Immediately upon entering his private chambers, Brian turned to face Justin, his back already filled with tension, as he anticipated yet another hostile meeting with the so-called mother of his children. "Once we are inside, you don't have to talk to her, but I would like for you to observe her. Perhaps you can see something that I am missing. She fills me with rage. The entire time I am in her presence I have to recount the reasons why I can't choke the life out of her."

Justin nodded. "I can't imagine how difficult it is; I would never condemn you even if you did slip up and kill her. In fact, I doubt anyone would fault you if they knew the horrific crime she has committed against not only you but your son as well."

"Gus, yes. She has cheated them both of knowing each other. Twins should be together. They never knew the other existed. That is disheartening." Brian shook his head, knowing now wasn't the time for regrets, and of all the what-if thoughts. Finding Jasmine was all that mattered. For now, it really wasn't about the reunion with his child, it was more about making her safe. Bringing her home was the best way of seeing to that.

"I'm ready whenever you are..." Justin smirked, adding as a slight afterthought, "I will try to be respectful to you this time as well."

Rolling his eyes, Brian lifted his hand to push in the access code, shrugging his shoulders indifferently. "It's only Lindsay in there, and I doubt that your disrespectful behavior will be her greatest concern." Smiling coldly, he muttered, "And who is the bitch going to gossip to now?"

Justin's eyes widened, in an instant, thinking Brian's statement meant something. Was Lindsay going to be exiled or incarcerated forever? Her crime could result in much worse fates, but she would only blame everyone else to the vindictive woman who seemed to be completely self-centered.

It truly saddened him. The children had been deprived of a mother's love. Not because she wasn't allowed to give it, but because she didn't love them. The knowledge of that only made him hate her more. He couldn't imagine how Brian controlled himself with her.

About to open the door, Brian turned when he heard Ben shouting for him from a distance. Clearing his entry, he made certain the door remained locked before he approached his security chief. "Ben? What's wrong now?"

Ben bowed his head while nodding briefly to Justin. "I'm not sure wrong is the proper definition. Perhaps unexpected is more appropriate."

"I don't have time for wordplay, Benjamin. What's going on?" the king demanded, impatient and furious, instinctively knowing this had to involve the nurse that should be arriving at any time now.

"Yes, of course, Your Highness." He had been so stunned by the development that he hadn't given a thought of how he approached the king. For a very good reason, the king was on edge. He hadn't helped with that. "The guards made excellent time, in fact, they're ahead of schedule. They just passed the front gates. I am about to meet them in the foyer... but I saw something on the surveillance camera, something I didn't expect. It could change how you want to intercept them."

The king's eyes narrowed, his face darkening in anger. "Them? I don't remember ordering anyone other than the nurse's presence."

"Uh you didn't, but it appears she brought someone along." Ben breathed in deeply, exhaling even more quickly. "Brace yourself, My King. There is a child in the car. I couldn't see her clearly on the screen, but she had long brown hair, and her size indicates she is around Gus' age."

Justin gasped. "Could it be Jasmine? Did the nurse bring her to you?"

"Impossible!" Brian exclaimed. "It's too fucking easy."

"Perhaps, but what if the summons caused her to fear for her life? What better way could she bargain for it?" Justin insisted, unable to deny his own skepticism, but what if this horrible ordeal was resolved so simply?

Ben agreed with Justin, although he wasn't going to get the king's hopes up by admitting it. He had studied the camera image for several minutes before coming to find the king, realizing that if the child was Jasmine, how they proceeded would take a quick turn. "What shall I do?"

Brian ran a hand through his hair, suddenly doing what was uncharacteristic for him. He paced. As he did so, he couldn't find an answer. At least... not the right one. Ben and Justin looked at each other incredulously. This more human side of the primitive king wasn't something any of them had seen very often.

Moving forward, Justin laid a hand on Brian's arm, smiling warmly up at him, thinking at this moment when he looked into confused and pain-filled hazel eyes, he might have instantly and irrevocably fallen in love with the larger than life ruler. This intense man had more to offer than he had ever realized. It wasn't about regaining possession of his lost child. This man felt a father's love for his children. The renowned savage King of Tehara was so much more than people thought him to be. He could love. Justin wanted to do everything he could to make this reunion happen. "Let me help. Gus took to me instantly, perhaps the same will hold true for Jasmine too - if this child is truly your daughter."

Brian swallowed, he turned to look at Justin, his eyes filling with unspoken emotion. As soon as Justin had suggested the child in the car could be Jasmine, he had felt chills coursing up and down his spine. He realized that could simply be him hoping she was here, but the more practical side of him denying it was possible. "What did you have in mind?"

"I can go with Ben to meet them. The nurse can go with Ben to your office as planned, and I can take the child up to the tower. I can talk to her, hopefully, get her to talk to me too." Justin thought about the possibility, deciding there was much he could do. "I will sketch her as we talk. I think she would enjoy that." Justin laughed. "Most girls do."

"Thank you, Justin." Brian shook his head, unable to believe how much he was at a loss for words. "I find a simple ‘thank you' grossly inadequate, but I don't know what else to say right now."

Justin reached for Brian's hand, squeezing tightly, before releasing it. "That is more than enough." Moving toward Ben, Justin asked, "Are you ready? I'm sure the guards are waiting for you."

"Yes, Justin." Ben looked between the king and Justin, quickly determining that a lot had changed between them, and it was definitely a change for the better.

"We'll talk soon." Brian's eyes were on Justin, his trust in the younger man absolute. "Don't tell her anything that isn't necessary. She is probably already frightened." A rare shaky laugh escaped the monarch, the thought of his first meeting with the girl that could be his daughter, making him anxious and unsure of himself. "I'll be there as soon as I'm finished with the nurse."

"Don't worry, Your Highness." Justin inclined his head in a form of a respectful bow, surprising both himself and the attentive King. "She will be in very good hands."

"I know that, Justin." Brian watched as Ben and Justin hurried from his chambers, his eyes narrowing in anger as he glanced back at the hidden panel that led to the secret room. "Sorry, Lindsay. Your fate could be sealed now."

Ben grabbed Justin's arm, quickly pulling him to the side, wanting to observe their guests unobtrusively for a moment. "Shhh. I want to see how the woman acts when she is escorted inside. The guards will hold her in the foyer until I greet her. Her temperament will show how deeply involved she is with Lindsay's plot."

"Uhhh, okay." Justin shrugged, deciding that made perfect sense. If the woman was hostile and demanding answers, she could be innocent of some wrongdoing. She would be confused about why she was here, but a docile woman could indicate collusion with Lindsay. Or she could have either kind of expression due to fearing for her life. There were really too many possibilities to entertain. He just wanted to know if the young girl was indeed the king's daughter. Nothing else really mattered.

As they stepped through the front entrance, they both watched as the woman kept her head and eyes downcast, but the young girl was looking around with avid curiosity. The nurse appeared to be in her mid-forties, not old at all. She was of a dark complexion, slightly heavy around the waist, her hair long and pulled back from her face. Undoubtedly, she was a descendant of Tehara. The girl, however, wasn't quite the same. Her hair was a very light brown, she was thin, with a much lighter complexion. This girl was obviously not the birth child of the woman by her side. When the girl turned and looked off in their direction, Justin gasped, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Ben..." he whispered in a hushed voice, "it's Jasmine. I know it is."

"Now Justin, we don't know anything just yet. Let's go meet them and see what we can find out."

"Hmph. I know all I need to know. Look at the child. Other than her coloring, she looks so much like Gus, and almost identical to the girl I sketched. There's no doubt..." Justin's voice was filled with conviction. This girl was the king's daughter. Now, they just needed to be brought together.

Ben squinted his eyes, examining the girl for the first time. His attention had been predominantly on the nurse. As he looked at what Justin had pointed out, he had to agree. This girl could easily pass for Gus' sibling. If Jasmine was discovered like this, it would be the most fortuitous of resolutions. Moving on to the anxious pair, Ben's voice was heavy when he spoke, "I am Benjamin, the king's security advisor." He looked pointedly at the woman that had allegedly taken the young princess away from the palace. "I need you to come with me."

The young girl stepped forward, instantly placing herself in the middle. "Why? What have we done?"

Unable to stop himself, Justin chuckled. This had to be Brian's daughter. She certainly appeared to be energetic, and one that felt comfortable in speaking her mind. He had the feeling that Ben would have his hands full in the days ahead. Glancing at Ben, seeing he was perplexed after being questioned by the child, knowing he was trying to be precise in his duties, and not disrespect the child that was probably the king's daughter, Justin intervened and answered, "The king has some questions for your companion. I'm sorry, I don't know her name or your relationship with her. By the way, I'm Justin. What's your name?'

In an almost haughty tone, the girl replied, "I will only answer questions from the king. Can you take us to him?"

At once, the nurse hissed, "I told you to leave this to me. I will speak with the king privately or not at all."

Ben's eyes on the nurse were harsh and full of his own anger. "You don't dictate to us." Keeping his eyes fastened on the woman, and not the child that looked on in interest, Ben told the guards, "Escort the woman to the king's private office. He is waiting for her there." Briefly, Ben addressed Justin, "Please take the young lady upstairs for now."

Silently, Justin motioned the girl forward, noticing how she glanced at the older woman but did nothing to stay with her. The child had become silent and tense when the woman reprimanded her. He wondered if there was a story to tell there. As they walked, Justin tried again, more than anything, he just wanted confirmation of what he already knew to be true. "Since we're going to be spending some time together, can't I at least know your first name?"

"I don't see how it matters, but it's Jasmine..." the girl said dejectedly, "I can't imagine we'll be here for long."

Justin smiled. That was all he needed to know. "Oh, I think you'd be surprised, Jasmine. You might be here for longer than you might think..."

The king remained seated as the woman was escorted into his office, on close inspection seeing she wasn't as old as he had expected. His eyes were chips of ice when he looked up at Ben. "Is the child with Justin?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Ben smiled for an instant. "She's a very beautiful and spirited young lady. Obviously, she is quite special."

His eyes flickered for a brief moment. Discreetly, Ben was inferring that the child that was now in Justin's care was actually Jasmine. He was elated and apprehensive. His first impulse was to rush to his possible child and learn all there was to know about her and her life so far. But would she even want to see him? It was too soon for that. For now, he needed to resolve the mystery that had surrounded Jasmine being taken from him. It started with the interrogation of this woman.

A woman that may or may not walk out of here alive.

TBC