Arranged Marriage To The Princess Of The Red Scorpions

Lena couldn't ask everyone to leave the hospital room, so she removed herself. Samuel wanted to come but she told him not to this time.

Everything going on was messing with her head a little too much. So many people in such a small space didn't leave much room for breathing. Something the princess desperately needed to do otherwise an explosion might occur.

Heading over to the hospital's coffee shop, she ordered a black with two espresso shots. The barista shot her a concerned glance but didn't say anything.

She didn't care what other people thought, Lena just needed something to clear her head.

Being in the hospital was one of the worst places in the world. All the people coming and going to see ill loved ones. The alarm sounds went off each time a code blue or similar occurred and the smells of bleach mixed with other chemicals.

It was nothing more than a prison for the dead, those to soon die, and their loved ones left behind who would never be whole again.

"You seem like you're rather deep in thought based on the way you're glaring at that wall." Lena instinctively lashed out, striking with her hand in the direction the voice came from.

She didn't make contact as the other managed to catch her first right as it went around behind her back.

"Easy now. It's just me. Richard." Hearing the other announce himself was enough to stop the princess from lashing out a second time.

"I must say that this is the first time being on the receiving end of that kind of attack. Definitely don't want to be getting on your bad side in the future." Richard tried to joke it off as he let her go.

The princess though didn't seem to share in his humor.

"What are you doing here? I didn't think that you were supposed to be coming back until later?" Lena shook her hand out, feeling a slight tingling in her thumb where the other inadvertently pinched a nerve.

"I was. Though I've really just been wandering around the hospital. Waste of time and money to go just to come back later. I wouldn't have approached but from this point, it seemed like you were thinking really hard about something."

The barista handed Lena over her coffee with a little more trepidation than she'd begun to serve her earlier. Anyone who'd seen what occurred seconds before would become wary about approaching the little Mafiosa. She wasn't to be trifled with.

"There is no reason for you to be here. I'm just thinking a few things through." Lena took a sip of the coffee, holding back a grimace as the bitter flavor rolled over her tongue. She'd forgotten how bad hospital coffee could be.

"Whatever you're thinking about must be pretty bad if you're resorting to drinking that." Richard pointed to the coffee cup as Lena pulled it away before he could touch it.

"I like the bitter flavor. It helps to remind me that I'm still alive despite being stuck in this place." Richard knew well what she meant by her words.

Outside of her family, he was the only one after all who was there to know what she had gone through.

"I don't think you have to worry about it being so bad this time. Getting through one day is a good sign in and of itself. Give it a week and things will be far better than they are now."

"My family is only one part of the issue that is going on. There is a myriad of other things that I am going to have to deal with once this is done." Lena shifted away from the coffee shop, noticing that other people wanted to order but seemed wary to approach.

She occupied one of the benches a few ways away and off to the side.

"Do you mind if I join you here?" Richard didn't sit down until the other indicated that it was safe for him to do so.

"I know how you are feeling about everything so why don't you just stop thinking and take things one step at a time? I know how Jovani feels about me but I don't think he's a problem." The princess forced herself to down more of the foul bitter liquid. The bitterness unsettled her stomach in a bad way.

"What makes you think that? I've heard a little bit that you have a history. Nothing thought that makes your opinion seem reliable though." Richard's usually indifferent expression cracked into a small smile.

"Did he tell you that it was only a little bit of history between us? I would say there was a lot more than a little." Turning to look at his hand as he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, he continued.

"We actually knew each other quite a bit. Or more like I knew his cousin well. The older cousin always means well, his way of going about things just isn't always the best." That went without saying.

"Is it true what he mentioned though? About you being the reason as to why his cousin went down the wrong road." the smile fell off the other's face, replaced with a small eye-roll.

"That would depend on which side one looked at the situation from. To me, his cousin was already getting into far worse. To Jovani, he thinks that I put that seed in his cousin's head. Reality? His family is all sorts of fucked up." Lena raised an eyebrow at the other.

"First you tell me that I should trust him then you say his family is fucked up? Not exactly the best way to fill someone with confidence." A wry smile spread across her face.

It wouldn't last long though. The next time she drank coffee the bitterness would wash it away.

"I'm only here, to tell the truth. Whether you decide to listen or not is fully up to you. I will maintain though that I don't think there's any harm to him." Sensing the conversation was coming to a close, Richard stood up.

"The one I'm actually more interested in at this point is the younger cousin, your fiancé."

"What do you want with Sammy?" Richard's eyes flashed with an unreadable emotion for a second before. He couldn't help but wonder if she was aware of her response to him asking about Samuel.

That kid seemed to have an interesting effect  on the Red Scorpion Princess.

"Nothing. I'm just saying that I'm interested in him. Speaking of the little pup, it seems he's come over to collect you." Lena's head turned in the direction that Richard pointed in.

"That doesn't-" Turning her head back, Lena noticed that Richard had already disappeared. Damn slippery man.