Hello, everyone! Sorry for the time it took me to update. University has been kicking my butt! Thank you for all of the reviews, I appreciate every one of them; I always get so excited to see a new review! Thank you thank you for reading!

The next morning, Riley needed to escape. Her mind was so completely flustered with the past day's events that she just needed some time to escape her surroundings and not think about any of her personal issues. Whenever she felt like this, she knew exactly where she needed to go. So, at around eight in the morning, Riley pulled on some simple jeans, threw on a cream colored sweater, and put on simple brown boots. She threw her hair into a quick bun before finding her driver to leave.

She arrived at Quincy Hospital nearing around nine o'clock, and she immediately checked in with the hospital director to ensure that her visit was okay, even though they never minded. On days when Riley's world felt like too much, she liked to come read to the children at the hospital, or sing with them, or play with them. She loved to do anything that could make them feel even the slightest bit better. Riley's problems never seemed so bad when she was sitting and reading to a child, a child whose world had barely started and yet they were fighting just to stay in it. She hadn't been to the hospital for about a week now, because her schedule had just been so full lately, so she was glad to be able to make time to appear.

After she had checked in, she entered the elevators on the main floor, and hit the button of the floor for the pediatric unit. From there on out, she spent what felt like a whole lifetime just playing and reading and singing and dancing and coloring with the children in their designated play room. It always excited Riley to see when there was progress in some of the children. She loved to see their smiles become brighter, their eyes more alive. Riley loved all of the people of her country, but the children in the hospital held her heart the most.

Riley had just finished helping a little girl to create her own personal crown when she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. When she looked at the phone, the number was unknown, and she felt her happiness falling slightly, knowing just who it was going to be.

"Hello?" She answered, after hitting the button on her phone to accept the call.

On the other end of the line, she heard an exasperated sigh. "Princess. It's Lucas. Friar. Uh, it's me. Hi. I need to speak with you," he rushed out.

Riley excused herself from the playroom, much to the dismay of the newly crowned little girl, and she found a chair in a close hallway. "You are speaking with me, Lucas." She replied, because she just couldn't help it.

She heard a short laugh on the other end, and she imagined the eye roll that probably accompanied it. "Funny, Princess," he said, and then sighed again. "Your father said that he mentioned the party tonight to you."

Riley immediately felt her cheeks flush. She was trying to run from her problems by coming to one of her favorite places, and now her problems were personally chasing her down. "Um. Yes. A party thrown by your fiancé, Lucas," she stated, and then felt the anger bubbling in her mind. "Do you think it's okay to just kiss someone when they don't know you're engaged?!" She was trying to be quiet for fear of being overheard, but she couldn't help it as her voice rose as her anger did.

"Riley, no, I wouldn't do that. I'm not—," He paused, and when he didn't continue, Riley rolled her eyes to herself.

"You're not what, Lucas?"

She heard him sigh again. "My parents have controlled my entire life, Riley. I have no say in anything they wish for me to do. They arranged for me to be married to a Princess named Missy when I was only twelve years old, because of a family agreement between my parents and hers. I had no say in the matter; I was just twelve! I've tried numerous times to fight it, but they keep insisting I eventually marry her. But as far as I am concerned, I'm not betrothed to anybody. Not unless I want to be," He paused for a minute, "and I am sorry I didn't tell you any of this. I didn't…I didn't expect to like you."

Riley sighed to herself, as she rested her chin on her hand. "That's a lot to take in." She muttered, and for the most part, all of her anger had depleted. He was just like her.

"Can I talk to you? In person? It'd be easier." He asked, and she mulled it over for a moment.

"No, Lucas, not right now, because I am a little bit preoccupied. But there is something we can do now." She mentioned to him where she was, and gave him directions to give to Stevens once he agreed to join her.

"Why, Prince Lucas, don't you look like ever the gentleman?" Riley stated, as she found Lucas leading a tea party around a tiny table for three little girls, who sat around him, smiling and giggling away. They had feather boas around their necks and crowns on their heads, as did Lucas. It was a site that Riley thoroughly enjoyed laughing at.

He shrugged, smiling up at her from his chair that was definitely too small for him. "You're interrupting afternoon tea gossip, Riley," he said with a fake stern look. The little girls nodded their heads at his statement.

Riley feigned a shocked expression, as she stepped away slightly. "I apologize ever so dearly to all of you, Your Highnesses." She stated with a smile as she then headed over to the bookcase near them in order to pick out a new book to read to one of her favorite children in the hospital, Lily, who liked to read about fairytales with Riley.

She was deciding over whether or not to read a tale about the Light Princess or one about the Flower Queen's Daughter, when she overheard an eruption of giggles from the tea table.

"What's so funny, my little Princesses?" She heard Lucas ask, and she looked over to see him smiling down at them, shaking his head slightly.

The little girls giggled again. "You were staring at the Princess! Do you liiiiiiiike her?" One of the girls asked, and Riley's eyes met with Lucas' as he looked over at her.

He leaned down to the little girl who asked the question. "What do you think?" He asked quietly.

All of the little girls nodded fervently. "Does she know that you like her? Are you going to marry her? She's the most beautiful Princess that ever lived. Are you going to have babies?" One of them whispered, her little eyes bright and excited.

Riley watched as Lucas erupted into laughter at her questions. She shook her head and grabbed The Flower Queen's Daughter from the shelf, making her way away from the giggles at the table behind her.

This chapter is shorter than I would've loved it to be, but I really wanted to get something up, and my little nursing student brain is still stuck in hospital thoughts, so this appeared in my head! It's fluffy, I know. The next chapter will be the big party for Lucas' birthday, thrown by his family and his arranged fiance. I promise it'll be longer! Thank you thank you for reading!