Page 16

SIXTEEN

“Terry is a saint.”

Rather than melt metal, play on the mud run, and visit with Thunder, I accompanied Baby and May to the hospital. Within ten minutes, Dr. Stanton texted me to summon an ambulance, as the little girl had internal injuries she could not address. I texted Melody, relayed Dr. Stanton’s instructions, and ended up getting the same general diagnosis. Melody could handle May in the palace, although she wouldn’t.

The hospital records would support the revoked custody and my adoption of the girls.

As their guardian, I had the choice of following them in my car or riding in the ambulance, and as I was the only person they knew, I opted for the ride. I bet the morning papers would run wild over the situation.

The paparazzi loved selling photographs to rags, and they’d be getting more than a few shots of me carrying and doing my best to comfort a crying Baby while explaining to May why they both needed to see the doctors at the hospital.

Dr. Stanton didn’t play with internal injuries, nor did Melody.

At the hospital, I played the waiting game while sticking close to the triage in case the doctors and nurses overwhelmed the children. In good news for my sanity, Dr. Stanton and Melody did a good job of keeping the kids somewhat calm.

In order to get a better idea of the extent of injuries, the hospital opted to run both girls through their MRI machines, which required sedation. Melody opted to oversee both tests, leaving me with Dr. Stanton.

“How bad is it?”

“Both girls are suffering from hematoma at a minimum, and I suspect multiple organ contusions for Baby. May’s case seems less severe. I suspect she has learned how to best protect herself from assault. Baby’s too young.”

I somehow kept from cursing. “Just give it to me straight. How serious are the injuries?”

“Without care, I would give it a coin flip for Baby to survive through the night. May’s prognosis is significantly better, but Baby needs a great deal of medical care. I would not be surprised if both children are hospitalized for at least three days. Baby will require a transfusion. And no, you’re not her blood type, so you can’t donate. I will be filing the appropriate charges against the parents, so you let me worry about that.”

“Is Baby’s mental acuity where it should be?”

“She’s well ahead of the curve. I noticed when I started the examination. I suspect she’s been watching adult television with her sister explaining the big words and concepts. Melody mentioned that May seemed quite intelligent as well. Neither are suffering from head injuries outside of bruising, and Melody seems to think that the facial bruise was accidental.”

“As accidental as striking a child with such force can be,” I muttered.

“If we can get the organ contusions mended overnight, we can bring them both back from the hospital in the morning, but it depends on Melody—and if her father can handle the work. I suspect he can. The level of injuries won’t take him long to treat, and we have protocols for injuries like this for members of the royal family—even newly adopted members. Melody might be able to handle it, but after her work with Jane, she’s on low reserves. Handling your concussion symptoms was within her range and gave her mending abilities a break.”

I nodded. “Whatever you feel is best for the kids. I’m not at all concerned about the costs.”

“I know you’re not. Their parents, however, will be, because they’re still covered under their insurance—assuming they have it. I overrode the insurance issue on intake. Your insurance policy covers them starting at the time of the signing. And yes, I asked Terry while you were filling out the basic paperwork.”

“Terry is a saint,” I muttered.

“He is. He’s at the palace making certain there won’t be any issues with that. Your insurance company is aware of the girls, and they liked my suggestion that we try to force the parents to pay the piper for their abuse, but in either case, they’ll be cared for. I’d send you back to the palace, but you’d annoy everyone there with your pacing, so we’re going to play the waiting game. I’ll coach you on how to handle children healing from extensive mending work. The visual bruising is just the surface of the problems, especially with Baby. It seems they were trained to not complain when in pain.”

“And they weren’t allowed to see doctors,” I grumbled.

“We won’t be handling their vaccinations until both have recovered, but I did request a blood draw and a check if they have had any immunizations. I doubt it, though. Melody detected that May has survived at least one childhood disease and will require care to overcome the consequences of that.”

If I ran into their parents, I would be tempted to eradicate both from the planet. “At least I’m confident my parents viewed us as more valuable alive than dead.”

Dr. Stanton sighed. “I hate that I’m forced to agree with you. I regret that Melody hadn’t taken Baby for the initial check, though. Her talent for trauma is a great deal more refined than mine. This is not my expertise.”

“You’re a great general physician, though, despite being a specialist. But that does lead me to a curiosity question.”

“You want to know if I could help you with your talent.”

“Not precisely. I was more interested in knowing if it was possible to do something like hexapentin restrictions on someone like me. I know Sylvia’s nullification was successful, but she was never skilled or particularly talented.” I sighed at the memory of my sister, the worst of my siblings by far. “But I guess she was truly spoiled, wasn’t she?”

“Had your parents cared a little more about your happiness, they could have accomplished the same goal with you and your sister without leaving you scarred. They just didn’t care about your happiness.”

That I could agree with. “How do I raise two little girls to become better people than Sylvia? I know nothing about raising children. Hell, most of the days, I can barely handle myself.”

“Ian, sometimes, all it takes for someone to prove how capable they are is an opportunity to do so. No parent knows anything about raising children until they have children. Some people think they can because they helped to raise siblings, but even then, it’s not the same. There are some good resources I can get for you to help you expand your basic education, but you have the important parts figured out. You were worried the girls were sick, so you took them to the doctor. That’s a good start. You removed them from a dangerous environment, and for no reason other than you could, you adopted them. I know you’re stressed and anxious, but do try to have a little faith in yourself. You’re doing the right things, and you’re even doing them in the right ways. You are not at fault for what happened to your little girls, but you took responsibility for it. You could have put them into fostering. You didn’t. You took custody. I don’t recommend yanking custody every time you’re asked to oversee a trial like that, but you did what any empath would have done, and you did it without a fuss. Had His Royal Majesty of Montana been there? There would have been a fuss. He also wouldn’t have handled the medical examination portion of things nearly as well as you.”

“I’m concerned about how Daphne is going to react.”

“Daphne is on her way to Montana, and she’ll be flying the horse plane over tomorrow night. Fortunately, that’s keeping Alaska and Montana out of the kingdom until then at the earliest. Terry thought it was wise to get her out of the kingdom, at least long enough for the parents to be put in prison. She might try to eradicate them, and you don’t need a murder case on your hands.” Dr. Stanton herded me to the waiting area and found a pair of seats, encouraging me to sit. “Once Melody is done with the MRIs, we’ll swap, and she’ll brief you on the severity, any precautions we’ll need to take at the palace, and set up a diet plan. They are probably suffering from malnutrition.”

Thanks to my intolerance for alcohol, I’d combatted malnutrition most of my life. My sister had as well, although to a lesser degree.

When I hadn’t been dunking her into the nearest body of water, I’d been plying her with every snack I could get my hands on. I questioned why my parents had provided an unlimited supply of beef jerky, but most of it had vanished into my sister’s cavernous stomach rather than mine.

“Remind me to buy beef jerky,” I muttered.

“For you, the kids, or your sister?”

“All of the above.”

“Wait until we get them to a dentist before sending them down the dark road of beef jerky. Let’s not add broken teeth to the mix,” she advised.

Damn it. “Think you can convince someone to do a run to Lancaster for beef jerky? I think we’re going to need the tough stuff, Dr. Stanton.”

Laughing and shaking her head, she got out her phone and sent a text. “I’ll make sure you have something to chew on. Once we find out how much mending is going to be needed, and if His Royal Majesty of Maine can take over the work, I’ll take you to the palace and you can work out your nerves melting some metal down. The girls are going to need you to be calm and collected.”

I nodded. “I’ll do my work before I crash out, assuming we aren’t here all night.”

“You won’t be. I’ll be kicking you out at midnight at the latest. Really, I need confirmation if we can get them out of here by midnight. It depends on the severity. I won’t have them separated unless necessary for treatments, so if Baby can’t leave, neither can May. It would stress them both too much.”

If the doctor said it would stress the children too much, I believed her. I checked my watch, determining I would only be waiting four hours before being kicked out of the hospital. “All right. I’ll wait until midnight, and I’ll grab dinner at the cafeteria here if the RPS can tolerate me eating bad hospital food.”

“There is a fast food joint next door, and I’ll go with you. I could use some fast food after today. The MRIs will take a while, and taking you out for fast food will keep you out of the way. Sitting here versus sitting there won’t make any difference, and it’ll be better for you mentally. Waiting rooms have a way of adding to the stress, and I’d rather avoid stressing you more than necessary.”

“That sounds like a plan. I won’t tell my sister if you don’t.”

“Honestly, I expect your sister to show up, and I’ll be encouraging her to eat her feelings. Today has been a roller coaster, and I’m not above using forbidden fruit to keep you both sound.”

“Let’s just warn the RPS agents, that way they know where to drop my sister off.” I spotted a pair of agents, two of whom I believed were empaths but tended to hover near Rachel. I got up, headed over, and joined them in being wallflowers. “Hospital food is bad enough Dr. Stanton would prefer me to risk the fast food joint next door. Is my sister coming?”

The one nearest me nodded, and he replied, “We notified her after the girls went through triage. She should be here in fifteen minutes. Do you want me to redirect her to the fast food joint?”

“Please do. I’ve been told I will be out of here by midnight, with or without the girls, so we’ll plan accordingly. I’ll make a decision if I leave sooner after I have a chance to talk with Melody.”

Dr. Stanton strode over, checking her phone. “I am expecting you to drink at least two large sodas, Ian. You’ll need the sugar when you do your melting work at the palace. If they sell milkshakes, you can have as many as will fit into your stomach.”

Had someone told me a doctor would be ordering me to binge on milkshakes as a child, I would have laughed from disbelief. “How did Rachel handle the news?”

“Poorly,” the RPS agent warned me. “She got a lawyer out of bed, informed him he would be pursuing every charge against their parents possible, and would have rampaged had His Royal Majesty not intervened. His suggestion to come support you got her to change directions, but she is furious. It was one thing for them to be bruised, but for their parents to bar the children from seeing a doctor? Unacceptable. We’ve already reached out to her therapist about the situation.”

“She likely thinks our parents beat me to the same extent, where in reality, they limited where I took the hits. I was at no real risk of internal injury. I got a swat or two to the upper chest, but those were accidental, and our parents kept a close eye on me when that happened. If I had any type of trauma to my abdomen or chest from an accident, they always immediately took me to a doctor to be checked. I’m not condoning what they did, but there are differences that need to be acknowledged. My parents abused us with a goal in mind. Their parents just wanted to hurt their children.”

Dr. Stanton sighed. “I fear he’s correct. There is zero evidence in the royal medical records that the former monarchs ever hit their children in such a way that might cause dangerous or significant injury. It was meant to hurt and only hurt. That doesn’t change the fact Her Majesty and His Royal Highness were abused, but it puts the abuse into two different categories. Baby could have easily passed away overnight without intervention, and only Ian’s diligence is preventing that. What did the empaths in the courthouse report upon Prince Ian giving his verdict?”

The RPS agents exchanged glances, which I translated to mean they didn’t want to discomfort me. “It was relief, wasn’t it? They were glad to get rid of their children. Both of them.”

Both agents grimaced before nodding.

Bastards. “Dr. Stanton, I want you and Melody to work with my sister’s lawyer to concoct every single charge you can. I want the list of charges more robust than the list California drafted against Cassandra’s parents. If this level of abuse is happening to Baby and May, it’s happening to other children, and I will do everything I can to see it stopped. That means we crucify their parents in the public eye and make certain they pay for their crimes—and educate people on how much ruination they will face for beating their children. No child deserves that.”

“Not even you,” Dr. Stanton murmured.

I eyed the woman, met her gaze, and accepted her point with a nod. “Not even me.”

“Good. I will remind you of that as often as needed. Are you wearing your suppressor?”

“I am.” I had my enhancer in my pocket, but I would leave it there. With my emotions as they were, it wouldn’t surprise me if I busted through my suppressor if provoked. “I’ll keep my temper in check. Vengeance will be served cold and in such a way where those little girls understand they will never be hurt like that again.”

* * *

Change always needed a catalyst, and I recognized the moment my sister transformed from a woman expected to do her duty to a queen determined to rule her kingdom. It would bother me for a long time that Baby and May held responsibility for the shift in Rachel’s perspective, but some prices needed to be paid.

“They’ll be fine,” Dr. Stanton promised, and she handed over a chocolate milkshake I’d suggested be ready to face my sister’s wrath. “Ian did everything right, and once we go back to the hospital, we should have more news on if the girls will be able to return to the palace tonight or in the morning. If Melody’s father is handling their case, we’ll have them settling into their suites no later than noon.”

“He’s on the way. I already spoke to him. He isn’t handling the situation any better than I am, which made me feel a little better about the situation.” Rachel sat beside me, scrunched her shoulders, and went to work vanquishing her chocolatey foe. Once she had a hit of sugary goodness, she grumbled, “There are reporters outside, and they’re gobbling up the drama like the bottom feeders they are. Ethan is talking to them, and he’s asking them if they might, out of the kindness of their hearts, be gentle about how they release the news articles. He’s bribing them with adorably cute pictures of you holding Baby, Ian. The RPS agents took a bunch of shots knowing the reporters will be coming for your soul. There are also pictures of you combing their hair and doing your fatherly duties to children you hadn’t even adopted yet. This is going to blow up on us.”

“How so?”

“Every single mother in the kingdom is going to want a piece of you. Madelyn was positively drooling once you started handling the kids and she realized that you’re not just some spoiled prince.” Rachel hesitated. “She’s allowed to drool. That was before we understood how severe the abuse issues are. Then she went red hot with fury. The empaths have had a rough day. But I was told to improve your self-esteem, and Madelyn was running hot the instant she realized you’re the kind to randomly adopt two kids to protect them from their biological parents.”

“Well, that was not the intention, but I’ll take anything I can get at this point. Think she’ll help me raise them? Because I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“I’m fairly confident she’ll help you with the child rearing portion of this venture,” my sister replied, and she relaxed. “You don’t mind about the pictures?”

“Do I look like a handsome prince caring for his new daughters?”

“Absolutely.”

I shrugged. “I’m going to be talking to Will in the morning to ask for advice, as he’s going through similar. It’s not the same, as his new kids weren’t abused, but the unexpected adoptions are similar.”

“I’ll text him with a warning so he knows the talk is family related rather than business. We’re trying to keep him in Montana, and we might actually succeed. It helps I’ve sent Daphne over to get the plane, so we might dodge him coming and rampaging. If I tell him I need him at home to confer with Mackenzie and talk with you, he might actually stay in Montana. If he stays in Montana, Alaska will stay home, too.” My sister set her milkshake down long enough to tap at her phone. “How did you convince Dr. Stanton to bring us here of all places?”

“The hospital food is scary enough I won’t touch it, and I needed a milkshake. If I needed a milkshake, there was no doubt in my mind that both of you could use one. We’ll behave tomorrow. The girls will be kept under sedation or encouraged to sleep through the rest of the night. I expect they’ll be kept sedated. They probably won’t remember much about the hospital visit, and we’ll discharge them during the reversal process. Melody and I can readily handle any reversal complications should there be any. That way, they’ll wake up being held and at the palace, feeling a lot better. For them, it’ll be a day and night difference. I expect a great deal of confusion from both children when they wake up without being in pain.”

“How long do you think they’ve been hurting?” my sister asked in a subdued tone.

“They’ve been hurting their entire lives. Baby’s pain tolerance far exceeds the norm, and there were numerous signs of having endured stress over a long period of time. I’ve only had limited interactions with May, but I suspect the same for her. For a while, we’ll be tiptoeing around them until we learn what the precursors for them being hit were. And Ian? Do not be surprised if they start calling you their daddy almost immediately. I will be asking the RPS to refer to you as ‘your dad’ or ‘your father’ to the girls, and titles will not be used. I’d like you to start teaching Baby her real name once she’s home. Go ahead and also use baby girl and similar so she’s comfortable, but get her used to the idea of having an actual name. Coach her with asking if she knows that she has another name, and depending on her answer, teach her that it’s Danielle. Then you can ask her if she likes it. If she doesn’t, start proposing new names for her and we’ll process the name change to be the one she wants.”

“I’ll do that.” I snagged my milkshake, which was also chocolate, and eyed the glass doors, where Ethan held a rather lengthy conversation with the paparazzi. “I feel he’s doing more than just asking them to use good photos of me while presenting me in a positive light.”

“I’m sure he is. He is likely giving them all the case information, which is available as a public record, so that we can start working on tightening up abuse prevention. Also, he was going to adopt them if you hadn’t. He stopped to ask me first, which is why we lost the draw.”

“You’ll just have to provide me with nieces and nephews in other fashions. I’m sure you can figure out the pertinent details.”

Dr. Stanton snickered. “Just ask Melody to help with the prenatal care, Rachel. She’s already making frequent trips here to help with Olivia’s twins, so you won’t be much extra work. You’re healthy enough now that you can pursue children should you want.”

My sister lit up. “Really?”

“I was going to wait to tell you until your brother left and you were feeling sorry for yourself because he’s in California and you aren’t, but yes. You’re physically capable of handling the strain now should you wish to pursue children. We’ll have to take care with your diet and ease you off as many milkshakes, as gestational diabetes is a real thing that can happen to some women, but we’ll monitor you closely.”

Judging from the way my sister bounced in her seat, she had plans, and they involved the eradication of all things birth control. Until Ethan, she hadn’t wanted children, but the father of her future children made all the difference in the world for her. Before Baby and May, children hadn’t even been on my radar.

The one woman I’d even consider having kids with had been far out of reach. That could change, but until it did, I would muddle my way through my changed circumstances.

I considered my sister, and I wondered what else would change in the near future. “Please politely refuse any offers from single moms or bachelorettes on my behalf. I know the offers will be coming.”

They’d be coming from far and wide, from elite to royal families, until my sanity threatened to completely crack under the strain.

Rachel laughed at me. “I’ll just tell them you’re a concentrated leech focused on taking care of your new babies. You’ll be fine. I’ll accept only one offer of marriage for your hand, but I wish you the best of luck with receiving said offer. However, I feel you made progress today, as you did the one thing she never thought you’d do.”

“You mean put everyone else before me?” I muttered.

“I mean, you are a spoiled New York prince,” she teased. “But yes. She has had her misconceptions thoroughly crushed. The instant you started combing May’s hair, she realized she had the wrong idea about you. She’d started realizing it upon coming to the palace to live, but the courthouse changed everything.”

Yes, it had. “Do you think I even have a chance with her?” I allowed myself to slump onto the table and stare at my sister, not caring if anyone saw me being vulnerable in her presence.

Rachel laughed, reached over, and ruffled my hair. “Just keep being yourself, Ian. It’ll work out. You have her attention, so all you have to do is keep being you. Change should only happen because you want to be a better version of yourself, not because you want to chase a skirt. Not that you were ever actually skilled at chasing skirts. The skirts chased you, and you wished they’d leave you alone. The skirt you wanted to chase you never did.”

“Dr. Stanton, I’d like to report a crime.”

“Your self-esteem will survive, so I’m afraid that no crimes have been committed. However, I will inform relevant parties that you are shy and enjoy being approached. You’re an introvert who is often forced to pretend that you’re an extrovert, which is generally exhausting, thus requiring relevant parties to reach out when you are not acting on behalf of some kingdom or another.” Dr. Stanton got out her phone and made a note on it. “However, this does bring up a good point for your therapist to consider. We’ve been treating you as though you are outgoing rather than sullenly dutiful.”

I scowled, pointing at my sister. “But she’s being mean, Dr. Stanton.”

“She is a New Yorker. That is what New Yorkers do when a defenseless male leaves himself open for verbal sneak attacks. As you provided her with a huge opening, you deserve what you received.”

As I had no hope against the women in my life, I went for my milkshake and grumbled over the situation.

“Don’t worry about him, Rachel. He’ll survive. Princes need to be put in their place every now and then, else they get egotistical. This one isn’t as bad as some, but he can be quite egotistical. Really, when I get home, I’m going to hunt down his former RPS agents and give them a scolding for leaving him to the sharks. I might request that at least Zach return to New York. With the former monarchs out of the way, he likely would not resist a transfer back.” Dr. Stanton met my gaze and held it. “And the only reason Zach went to North Dakota was because Adam, at the time, needed him a great more than you did. With two little girls to worry about, the tables have turned. I’ll discuss the situation with Terry. Peter won’t come back, and that’s nothing to do with you, Ian. He has a wife and a newborn, and he’s considering retirement.”

Peter had been ready for retirement even before the incident in North Dakota, which I could accept without difficulty. “Do you really think Zach would come back?”

“I do. You’ve always been an excellent principal. He was the first detail you had that really worked for you.” Dr. Stanton shrugged, dialed a number, and held it to her ear. “Good evening, Adam. Sorry to bother you at this hour, but there’s a mess, and I need your help with it. First, Prince Ian of New York intervened in an abuse case in court today and adopted two little girls. Both were admitted to hospital, with the younger registered as in serious bordering critical condition. The older girl was registered as in serious condition. Can you hunt down Zach and request he transfer back to New York? Ian could use him, and his previous detail was fired due to negligence. As Zach is incapable of negligence and can work with Terry, he’s ideal to lead Ian’s detail. I am assuming Peter doesn’t want to transfer back to New York due to his wife and children but extend an offer with a competitive transfer package; I will wage war with Terry over it. No, I haven’t discussed the situation with Terry yet. I figured if you called Terry and laid down the law, there won’t be any drama. We’ve had enough drama for one day. I have New York’s queen and heir at a fast food joint, keeping everyone calm, as milkshakes tame the pyromaniacs.”

I laughed my ass off at her commentary, unable to deny the truth of it. “We’re pyromaniacs who can be tamed with milkshakes, Rachel.”

“No lies have been detected,” my sister replied with a grin. “I should have thought about reaching out to North Dakota to see if we could steal back some agents. It didn’t occur to me.”

“You were also running around the Royal States like the unchecked hooligan you are,” I reminded her. “I’m sure had you been around to babysit me, you would have smacked me for offering Peter and Zach in the aftermath.”

“I would have, but I would have agreed with it, because Adam needed them more than you did. Now the tables have turned.” My sister considered Dr. Stanton, narrowing her eyes. “I will make room in the security budget for both of them, so if Peter and his family do want to transfer to New York, they’ll be accommodated. The base offer will include one of those damned royal properties near the palace for each of them, so their commute will be no more than ten minutes.”

At the rate my sister was offloading royal properties, we’d end up with a few scattered in the country and the palace. However, her method of unloading the places made sense. It saved the kingdom money, and it helped us put the past behind us.

“Length of service for the properties?” Dr. Stanton asked.

“Five years, and Peter can work interior as he settles in for retirement. He can help with recruitment for the children along with hires for Ian’s detail. That’ll free Terry up and give him a chance to relax.”

Dr. Stanton relayed the offer, and after exchanging some pleasantries, hung up. “He will make calls and get back to us in the morning. For Peter, news about the girls might be sufficient to lure him back to New York. He’s a family man, and what they went through will trip his trigger. Zach’s easy; he can’t be a head of detail in North Dakota at this point, and you’re the perfect detail for him, Ian. He’ll accept the transfer offer.”

I wondered how life would be different with Zach and Peter around. Likely for the better, although the children would change everything.

“They will be all right?”

The woman smiled, reached over, and patted my hand. “Waiting at the hospital versus here won’t at all alter the outcome, Ian. Being miserable won’t help them. Enjoy your milkshake, try to relax, and cope the best you can. Melody and her father can handle their care. The only question, at this stage, is how much work they’ll have to do to get them on the road to recovery. They’re not like Jane, who was at death’s door when she made it to Maine. While injured, and terribly so, it should be no more than two hours between the both of them plus transfusions to get them headed in the right direction. And honestly, the transfusions are why you’ll likely need to pick them up in the morning. Daphne could have sped up the process, but she was about to blow a gasket, and I wanted her out of here before she did.”

“Maybe you should rule New York,” I muttered.

“Your sister made that same suggestion, and the answer remains the same. Sorry, Ian. You and Rachel are just going to have to handle ruling your kingdom with the grace and dignity it deserves. You’ll be fine. It won’t be that long until we get an update, and once we do, you can go home, take your temper out on some metal, and then come back and pick up the babies in the morning. And as they’ll still be under sedation when you fetch them, it’ll be quiet until Melody and I reverse the drugs and they get tucked properly into bed to sleep it off. Tomorrow will be quiet. Healing fatigue is real, and both of them will suffer from it. We’ll wake them long enough to feed them, and the day after tomorrow, they’ll be able to start being little girls doing normal little girl things. I’ll have California handle their talent evaluations, as the general excitement from traveling will help them cope.”

“That sounds like a good plan. After today, melting metal will be a relief.”

“Can I watch?” Rachel asked.

“I’ll even let you try to melt some. It’s a good exercise, and we’ll see if you have the right aptitude for it.”

“That sounds like a plan. Also, if Ethan isn’t done with those paparazzi within five minutes, I’m going to cause some trouble!”

She would. “Please don’t, Rachel. He’s trying his best to keep things cordial. We do not need them witnessing you and Ethan flirting through arguments in public.”

My sister sulked. “I don’t see why not.”

I heaved a sigh, got up, and took my milkshake towards the door. I leaned out and said, “Sorry to interrupt, but if we don’t feed your wife something other than milkshakes, she might flatten the entire kingdom.”

My brother-in-law laughed. “That’s my cue to have dinner. Thanks for your help, and please don’t point your cameras in Ian’s face. I’ll send over good pictures as soon as we get back to the palace.”

In what I counted to be a miracle, the paparazzi limited their interactions with me to nods before leaving, most of them heading away from the hospital. “What did you tell them?”

“The truth. They’re sufficiently offended that they’re willing to play the game my way. I also mentioned we have a Montana princess on hand along with a reminder she’s pregnant. They’re smart, and the last thing they want is to face off against a Montana princess cruising on pregnancy hormones. Olivia would destroy them all emotionally, and they know it.” Ethan herded me into the restaurant and headed for the counter. “In good news, I’ve learned what tames the ravenous beast, so ordering is easy.”

“An extra milkshake might save us.”

“I was already planning on it. What are you having?”

“Another milkshake and the biggest burger money can buy, made to be as unhealthy as possible.”

“I know exactly what you need, and I’m going to be having the same thing. This is the only sort of rebellion I want to deal with this week.”

No kidding. “Is it rebellion when the doctor dragged us all here?”

“I’m pretending it is. It makes the food taste better.”