Part Thirty-Three

Sabrina, Stefan and Andresj' sat at the table. It was obvious from the state of their breakfast choices that the morning meal had been in progress for some time.

“A morning's repast served without my leave?” The Prince's voice boomed throughout the considerable dining room. He approached the breakfast table and eyed his family expectantly.

“Stavros,” Sabrina drawled in a bored voice, “get over yourself. Nobody seated at this table is going to stand at attention just because you have entered the room.”

“Sabrina…” The single word was Stefan's warning to his sister that she played a very dangerous game.

Stavros did not avert his gaze from his half-sister. “That is very wise of you, little brother. You should remind our father's little throwaway bastard that she, as well as all other Cassadine accidents of birth, exists at the whim of The Prince.” Stavros' dark gaze swung to Andresj', who had not been able to disguise his bark of laughter at Sabrina's scathing comment. “You would do well, Stefan, to remind your own bastard as well.”

The mood in the room was suddenly filled with danger. Stefan had no difficulty recognizing the signs of his older brother's mood. Sabrina's comment, which Stavros might have ignored any other time, had somehow managed to insult his inflated sense of princely decorum. At times such as these, the wisest course of action was always to put distance between Stavros and oneself.

“As you can see, brother,” Stefan replied calmly, “our breakfast is concluded.” Andresj' and Sabrina rose from the table in obedience to the unspoken command he'd issued.

“Sabrina, stay.” Stavros issued the command softly, but there was no mistaking that it was a command. The Prince glared at Stefan and Andresj, who stood waiting at the door. “I will return her to you unharmed,” Stavros informed them, “despite my inclination to do otherwise.”

When the two men had departed, Stavros turned to his half-sister. “Some day my indulgence of you will cease, little sister,” he warned Sabrina wryly.

And just like that, Sabrina realized, Stavros' anger was gone. “Is that what you wanted to tell me?” she carefully asked. There was no point in provoking him unnecessarily.

The Prince reached into his shirt pocket and handed Sabrina a folded slip of paper. “Alexandra requires these things. She has asked that you obtain them for her.”

Sabrina stiffened as she read the neatly written list of supplies. Still, she gathered her composure and met his eyes. “It will take me an hour or so to put this all together,” Sabrina replied as calmly as possible. “Will that be fine?”

“That is suitable,” Stavros replied. “I shall relay your agreement to Alexandra.”

Sabrina watched her older brother rise and leave the room. Her eyes flew back to the list in her hand. The doctor realized that she held what could have been any emergency room's standard list of medicines used to treat sexual assault victims.

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