous number of them to start moving before he did. It was unfamiliar territory. Experience taught him that blindly leading the troops would only end in disaster, therefore he chose to be a follower. One of these fresh faces ought to know where the kitchen was.

So, he followed the crowd like sheep being herded to the slaughterhouse. Hands in his pockets, he walked with them, not initiating conversion, but open to one. He patiently waited for his turn to check out the dorm assignment then the class schedule before walking away and jotting down what he remembered. Checking out his room could wait. There was the academy waiting to be explored, and he was not about to pass the chance to get to know it. At least by the end of the day, he would have gotten something productive done on the first day.