Brian knocked on the door of his daughter's temporary suite of rooms, his heart heavy about what she had decided to face. He sighed in regret, although knowing he couldn't have done anything to change these events - then or now. Lindsay had committed an unpardonable crime. There was no going back from that. The greed that existed in people amazed him at times. It was unfathomable that she would have pulled a formerly reputable doctor into her insane plot, not to mention, her own stepbrother. What kind of person enlists the support of a family member that carried the consequence of death if caught? It was ludicrous to think that she hadn't realized those risks, and yet, continued with her treasonous act. To what end? Revenge that he couldn't desire a woman and make her his queen in all ways? Or did it begin and end with her greed? As he pondered these thoughts, he realized he still had his own questions to ask his vindictive ex-wife, uncertain if he would ever get the truth.

He smiled when he opened the door, surprise on his face when he observed Jasmine dressed in a white buttoned-up blouse, a light blue skirt, sandals on her feet, and a portion of her long hair pulled back into a ponytail, a bow that matched her dress fastened behind her head. "You look lovely, Jasmine." He motioned his hand forward. "May I come in?"

Nodding, Jasmine opened the door wider, allowing the king to enter, immediately realizing that his daughter wasn't alone. He narrowed his eyes at his friend that lounged on the loveseat next to the window, his eyes on his daughter's visitor, sharp and assessing. "I see you've met Emmett."

"Yes!" Jasmine enthusiastically agreed. "He's very funny."

"Indeed..." Brian responded drolly, his eyes continuing to be narrowed on Emmett, who to his displeasure didn't seem to find his attention the least bit intimidating. Very rarely had he ever rattled Emmett's composure. He was one of the few that knew him well, always knowing when it was safe to push any buttons. "Emmett, I do hope you have been appropriate. My daughter doesn't need to hear any of your wild stories."

Emmett held a hand to his chest, a gasp of mock horror escaping. "I would never! I am shocked that his highness would suggest such a thing."

Rolling his eyes, Brian kept his tone level, knowing that it wasn't in his best interest during these early days with his daughter that she witnessed him losing his temper. "Why are you even here?"

Emmett stood up, moving over to stand in front of Brian. "Well, that's simple. Last night, I introduced myself to your daughter and brought her to the temporary rooms you asked me to prepare for her. After getting her sizes, I called the best dress shop in the capital and informed them that the king required a rush order for all the necessities that our princess needs. They sent over some things to get her by for now, but obviously, she will need to be fitted with a complete wardrobe." Emmett smiled a toothy grin at the amusement he could see flickering in and out of the king's eyes. "I didn't think you would mind."

Her hands on her hips, Jasmine shook her head. "Really Emmett? I don't think I need so many dresses."

"Of course you do, darling." Emmett gave her a look of disbelief, unable to fathom how the young girl couldn't understand that. She was a royal princess. The rags that she arrived in were now a thing of the past. "You are a princess. With that title comes much responsibility."

When Jasmine's eyes widened in fear, Brian lost his patience entirely. "Emmett, leave! I need to speak with my daughter... alone!"

"As you wish." Emmett bowed his head, moving quickly to the door without further argument. After the debacle of Ethan Gold, and his part in bringing him here, he was trying to do all he could to make amends. He could see that wouldn't be as easy as he had hoped. Turning to smile warmly at the new addition to the family, Emmett told her, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you, Emmett. I think I have everything I could possibly want... or need." Jasmine motioned to her lavish surroundings, unable to believe this was her life now. Silently, she watched Emmett leaving, before transferring her attention to her father, unable to resist saying, "Is this actually real? I know you are my father. When I met Gus, everything just made sense. I could feel that I was finally part of something."

Moving closer, Brian stopped at a slight distance, not seeking to overwhelm her, or unwisely push her. Already, he could feel progress being made. He wouldn't risk that for anything. "You are part of something, my child. We are family." He smiled at his daughter, not even attempting to hide how much he loved her. She was a mini version of himself, especially in temperament, even more so than Gus. "Finding you again is a miracle. I just want you to know how much you are wanted. I don't doubt that your mother will try to convince you otherwise, and make you think that she acted in your best interest. I am hoping you quickly realize that isn't the case."

"I know it's too soon for me to understand you or anyone I've met here, but I know when someone lies to me. My life hasn't been easy, although I know the mother that raised me did the best she could. I had to grow up fast and learn a lot."

Brian watched his daughter, frowning when he saw sadness on her face. Was it Mila? "Jasmine, I know you are probably missing Mila; after all, she did care for you. Those feelings are normal and what I would expect. It's my hope that in time you will embrace your new life and view the past as a distant memory."

"I do miss her, but it's more than that." Jasmine began to walk around the room, lightly touching everything as she walked past it. They were only objects, but they were delicate and in some cases priceless. Even at her age, she knew that. In fact, she knew more than she should for her age. She had spent her entire childhood closed away from the world. Now she knew it had been for her own protection, but mentally, it gave her advantages that other children her age didn't have. She was smart, with a vocabulary advanced for many adults. What else did she have to do? From the time she could read, she vowed she wouldn't be a victim like so many other children in her neighborhood. She had planned to make something of her life. Now, she knew why she never fit in. Every book she could find, she had read and studied it, over and over again. Although she knew she probably hadn't memorized all that she had read, she knew she had retained a large portion of it. That made her different. Now, she wasn't certain that was a good thing.

Reaching for her hand, Brian led her over to the loveseat, deciding that a candid talk with his daughter far superseded a visit to Lindsay. As soon as the visit was over, Lindsay would be removed. He was the king; therefore, he wasn't bound by any schedule. "Let's talk for a minute before everything takes a more serious turn."

"Serious as in... her," Jasmine mumbled, her head downcast, feelings of inadequacy overcoming her each time she thought about her mother. "I'm sorry, but I won't call her mother. I know Gus still refers to her like that, but I just can't do it!"

Brian scowled. "I will never ask you to do that. She doesn't deserve to be referred to as such, not now or ever. Gus is extremely proper. I would love to see him relax and be a bit more impulsive; at least, for now. He is going to be a great king one day, but for now, he really needs to be a child."

"I don't know much about being a child, either." When the king silently watched her, she went on to explain, "From the time I could read, I spent all my time reading everything I could find. We didn't have money for a lot of children's books, but we did have a few. Once I had them all memorized, I just read anything I could find. Literature, medical books, even a dictionary."

"That explains a lot. You are perhaps even more well-spoken than Gus, although he is advanced for his age as well. Once we are more settled, you will be attending school with Gus." Brian laughed when Jasmine visibly shuddered. "It's homeschooling with a private tutor. Gus is extremely fond of Miss Chanders. She is young, but she is quite brilliant."

After nodding, Jasmine nervously bit at her bottom lip, her eyes lifting to meet her father's intense gaze. "About what Emmett said... will I actually have responsibilities? I- I don't know anything about being a princess; I don't even know about being a kid. That makes me kinda nervous."

The king scowled. "That was why I sent Emmett away. I don't want you upset about such trivial matters. You are my daughter, and of course, that makes you a princess. As a child, no, you are not responsible for anything. Emmett is overly dramatic. I will certainly speak with him about that!" Realizing his tone was far too brusque for his child that didn't know him well enough to understand his anger wouldn't suddenly transfer to her, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to both slow down and remember this was his daughter he was talking to now; a child that had just become aware of his existence a mere twenty-four hours ago. "I apologize, my dear. I don't want to alarm you. I think I warned you in one of our visits yesterday that I have quite the temper. These events that are to happen today are not what I would ever want my children to face. I am extremely angered by the entire situation."

Not the least bit afraid, Jasmine slid closer to the king, her hand reaching to briefly touch his cheek. "I may not understand everything that has happened, but I do believe you care about your children." She lowered her hand, blushing after such an impulsive response that wasn't in her nature. "I- I guess I meant to say, I know you would never hurt me or my brother."

Brian smiled, not about to divulge to his child just how far he went to protect those closest to him. She was far too young for that talk. "I will do anything to protect my family, my friends as well." He looked directly into his beautiful daughter's eyes. "I am always going to be there for you, Jasmine. There is so much I need to make up for. I don't intend for a day to go by that I don't work at just that."

Jasmine nodded. "Just don't push me too hard. I don't always respond well to pressure. I want to give you and Gus a chance; I just need time."

"Of course you do. I completely understand." As much as he yearned to pull her into his arms, vowing to her that everything would be alright after meeting with her birth mother, he knew that Jasmine needed to set the pace with the speed of their progression. For now, it was enough that his child had been returned to him, safe, although a bit jaded by the harshness she had faced in the world. It was his hope that in time, her painful memories would be pushed into the distant recesses of her mind, and replaced with happier memories, with a brighter hope for the future. For now though, it was time to deal with the monster that he feared could break his daughter's heart. As tough as Jasmine appeared to be, one thought kept eating at him.

She was just a child and was forced to accept harsh truths about her mother. He would go into this meeting with great trepidation. His instincts forewarned him that once Lindsay accepted this was the end of the line for her, she would viciously lash out at their daughter, knowing that Jasmine's pain would equate to a knife through his heart. Brian wondered if that happened, could he control his temper in front of his child? And if he couldn't, what sort of consequences would that bring?

TBC