Isha

"Ouch! Shame on you for hurting an injured lady."

Lola laughs in fury at my groan. "Sweetheart. Be glad I smacked your arm, and not your bandaged leg."

"Oh come on, you know I am being dramatic. It's a small wound which will heal within two days. I can even walk around normally."

"Not without limping." She grumbles more.

"I am fine. Really." I smile with an extra beam, in order to ease some of the tension that Lola has been experiencing, all this time.

"Where does your mind wander off to even when you're crossing the road?"

To last night. The unintentional, hot kiss. Since the morning, although I had managed to maintain my composure in front of others, the tumultuous storm raging inside me hadn't been quite calm.

Like any other day, I was walking back to my apartment, after the school-shift ended. Unfortunately, the vivid, erotic imagery that I had shut off for the entirety of the day while I taught my students, overpowered my concentration skills later. Whatever I did. Wherever I set my eyes on. The soft, plump lips on mine, sucking, pulling, tugging, flipping, refused to leave my mind.

That is also how I got myself in a little accident with a delivery boy's scooter, who seemed even more nervous than he already was, for running late with the deliveries, I assumed. Coincidentally, Lola and her cousin were right there, somewhere near, as they were finishing up their grocery shopping. And well, once my best friend's eyes fell on me, who was bleeding through her legs, and being helped up by others, she practically threw the money at the cashier's face before dragging out a dumbfounded Neil with her. Let's just say after that, Lola gave me a scolding for a good forty minutes, the entire ambulance ride to the hospital. At least Neil got the privilege of driving Lola's precious car, since the girl had insisted on accompanying me.

"Lola." My sister Anvi barges inside the room with exhaustion, which she rarely shows on her emotionless face. "No offence, but why is your cousin so weird?"

"I have been asking myself the same question ever since he was born," Lola says, agreeing with Anvi's words, "What did he do now?"

"I am assuming he got offended for not receiving any response to his flirts?" Anvi replies, as if she herself is unsure about the boy, who is a year older than her.

I can't help but sneak a smile. Considering Neil's personality, he must have tried to playfully flirt with my sister, not knowing that Anvi is like a living, breathing rock. Even Aria and I find it hard to get a proper reaction or display of emotion from our youngest sibling. Not that we mind. It's just how she is. Anvi likes to spend time with herself than waste her energy in socializing, to be specific.

"Don't mind him, Anvi." Lola shakes her head, hearing about her cousin. "He is a total weirdo."

"I am not." Neil enters next and for a fraction of a second I think I did see a flicker of annoyance in Anvi. Well, at least Neil is able to witness Anvi show some emotion. "Right, Anvi? At least I know your name now."

Anvi blatantly ignores the smug looking boy as she tries to find something in the room with which she can keep herself busy.

"Stop bothering her," Lola groans at her cousin, but he is already trailing behind my sister while she tries her best to avoid him. They do look kind of adorable, although I can't help but feel pity for my poor sister who despises socializing with new people, more than anything.

"May I have your number at least? Even our sisters are friends." Neil's words fade away as he follows Anvi out of the room.

"Neil is such a pain in the ass. At times, I feel like I am babysitting a spoilt kid, although he isn't any different." Lola complains before turning her attention back to me. "Is Aria coming?"

I shake my head in denial. "I haven't informed her. Anvi won't either. You know how stressed and concerned she can get when anything happens to her sisters and well, taking her sensitive condition in mind—"

"Why? Is she alright?" Lola crooks her eyebrows when I remember that I haven't told the girl about the good news yet.

I can't help the grin from appearing on my face at the thought of being an aunt. It's not that I haven't been an aunt yet (referring to my cousins' and other distant relatives' children), but to become an aunt of your own sibling's child feels a bit overwhelming and surreal.

"Aria is pregnant."

Lola's eyes widen as she clasps her mouth with her palms. She adores babies and knowing my best friend, she is probably already imagining pictures of the unborn baby.

"I need to congratulate her. That's such awesome news—" her words get cut off at the ringing of her phone. Lola clicks her tongue in annoyance after viewing the Caller ID. She gives me an apologetic glance, "I have to take this. Sorry."

"Go ahead."

And with that, the girl leaves as well, leaving me with the presence of my own self in the room. The doctor has instructed the nurses to discharge me after two more hours. Perhaps I should get some sleep, since I clearly couldn't last night, due to unexpected circumstances.

As I proceed to lie down on the bed, I hear thundering footsteps outside and soon after, a familiar male enters the room, looking dishevelled. Messy hair, coat gone, few buttons undone, panicked expression growing more anxious after witnessing my bandaged leg...why is he here? How did he even know about my little accident?

Prince Calix doesn't waste a second before striding up and pulling me into a tight but warm embrace. My hands remain in the air, awestruck at the sudden gesture, but eventually close around his back while I pat him. Calix is mildly shaking, which makes me wonder if he had another anxiety attack, not long ago. As I soothingly move my palms up and down on his back, the man leaves a shuddering breath of relief.

"Why are you so careless?" Calix's voice breaks with every word. He isn't crying or close to tears, but the anxiousness in his tone is crystal clear.

"Calix, I am fine." I lightly move away from his embrace to look into his eyes with a heartening gaze. Taking his face into my palms, I continue, "It was just a minor injury. It is not like I am on my deathbe—"

"Do not say that!"

I flinch at the male's sudden yell full of fear as he moves away from my hold; his eyes dilate once in a while as he tries to catch his breath. I do not speak and give him space to recollect his emotions.

When it seems like he has finally calmed down from his previous anxious demeanour, Calix takes a seat at the end of the bed, and messes up his golden hair with a sigh. "I apologize for losing my calm. I was...scared."

"Calix, look at me."

He does look at me and my heart almost breaks seeing the poor, lost soul, desperate to not lose someone...anyone, swirling in his eyes.

"Apart from my bandaged leg, do you see anymore wound or bruise?"

"Your elbows and knees seem to have scraped."

"But that's it. We fall, we get hurt, we have accidents." I smile, scooting closer to Calix. The prince of course, tries to prevent me from moving, but the inconsequential pain of my leg is nothing more painful than witnessing Calix give in to his anxiety.

With my wounded leg kept straight on the bed, I manage to somehow hold Calix's hands and gaze into those frightened blue orbs warmly. "I am thankful to have gone through a minor accident and injury, which of course is my fault since I wasn't paying enough attention on the road. So, I deserve this wound, and it'll heal in two days. It's not like I can't walk anymore. Of course, I am limping, but it's nothing serious and trust me when I say this. These are the doctor's words, not mine."

"But still, you got me terrified there." Another string of sigh leaves Calix. He hesitates initially, but speaks later, "I thought...I thought something serious has happened to you."

"Don't worry silly. Isha Sen will not leave Prince High Horse so soon."

"Prince High Horse?" Calix raises his eyebrow. "Let me guess. My name has been saved by this gracious title in your phone?"

I only laugh awkwardly. Damn it, he catches on fast. It is not that Calix will send me to prison for saving a royalty's name in my contacts list, in such an insulting (according to the aristocrats) way.

"You can change my name in your phone as a payback."

Calix smiles smugly. "What makes you think I haven't already?"

Here I was drowning in guilt, thinking that I have broken some Royal Code of Conduct by hilariously insulting a royal prince, but to think Calix will turn out to be the kind of person to do the same is honestly, baffling.

"What is it? My name in your contacts?" I ask eagerly, hoping it would be less offensive than what I have his name saved as.

"It is..." Calix playfully trails off, playing with my patience more and hums low strings, as if deeply in thought. "It is...a secret."

"You are insufferable." I grumble, earning a low groan from the male when I deliberately clutch his palms in my hands, tightly.

"Anyway," Calix takes his hands away from my hold and gently caresses my cheeks, giving rise to fluttering feelings inside my stomach. He does not look away, and stare into my dark brown eyes with as much warmth as he can possibly muster. "I am glad that you are alright. I was so frightened when I learnt about your accident that it felt like, something was eating my insides away."

I smile warmly in response, not questioning his concern. Although it does make me wonder why Calix was so worked up over a minor accident his fake girlfriend has gone through. There is a possibility that it's because he feared for the reaction of the Syncitians and Carlos' coronation, if something happened to me. Other than that, apart from friendly concern, there is no need for Calix to be anxious over a mere citizen of a country.

"How did you even come to know about my accident?" I ask, after a while.

"Lola informed Nirvana."

"Right, Lola." I sigh at the mention of my best friend. Calix and I are lovers in her eyes, hence, it is only understandable why she thought of informing the prince about his supposed girlfriend's injury. But knowing Lola, she probably had exaggerated the descriptions of my wounds and made it seem like I was dying from blood loss.

As the room grows silent, memories of last night's unforgettable kiss, knock at the door of my mind. Both Calix and I know that the kiss meant nothing. Yet again, I am not brave enough to address the elephant in the room and clear the air.

My ears perk up at the sound of loud, approaching footsteps and before we can comprehend anything, two male figures barge inside the room, huffing and puffing and wheezing. Were they running? Well, considering their bedraggled figures, which were similar to Calix's prior appearance when he reached here, they were running.

Prince Carlos and Harvey Jikora. What the hell are these two doing here now?

"What are you two doing here?" Calix speaks up before me, as he moves away and stands up from the bed to face the new individuals. His eyes and voice seemingly darken with each step he takes towards them.

Carlos remains unfazed, as for Harvey, who appears to be a bit intimidated by Calix, soon moves his warm gaze to me. "Are you alright?" he asks stepping closer, but gets blocked by Carlos anyway, who (quite rudely, if I must add), shoves Harvey away to reach me.

"Isha, how are you feeling?" In contrast to Carlos' usual exuberant comportment, he appears as seriously worried today.

"Miss Sen it is, Your Royal Highness." I answer curtly but change the tone of my voice slightly, seeing his genuine concern, "And I am alright. Nothing for you to worry about."

"That's a relief." Carlos exhales deeply.

Meanwhile, I can't help but round my eyes at the presence of the three men in the room. It is no wonder that the three were in a meeting together, else there is not a way Harvey and Carlos could've possibly known about my accident. Calix coming here for me, whether it be to pose as a caring boyfriend to the media, or afraid for his future, it is understandable. In fact, Harvey coming here to visit me is understandable as well, since we were once very close friends. But to see Crown Prince Carlos, leaving a possibly important meeting for a woman he does not know well, doesn't sit right with me.

However, the genuine concern in all the three men's eyes is something that I can't easily shake off as fake.

Damn, I feel even more suffocated now. Do they not have significant matters surrounding Syncitia, to attend to?

"Both of you should leave." Calix proclaims, his voice as cold as ice. "Isha needs rest."

But before either Carlos or Harvey could respond to him, the doctor and nurse who were tending to me, enter the room. And the stupefied expressions they both had witnessing the first prince of Syncitia, the Crown Prince, and a Royal Employee (every Royal Employee is given a special batch to recognize their status), all together.

They greet them bowing awkwardly, before the doctor speaks, clearing his throat. "Miss Sen, after analysing your conditions, you do not need to stay for two more hours in fact. There is no case of internal bleeding or broken bones, therefore, you are good to go. As for the hospital charges to be filled, that you were previously inquiring about; the authorities have received payments from five different accounts. I just wanted to clear up the matter with you, who is your rightful guardian?"

"Wait what?" I stare at the doctor in complete confusion. "I said that I can pay my own hospital bills, then who would...also, five accounts? Who are the owners?"

"One moment please." The doctor takes a piece of paper from the nurse and reads out the names of the owners of the accounts aloud. "Anvi Sen, Lola Hwang, Harvey Jikora, Calix Mercuro Sonata Liorsa Tiore, and, Carlos Mercuro Sonata Liorsa Tiore."

"Ex-fucking-scuse-me?" With widened eyes, I send sharp glares at the three men in the room, who are trying their best to avoid my gaze. I can talk to Anvi and Lola later, and honestly, the two jumping in to pay for my hospital charges isn't unnatural. But Calix, Carlos, and Harvey, not wasting a moment and attempting to pay for me, is what perturbs me. The least they could've done was inform me. Do I really appear as someone incapable of paying her own hospital bills?

"Stop being a clingy bitch and sucking all the money I earn, from me." The voice of Killian triggers a memory which I had long forgotten.

Do I appear as such a person who has to depend on others?

Irritation heightens my senses and with a cold gaze, I answer tersely. "Please decline all the requests for payments from the mentioned accounts. I will pay for the charges from my account."

The three men seem as if they want me to reject but oh no. I am alright.

I despise being seen as weak and incapable.

"I can leave now, then?" I ask, ignoring the three pairs of eyes on me.

"Yes of course. Please escort Miss Sen out." The doctor instructs the nurse, who comes towards me with the wheelchair, and begins to help me sit on it. "Did you by chance bring a car that someone could drive? Because I'd advise you to not drive in this condition."

"I'll take her."

Complete silence prevails in the room when three voices speak up at the same time. Calix and Carlos can only give one another glares, as for Harvey, he appears as stupefied as the doctor and nurse.

"It's fine." I say. "I'll book a cab."

"Then do you have anyone to accompany you. It would be better if you reduce your leg movements for the next twenty-four hours. Hence, having someone to look after you would be suitable, if you want faster improvement, Miss Sen."

Before the three men could unnecessarily speak for me again, I answer. "My roommate will help me."

Lies. My roommate moved out into her fiancé's house last week. I haven't yet put up a notice to look for a new roommate because one, I enjoy the space I am having now and two, not anyone can be as trustworthy as my previous roommate. Not to mention, I have been thinking of buying the apartment altogether, for quite some time, so that I can have a residence of my own at the very least.

Anyway, I can manage myself for the next twenty-four hours and if I face any problem, Anvi and Lola will be one call away. Well, perhaps not Lola, given her busy schedule, although she will very much insist on moving into my apartment for the week, if so much as ask her. As for Anvi, she will not mind but I know how hard life can get at times for a university student. I am simply glad that at one call of Lola, my sister came running from the campus.

And there is no way I am asking Aria for help. Pregnant women tend to get more stressed and that may be harmful for the baby.

"Excuse me, Miss Sen." The nurse whispers under her breath when she begins to take me out through the corridors, on the wheelchair. "If you don't mind, may I ask something?"

"Yes, sure."

"Uh, who are these three men to you?" she asks, glancing subtly at the three individuals following us out. Fortunately, Lola had to leave for an emergency and I forced Anvi to go as well (she seemed thankful after parting away from a certain male named Neil). Thus, I don't have many people gathering around me in present, at least. Well, except for Kev, Audrey, and Jonathan (Carlos' secretary), who have been ordered to stay outside the hospital by the two princes.

"I mean, I know Prince Calix is your lover but Prince Carlos and the other gentleman being so concerned over you, in a manner similar to Prince Calix..."

I would have been slightly irritated at the nurse's nosiness if the circumstances were different, however to any person, the behaviour of the three might come off as questionable. Especially in such a hilarious situation that I have found myself in. At least, the behaviour of Prince Carlos and Harvey will.

I only hope that I do not find my name in tomorrow's newspaper with the headlines, Isha Sen has yet again managed to seduce not one but two more dignitary people of Syncitia.

"Don't ask." I sigh. "My mind is too messed up from their behaviours already."

"Oh, of course."

And people say women are hard to figure out.