Brian pushed the stack of papers away from him; since he had returned to his office, numerous reports were shooting through his fax machine in rapid succession. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the beginnings of a headache approaching. At this point, he thought it could be an intense one. His mind was overwhelmed, and his time to accomplish his tasks was not much better. There were so many avenues to explore. Each lead he discovered only had a potential brick wall at the end. Initially, he hadn't thought that to be the case. He had believed his idea of Justin drawing a female version of Gus would be his answer; however, as he had thought about it, and replayed Lindsay's caustic answers in his mind, he wasn't so sure.

Her inference that Jasmine was Gus' identical twin was a ludicrous idea. At the time, he had been so focused on discovering every detail associated with his daughter and her whereabouts that he hadn't put all of Lindsay's words in perspective. Now, he felt that he could. Had Lindsay meant her words, or could she have been caught up in the moment as well? Did the insipid woman even know the difference between fraternal and identical? Brian shook his head in disgust. How did one pull the truth from a pathological liar?

Briefly, he gave the thought of hypnosis some consideration. However, he knew how the process worked. It was highly unlikely it would be effective on an unwilling participant. And whether Lindsay verbally fought the idea or not, mentally, she would rebel. She would have everything to lose. A successful session would mean her trump card was eradicated. Lindsay would never be willing in such an experiment. In addition, such a method would jeopardize his privacy, but more important than that, it could compromise the safety of his child. The risks were just too great to take.

When the door to his office opened, and Ben rushed in without bothering to knock, Brian sat up straight in his chair, his eyes narrowing, immediately expecting the absolute worst. "What's happened?"

"I have a report from the high-priced investigator you had flown in from the United States just yesterday..." Ben started, almost out of breath from his rush across the grounds to reach him. "It's a good thing you changed your mind about not hiring him. The report arrived through a special messenger, and not through your fax machine."

"That's rather quick," Brian admitted, his hand reaching for the file. "Let's see what it says." Arching a brow, Brian asked, "You've already read the file... haven't you?"

Nodding affirmatively, Ben acknowledged, "Yes, Your Highness, I did. This was of supreme importance. The mere fact that he reported back so quickly, well, I thought it must be of significance."

"Well, let's hear it. Then, I'll read over the details." Brian told him, deciding this would be the quickest course of action, on a day that was already overly full.

"The investigator wisely started with tracing the medical team that delivered the twins." Ben paused when the king's eyes darkened, the ruler's attention completely on what he had to say. "The doctor is nowhere to be found. It's my assumption that Lindsay used every dime she possessed to pay him off. However, the nurse is still in Tehara, and the investigator has tracked her to her hovel of a residence."

Instantly, Brian stood to his feet, his eyes glittering with rage. "Bring her to me - immediately!"

"It's already done, Your Highness. As soon as I read the report, I sent several of our fiercest officers. She will be scared to death before she arrives." Ben flushed at the instant approval in the monarch's eyes, still unable to believe he had interceded to such a degree.

"Benjamin... I have begun to wear off on you. I am impressed..." the king stated with pride in his voice, before Ben uncharacteristically interrupted him.

"I know how distraught you've been. I think with all of your resources, this can be resolved quickly, especially now that we have found someone that was there during the birth." Ben felt the urgency that surrounded the king and understood it while knowing it would be best for everyone if it was resolved soon. This crisis could lead to the ruler taking risks, and that was something he was committed to preventing. To his way of thinking, Jasmine's return was beneficial in many ways. The child's safety and well-being - first and foremost, the king's ease of mind, and undoubtedly, his happiness as well, and lastly, a less chaotic homefront. Of course, his duties would be doubled when the princess returned, but that was a task he more than welcomed.

The king nodded his understanding, as always, reading what was behind his security advisor's words, knowing Ben's job was more difficult when undergoing all the added stress of not only what they were trying to accomplish, but worrying about how it upset the safety within the walls of the royal estate. "It will happen, Benjamin. I have a good feeling about it. This nurse will tell me everything I want to know; I won't accept anything else."

Ben swallowed, almost feeling sorry for the woman he couldn't remember, hoping for all of their sakes she had the right answers. "I don't doubt it, my King."

"How far away is she?" Brian asked, glancing briefly at the time, deciding if there was enough time, another visit with Justin might be in order. After starting out the day feeling agitated about his progress, he now felt more revived and optimistic. Going into his meeting with the nurse in a more relaxed state would probably be beneficial. As much as he wanted to both throttle and scare her to death, he did realize that might not be the most productive approach. And whether he liked what it indicated on a personal level, he wanted to spend time with Justin. He missed that more than he cared to admit.

"Roughly I would say about three hours. When I came in here to see you, the soldiers were just about to arrive to intercept her. I advised them to radio in when they are at the gates; I told them I would admit them and deliver her to you personally..."

"Very good." Brian reached for a sealed envelope inside his desk, the documents inside ones that would be of great interest to his ex-slave. He was anxious to deliver them personally. "I'm going to check on Justin's progress, and then, I think I will go and rattle Lindsay some more." The king chuckled coldly. "It can't hurt..."

Ben laughed. "Probably not, especially under the circumstances." Silently, Ben watched as the king left the room, without a doubt in his mind that he was on his way to the tower. The king definitely needed to relieve some tension. Doing so could possibly save the nurse's life, no matter how forthcoming she ended up being. He would never divulge that thought to the king. Ben knew the king wouldn't want it known how much Justin had impacted his life, but it was more than apparent, that was exactly what had happened.

Justin looked up from the desk, various sketches spread out before him, not completely happy with any of them. Something just didn't look or even feel right with them... but he wasn't sure what was troubling him. When he heard the light knock on his door, he shouted out for his visitor to come in, deciding now was a good time for a break, even if he was pressed for time with this particular task.

Stepping into the room, the king smiled at the sketches pushed all over the desk, even from this distance seeing how full of detail each one was. "Is my artist extraordinaire struggling?" Brian asked, unable to fathom how being in the room with Justin almost immediately relaxed him.

Justin scowled at the array of drawings on the desk, disappointed that he hadn't found one that felt right to him. "I guess I am, and I'm not sure why."

Brian sat down on the edge of the table, picking one up to look at more closely. "Let's see what you have so far." He looked at the image, smiling as he saw Gus' face staring back at him, but in every other way, a dark-haired girl that he didn't know. Even more disturbing was the fact that it was a face that didn't move him. He frowned, shaking his head slightly, unsure of how to convey his thoughts. In a sense, he felt quite foolish. It wasn't a familiar feeling for the King of Tehara.

"You don't like it either..." Justin observed, a sigh of disappointment quick to follow.

"It's not that, Justin. Artistically, it is amazing. Gus isn't even sitting in front of you, and you have captured him in such detail, except, in this case, it is a girl with his face - which is exactly what I asked you to do. However, I'm not sure I gave you the best direction." He picked up another drawing, one that immediately captured his attention. "This one. I know I have nothing solid to base this on, but this girl is more what I see Jasmine as being." He looked at the drawing, seeing a slight resemblance between her and Gus, but not identical. Her hair appeared to be lighter, a darker shade than Lindsay's, but a few shades lighter than his own. For some reason, the image resonated with him.

Justin shook his head, leaning closer to observe the drawing that had Brian so transfixed. "It's amazing, Brian. I just finished that particular drawing. I wasn't happy with the sketches of your daughter as being identical to Gus. Something in them just didn't feel right. I don't know how else to explain it..."

Brian exchanged an equally incredulous look with the younger man, shaking his head in amazement. "I know it sounds ludicrous, especially to me. I am a man that believes and follows what is right in front of me, but I feel that this child is very close to the one I am searching for. Hopefully, I will have confirmation of that soon." He looked at Justin questioningly, abruptly asking him, "I know you don't view this as completed work, but may I take it with me?"

"Of course. Do whatever you want with it." Justin frowned, suddenly remembering Brian's words. "Confirmation? Do you really think Lindsay will suddenly be that cooperative?"

A low grunt followed. "Hardly, although I will give it a try. I hired an investigator to work on the case. He has already discovered what could be a breakthrough."

His eyes widening, Justin asked, "What kind of breakthrough?"

"The doctor that delivered the twins left Tehara many years ago; however, the nurse that attended to Lindsay before and after the birth still resides in my country. My soldiers have intercepted her, and are bringing her to me now." The king's nostrils flared, anger and anticipation making his blood burn. He couldn't wait to confront the deceitful woman. She would pay dearly for her crimes against him.

"That's wonderful, Brian. You didn't need my help after all." Justin smiled knowingly at the astute ruler, knowing they were on the same wavelength. "I guess you released your property all for nothing. Tsk tsk. What a shame..."

His eyes narrowing, Brian commanded in his most authoritative voice, "Come here." When Justin stared back at him with a smug expression on his face, Brian swore, upon realizing the blond was taking his new status a bit too far, he became determined to make things more clear. "I said come here, Justin. That is not a request. Regardless of your status here, I am still your king, and I will do what I want - slave or not!"

Justin snickered, slowly standing to his feet to approach a quickly agitated king. "You know, Your Highness... you really need to do something about that temper. Anger management could go a long way for you."

Grunting, the king took a seat in the chair closest to the table, and pulled Justin down onto his lap, adjusting them to both be seated comfortably, having a feeling they could be like this for a moment... or perhaps more. "Games? I advise you that now is not the best time for that."

"Right." Justin nodded his head. "I would hate for your savagery to be taken out on an innocent such as myself..."

Brian rolled his eyes. "And the jokes continue..." He looked into the beautiful blue eyes, thinking it had been forever since they had lain so blissfully entwined, although knowing it had been a matter of mere days. If not for the crucial meeting he would face in a few hours, he would seek to remedy that immediately. "I want you badly, Justin. I know you are aware of that." A purely carnal smile curved the monarch's lips. "As you are sitting on my lap, I'm sure you can feel that as well."

Provocatively, Justin wiggled into the hardness that was pressing up against him, a full smile on his lips at Brian's answering moan. "Yeah, I can definitely feel it. Such a shame you don't have time to do anything with it..."

The king growled, his hands reaching out to tighten on the teasing blond's hips, during the process, the folder he had been holding nearly falling to the floor. He had come here to deliver the offensive contract to his former slave, but as always, he had become distracted in Justin's presence. Brian couldn't help wondering if that would ever change. "Be a good boy and kiss me. I have work to do and something to give you... but I expect a reward first."

In confusion, Justin looked over at Brian's hand that held a thin file, his lips compressing as he guessed at what it might hold. If he was correct in his assumption, he didn't think he wanted to read over the contents. "I-is that what I think it is? My contract?"

Brian nodded, lifting his hand to offer the file, uncaring of what Justin did with it at this point. "Read it, destroy it, do whatever you want with it. Now, it is in your control. It no longer stands between us."

Justin took the file, tossing it on the table, not the least bit tempted to look at it for the moment. He leaned in closer, lightly brushing his lips over Brian's, telling the dynamic ruler in one simple caress how grateful he was for the gesture, and the trust the king appeared to be offering him. He had the feeling that the king didn't trust easily, and if he trusted him, they were not only in a good place but moving in a more positive direction. That was significant to him.

Once again, Brian's hands tightened on Justin's hips, this time to bring him closer as his mouth opened over the perfectly proportioned lips and began to devour what was hidden behind them. Justin's mouth was fashioned of the sweetest nectar to him. He couldn't seem to get enough. On all counts, this man was addictive to him. One day, when he had time to reason it out, he would determine why... but for now, indulging in his obsessive desire for this man would more than suffice.

For several moments, Brian moved his mouth ardently and intensely over Justin's, his hands moving from his hips to slide up and down his back, effectively pulling him as close as was possible, mentally cursing the clothes that separated them; and yet, knowing with him needing to leave soon, it was definitely for the best. Pulling his lips free from the enticing ones of the man in his arms, Brian stated with regret, "I'm afraid this will need to wait until later; I have urgent business to attend to soon."

Justin nodded, finding himself struggling to catch his own breath. "Right. Lindsay and the nurse..."

Gently, Brian urged Justin off his lap, knowing he would be incapable of rational thought if their close contact continued for much longer. "Yes. I doubt that Lindsay will be forthcoming, but her foolish decisions will continue to cost her."

"I'd hate to be either one of them..." Justin responded with a shudder, his eyes widening at the sudden coldness and contempt he viewed in Brian's eyes. When the king's mind returned to this unpleasant business that currently plagued him, he transformed into the primitive he was reputed to be. It was almost eerie.

Brian's smile was filled with malice. "Although I could put Lindsay to death following her treasonous acts, I won't do that because of the children; however, I have already decided on her ultimate fate." Brian laughed coldly. "She will wish that I had chosen death..."

TBC