Justin hurried away from the tower, determined to find the king's son, feeling his own worry that news could reach the child prematurely. Even though he realized that was less than likely, he was realistic. In this palace, with guards and house staff everywhere, someone could have overheard something. Although Gus seemed to be strangely mature for his age, the gossip between servants wasn't how he should discover such extraordinary news. He only hoped he wasn't placed in a situation where he would have to answer those questions.

Rushing outside, knowing exactly where he would find the future king, Justin ran ahead, only halting when he heard his mother shouting out his name. Groaning, not wanting any delays, not even from his mother that could be leaving Tehara anytime now, he turned, his tone impatient, when he told her, "I'm kind of in a hurry, Mom. Can this wait?"

"Well..." Jennifer began to answer, a bit unsettled by Justin's strange abruptness, she continued to say, "I guess it can... but not for long."

Rolling his eyes, knowing that any reprieve would be short-lived, Justin motioned her toward the bench in the floral garden, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of Gus. If he wasn't here with his dog, he knew where he would find him. His dog and horse seemed to be the child's favorite hobbies. "Let's sit. Tell me what's on your mind."

Jennifer followed along, not increasing her pace, smiling as she looked around the king's palatial gardens, thinking to herself she would miss them, but knowing she would have one of similar compare, although much smaller, back in her own home. "This won't take long, but I wanted to let you know where things stand with my departure."

Sitting down on the bench, Justin turned to look at her in surprise. "Oh? Has something happened already? It doesn't seem that long..."

"Actually, it's been longer than you would imagine, but either way, the king works very quickly." Jennifer frowned, not for the first time thinking that the king could be eager to be rid of her, and any interference she caused in his developing relationship with Justin. "I wish you could come with me."

Justin shook his head. "I suppose I could, but I don't want to leave Tehara. In that respect, I am much different from you. This is my home; I wouldn't want to start over anywhere else."

"I suppose it's understandable." Jennifer sighed, not attempting to hide her disappointment. As Justin's words suddenly struck her, she turned her head around to look closely at him. "You said you probably could. What does that mean, Justin? Has there been a change in your status?"

"Wow. You didn't know. I hadn't realized we hadn't talked recently. Yeah, the king released me from the contract. In fact, he gave it to me to destroy. He wants me to stay, but my life is my own again."

Jennifer gasped. "I never thought he'd do that, at least, not so soon. Well, what are you waiting for? You should be packing and coming with me. My father would welcome you with open arms. The only thing that prevented that before was Craig's presence in our lives."

"Mom, apparently you didn't hear me. I said that Tehara is my home. I don't want to leave..." Justin shook his head, briefly looking away from the hurt in his mother's eyes, but needing her to understand that this was his life, and he was going to live it the way he wanted. "I want you to be happy, but you'll have to do it without me. This is where I belong... and where I intend to stay. In addition, I have no intention of catering to a grandfather I have never known, a man that would cruelly cast his daughter and unborn grandchild aside simply because my father wasn't his perfect ideal for his daughter."

"Yes, my father has made mistakes, but none of us are innocent in that." Jennifer sighed, going on to say, "You just don't understand, Justin. My father is very old-fashioned. When I went against his wishes, it was equivalent to a slap in the face... a blatant act of disrespect. That is not done in our circles. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that my father is old now. I want to make amends while there is still time. I just wish you wanted to know him too."

Justin shook his head. "If he wanted to come here and meet me, then, I suppose I would agree, but I'm not leaving to pacify an old man that I have no interest in knowing." He waved his hand around, pointing at nothing in particular, merely trying to emphasize the grand and lush land. "This is my home now; I don't want to change that."

"Okay, if that's what you want." Jennifer stood to her feet, holding in the tears that threatened to escape. She couldn't believe that Justin would so quickly reject a reunion with his own blood. Obviously, the king continued to maintain a hold on Justin, whether he had freed him or not. "I will be leaving in a few days. If you change your mind, you know where to find me." Her voice slightly quivered when she said, "I hope we'll get a chance to say goodbye."

"I had no idea it would be so soon..." Justin whispered, all of a sudden, sadness in his voice. "Perhaps we can have a private lunch tomorrow. How does a picnic sound?"

Turning sideways, Jennifer reached out to hug Justin to her tightly. "It sounds wonderful, sweetheart. I'm going to miss you so much. You have no idea..."

A lump settling in his throat, Justin returned her snug embrace. "I think I do, Mom. I'm going to miss you too..."

Jasmine stared at the king, her mouth falling open, unable to believe what he had just told her. "I think you must be mistaken, Your Highness. I am an orphan and adopted by the woman that has raised me my entire life. Your daughter must be someone else."

"No, dear child. I am not a man to make such conclusions without having all of the facts before me. You are my daughter." Brian laughed as he noticed the slight anger lines around her compressed lips. Even though he had only been in her presence for a few short moments, he could see what everyone else had obviously already seen. Jasmine was so much like him in temperament and many of her mannerisms. To his astonishment, she might possibly be more like him than Gus was, the child that had been with him since he was born. When her face displayed more anger, Brian held up his hand, knowing he had to soothe her ruffled feathers. "I'm not making fun of you; I wouldn't do that. I am just seeing what others have already noticed so far. We are so much alike... our tempers in particular. It will make life interesting."

"B-but it doesn't make any sense. How could you not know that your child was alive? How can that happen?" Jasmine asked, tears brimming in her eyes, as much as she wanted to protest the king's shocking announcement, a part of her wondering if it could be true, and the answer to why she had never fit in. It had been such a problem that her adoptive mother had taken to homeschooling her... or had she done that for a completely different reason?

The king sighed, at once, shaking his head sadly. "We have all been victims of cruel acts brought about by different people. All I can say is that I fell for a grand deception, and I'm not proud of my ignorance. I had been out of the country on business when you and your twin brother were born. If I had been here, I don't think this would have occurred. As angry as I am about the events, I am thankful that fate brought you to me."

Standing up, Jasmine began to move around the room, not wanting to be too close to the man, in actuality, her king, who now professed to be her father. She wasn't going to make this easy for him, although she did believe him. There was something so honest in both his words and his eyes. She didn't doubt him. "I have many questions, and probably some that you don't want to answer..."

Quickly, the king interrupted, "I will answer anything you want to know. Even though you are still a child, I can see both understanding and intelligence in your eyes. You are like your brother in that respect. He is extremely mature for his age. Perhaps too much so." Brian took a deep breath, exhaling just as quickly. "Ask me anything, Jasmine. If I can answer your questions, then, I will. First though, please sit back down. I'd rather we do this face-to-face. In doing that, I hope you'll see how open I am with you."

"Okay..." she whispered, returning to the table, briefly looking into the king's watchful, and yet extremely warm eyes. "You seem very kind, Your Highness. Not like you come across on television."

Brian laughed. "I can't lie to you, Jasmine. I care deeply for my family and those that are close to me. I will protect them with my life; however, I am not kind. I can be a savage when I need to be. There will probably be times that my behavior will anger you, but it's a part of who I am, and a necessity in being the king."

"I guess I understand that. A king can't be weak." Jasmine paused, before she asked, "You said my twin brother... Will I be meeting him?"

"Of course, you will. Your existence will not remain a secret. I wanted to meet you first, and then, I intend on speaking with Gus. You can meet him after that, or whenever you are ready. I realize this is a difficult transition for you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. This is your new home, the one you should have always had; I want you to love it as much as I do." Brian kept his eyes fastened on the beautiful young girl, noticing at times her head lowering, obviously in an attempt to hide her conflicted emotions from him. They were so much alike. It was astounding to him. His heart virtually ached as he thought of the time that had been stolen from them. Those crimes would not be forgiven... from either Lindsay or her unethical doctor. Soon, Lindsay would learn of her fate...

"I want to meet him..." Jasmine insisted. "Maybe that will make this easier." She bit her lip, asking the king, "What happens to my mother? I- I mean, the mother that raised me?"

"That's a good question. I will be honest with you, Jasmine. I'm not sure right now. I need to be sure that her story checks out, and that she isn't a larger part of this evil, not to mention a criminal plot. For now, she will be secured."

Jasmine's eyes widened, accusation clearly displayed. "Prison? You've put her in jail??"

"At this point, I can't trust her to roam free, interacting with the doctor that needs to be brought to justice!" Brian's voice raised, inwardly he grimaced when Jasmine recoiled in fright. "I don't mean to yell, and it's not directed toward you. I did warn you that I am prone to savage behavior, some will be more aggressive, and others simple outbursts such as what you just heard. This crime is a serious offense, Jasmine. It is treasonous. And to explain further, she is not in the prison system, merely guarded by my most trusted guard. She is comfortable."

"Okay..." she responded, despite how angry and confused she felt, knowing an argument with the king was pointless, even if the king did seem to be her father. "Uhhh, you said something about the doctor... but what about my actual mother? Where is she?"

A muscle jerked angrily in the king's cheek. "Your mother..." he sneered. "I am trying to keep your age in mind, and not be too detailed in the depths of her betrayal and cruel deceit. You don't need that, especially not now."

"I have seen a lot in my life, probably more than you can imagine. Some of it has been very bad... but I don't have to tell you that there are many bad people in our country. Regarding her... I just wondered if she was still in the country."

"Yes, she's still in Tehara, and very near." Brian shook his head. "No, my child, you don't. This can be a harsh land, with very outdated ideas, all brought about by my father, and his father before him. I'm sorry that you have been so close to it. From here on out, you will be protected from that!"

Jasmine's eyes grew even wider. She wasn't accustomed to someone being so fiercely in her corner, and so protective it seemed. Did the king really care so much about her? "About my m-mother... Did she ever want me or my brother?"

"I'm sorry to say that your mother doesn't have a maternal instinct in her body." Brian's hatred for Lindsay grew even stronger as he watched the tears falling from the young girl's eyes. "Sweetheart, she isn't worth your tears. She is nothing! What I am trying to say, and failing miserably in the process, is that you are home now. You are both wanted and loved. It doesn't matter how long it takes to convince you of that. I will be here to remind you."

"C-can I be alone for now? I- I need some time to t-think." Jasmine could barely speak, uncertain of how she should feel about anything.

Standing to his feet, Brian found himself yearning to embrace his shattered child but realized she wasn't ready for that. It wasn't the least bit surprising to him. She was a mini version of himself. Being closed off from emotion was what he did best. "Of course. I have rooms being prepared for you. In time, your permanent suite of rooms will be next to your brother's. For now though, you may stay here as long as you like. I need to speak with Gus... and then, you can meet him at any time."

"Thank you," she whispered, not nearly ready to call him Father, but thinking in time, she just might.

TBC