~*~ 3 years later ~*~

“Daddy! Daddy!” little Jonathan exclaimed while he ran up to his father.

“What is it John?” JC asked smiling as he watched the little boy approach him, anxious to get to his father, to tell him whatever he’d discovered.

“Mommy showed me the palace” he said proudly while JC bend down to catch the two year old before he settled him on his arm.

“She did?” he asked incredulously, watching as the little boy nodded his head.

“Uh-uh” John said smiling as he saw his mom approach from the hill.

“Hi mommy!” he waved happily.

“Hi sweetie” Sam said when she joined her husband and son.

“You showed him the palace from the hilltop?” JC asked after he kissed her. They’d found out that on a clear day you could see the palace from the hill top across the field.

“Yes” she responded somewhat saddened. They’d left the palace the day JC was released and eventually bought a farm, just like JC’s parents used to have, about 10 miles from the palace. They had gotten married and a year later Jonathan had been born. Over the years the King, Elizabeth and Katherine had visited several times. They’d refused Katherine the first couple of times, for the stunt she pulled wanting to ruin their lives, but eventually forgave her. They didn’t want to hold a grudge and after Katherine apologized several times they’d accepted her.

Elizabeth would get married soon and she would become the future queen. The King had accepted JC and loved him like his own son, seeing how happy he made his daughter and the King, if he ever doubted it, knew he’d made the right decision.

They watched the sun slowly disappear behind the horizon, JC with John on his arm and his other arm wrapped around his wife, Samantha. They enjoyed the warm air of a late spring day, watching sunset together as Sam and JC both thought the same thing, life couldn’t get better than that.

They were free, they were happy but the most important thing of all: They were together.