Putting on Airs

The Princess and the Plea

Chapter Six

"Sang? Sang, wake up, Princess," a cultured voice breaks through my dream about elephants slurping taco soup up their trunks.

I feel slightly disturbed at how hungry the dream was making me, but I shake it off and open my eyes. Ah, the fuzz! Glasses. Right. Flexing my empty hands, I am surprised when my glasses start floating around in front of my face.

"Thanks," I whisper to the disembodied hand holding the frames out to me.

"You're welcome, Princess," the gentle voice matches the calm face of the one friend I feared had been lost to me as he comes into view through my lenses.

"Prince!" I shout as I launch myself off North's lap and into Victor's arms where he was kneeling beside me, tumbling us both the short distance to the floor.

Victor chuckles warmly, and his hand repeatedly runs over my hair. Giving one last squeeze, I climb off of his flattened body, feeling mighty embarrassed for my obnoxious show of affection.

"Huh. I'd forgotten about that. We'd always be the knights, while you and Vic would be the prince and princess," Kota says softly.

My cheeks burn as I remember feeling that for the first time in my life, I could be the princess I'd dreamed of being when playing with these wonderful, affectionate boys. "I can't believe you guys insisted on playing that with me." I shake my head in wonder. "It seems like such a girly game now that I think about it," I smirk.

"Shut your mouth, Trouble! We were manly fucking knights on a quest to save your damn kingdom!" Gabe protests with a playful scowl.

"Well, most of us were. Vic here was the pansy prince every damn day after the first time we played," Nate scoffs then sends a teasing wink to Victor.

From the corner of my eye, I see Victor stiffen. My eyes swing to his, and I notice the spark I've always been drawn to, has dimmed. Without thinking, my fingers lace between his while I turn to face him fully.

"I never liked your nanny. I never thought less of anyone for doing what they had to do to survive," I state just above a whisper.

His eyes spark once more, and a full, radiant smile spreads across his face showcasing his beautiful, white teeth, and eyes of flame.

"Dewdrop, don't you want to know what we found in your x-rays?" Sean sounds particularly pouty as he draws my gaze from studying Victor.

"Lay it on me, Doc," I smirk.

"You have some strained ligaments in both shoulders, and what we suspect to be bone bruising in your feet and ankles. We won't know for sure unless you have an MRI. Your knees may feel some tenderness, but nothing to make us suggest light activity on your lower limbs; just don't go running any marathons. Basically, you have to take it easy and do gentle stretches for your arms; preferably with the assistance of another person. I'm more than willing to sacrifice myself to all of your...medical needs," he adds with an eyebrow waggle.

I snort a laugh, but it dies as I look around the office to all of the other occupants. They are all giving me looks of pity that just make me angry.

"Nah. I can manage on my own, but thanks anyway," I retort a little sharper than intended.

"One wouldn't guess that you were injured at all with the way you tackled Mr. Morgan" the grey eyed suit says with no little hint of irony in his tone.

"Well, I've had worse, haven't I?" I snap and instantly regret my loosened tongue.

"Indeed. It seems you've caused quite a stir with the radiography technician and specialist. They've only seen cases like yours in textbooks. Remodeling without proper bone setting, malnutrition, repeated stress fractures," Blackbourne trails off when he sees everyone in the room stiffen with anger or sadness.

Not wanting to deal with pity, I fire back with anger and righteous indignation.

"So much for HIPAA. What kind of dog and pony show is this place?" I huff.

"You are absolutely correct, Miss Sang. We should not have intruded upon you receiving the results of your x-rays," Blackbourne states, showing no visible signs of remorse.

Figures. The guy doesn't let people see what he doesn't want them to. Let's just shake this up, shall we, I think as I stand and straighten my sleep-rumpled clothes.

"Do you mean the results that I never actually received? The ones every other person in this room heard except the person that is legally entitled to hear but only heard second, maybe third hand?" I ask quietly. Precisely.

Blackbourne's eyes change from cold slate grey to swirling mercury as a look of respect flashes across his face. The emotion vanishes as quickly as it appeared, but there's no way I'd imagined it. Without his eyes straying from mine, he orders the others from the room.

"Well?" I ask as soon as the guys close the door on their way out.

"Why don't we have a seat at the table, Miss Sang." Blackbourne gestures toward a longish rectangular table in the middle of the room.

He pulls out a chair to the right of the short end nearest the door, but keeping my face neutral I take a seat at the head of the table instead of the one offered. Blackbourne's eyebrow lifts, but he merely takes the chair he'd presented me.

"I do apologize for my family's intrusion into your medical privacy. It was not meant to be distressing for you. Dr. Green believed you would not mind as you had yet to request privacy thus far. Added to the fact that the others already consider you family of sorts, I do not assume they realized that our actions were indeed quite intrusive," Blackbourne apologizes prettily while simultaneously forgiving them their poor, obviously illegal behavior.

My mouth pinches tightly to hold in refutes about being anyone's family anymore, but the workings of my mind must have been obvious.

"Miss Sang," Blackbourne starts what is bound to be a perfectly good argument for family I'm sure, but I interrupt.

"Owen. Can I call you Owen? Good. My name is Sang. That's it. Just Sang. You're about to tell me all the wonderful aspects of being in your family, and while I adored many of the guys as a child—still like them today if I'm honest, I don't need any more family. I've had enough," I rattle without giving him a chance to respond.