A week had passed and after she’d been brought home by several of the King’s men, who found her exhausted and devastated, she’d obviously cried herself to sleep, Sam had locked herself in her room. She didn’t want to talk to anyone and she refused to eat. Actually she wanted to kill herself, let her father feel the pain of loosing her like the pain she felt when she lost JC. The King finally had enough; angrily he burst through the door of her room. Once inside and seeing his daughter on the bed crying, his features softened, it reminded him of the little girl who had been disconsolate once she lost her mother.

“Sammie?” he asked softly, a nickname he gave her when he’d comforted her when her mother died.

“Daddy” she finally broke, allowing her father to take her in his arms.

“I miss him so much, daddy. I love him so much” she sobbed repeating those words over and over again. The King became sadder with every word and his heart broke. He’d been devastated when he lost his beloved wife, it finally dawned to him that he had done the same thing to his daughter. He never wanted to see his daughters hurt like the time they’d lost their mother, he’d promised himself to do everything to prevent them from hurting like that. He realized he’d caused the hurt of his daughter.

He’d loved his wife so much and Sam found someone who she loved just as dearly and he’d forbid her to see him. He had created the devastation of his daughter, leaving her feeling like she’d lost someone again. He’d caused the hurt this time after he promised himself that he would prevent it.

“Sammie, sweetie…” he addressed her pulling away so he could look at her tears strained face. She looked like she’d been crying for days and actually she had.

“Sweetie I want you to be happy” he said to her apologizing with his eyes.

“I know you do daddy…” she said in between sobs.

“But why did you take him away from me?” she asked desperately.

“A future queen can’t marry a slave, sweetie”

“I know” she whispered.

“What if I’ll resign?” she asked softly while looking down at her hands.

“What?”

“What if I say I don’t want to be future queen anymore? Would you release JC?”

“Um… sweetie”

“Would you?” she asked again determined to get an answer.

“Do you know what you would be giving up?”

“Do you know what I’ll gain?” she asked rhetorical and the King knew his daughter didn’t care about being queen, she wanted to be with JC didn’t matter where she would be as long as she would be with him. The King sighed heavily.

“What?” Sam asked concerned.

“Where would you live?” the King asked his daughter, with a small mischievous smile, after several moments of silence, silently agreeing of Sam resigning from the thrown and releasing JC.

“Ooh daddy!” she exclaimed while she launched herself at her father, happily wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him closely.

“Thank you daddy” she said sincerely once she pulled back clasping his hand in hers like they did when she was just a child. The King smiled at his daughter, enjoying the sight of his daughter’s revival. The fire was back in her eyes and it seemed like her face lit up the room.

“I’ll inform Prince William, you just leave it up to me. I love you sweetie” he stated before he planted a kiss on her cheek.

“I love you too” she said, the King’s eyes filled with tears when he thought of the fact that his eldest daughter was leaving home. She was leaving everything behind for the man she loved. He was sad he’d loose his daughter but he knew she would be in good hands. He knew JC was a good man just because of the fact that his daughter loved him so much, he didn’t need to know anything else. He didn’t care he was a slave, the happiness of his daughter was good enough for him.

“JC!” Mr. Norton called for him. JC slowly walked inside his office, he didn’t have much energy left. He’d been giving extra work to keep him busy so he wouldn’t even think about going to Sam, that he wouldn’t think about Sam at all. However JC didn’t think about anything else but her and it hurt. It really hurt, it hurt like hell.

“What?” JC bluntly asked Mr. Norton while he plumped down in the nearest chair; he was too tired to think about how rude that came out.

“Watch your tone, boy” Mr. Norton warned but his features softened while he reached for his keys.

“I’m sorry, Sir” JC quickly apologized, keeping his eyes to the floor.

“Stand up” Mr. Norton commanded and JC slowly rose out of his seat a little suspicious with the command. Mr. Norton stood up as well and walked towards JC while JC bit his lower lip from nervousness. Mr. Norton stopped in front of JC and grabbed his right wrist, just like he had done the day JC arrived. Startled by the sudden action he took a step back but Mr. Norton held a firm grip on JC’s wrist.

“Come here son” Mr. Norton said gently pulling JC towards him, JC’s eyebrows furrowed. ‘Son? He always called him boy, JC or slave but never son. What was going on?’ He didn’t like the way this was going.

Mr. Norton put the key in the lock of the shackle around JC’s right wrist and unlocked it, the shackle came off and while JC stared in shock at his free wrist, Mr. Norton did the same thing with his left wrist. When Mr. Norton let go of his wrists, JC slowly pulled them back towards him while he looked at his bare wrists in disbelief.

“You can look up now” Mr. Norton assured him gently. JC slowly raised his eyes to the person he called Mr. Norton, the shock evidently written on his face.

“What is going on? Is this some kind of joke?” JC asked, his second question with a hint of anger in his voice.

“No, Mr. Chasez this is not a joke” Mr. Norton reassured him, smiling slightly at the confused young man in front of him. ‘Mr. Chasez?! What the hell was going on?’ JC desperately wondered.

“Then what are you trying to pull here?” he asked his voice containing a little bit of desperate, hope.

“You are a free man, Mr. Chasez” JC blinked,

“Excuse me, a what?” he asked thinking his ears were playing tricks on him from exhaustion.

“A free man,” Mr. Norton repeated himself.

“Don’t ask me why, I just follow orders” Mr. Norton said when JC was still staring at him like he lost his mind.

“I’ve been asked to send you to the lake; someone will be awaiting your arrival” Mr. Norton smiled slightly.

“Now go!” Mr. Norton added with a playful instruction. JC smiled a little and backed away, stumbling out of the office. ‘The lake? Why did he have to go there? Maybe…? No it couldn’t be! Don’t get your hopes up JC!’ he said strictly to himself but he still took the steps two at a time. He took them three at a time and he almost fell down when he tried to take them four at a time. ‘Slow down’ he said to himself but he wasn’t listening, he wanted to get to the lake as quick as his legs could take him there.

JC looked around once he reached the lake. There wasn’t anyone here! Someone was playing a trick on him; he knew it for sure now! He was about to turn around when he saw something coming from behind the big tree just in front of the lake, where Sam and he had made love the night of the ball. He focused on the tree and then she appeared.

“Sam!” he yelled while he ran towards her.

“JC!” she yelled back while she ran towards him. They met halfway falling into each other’s arms, tears of happiness tracking down their faces.

“I missed you so much” Sam said in between kisses while they held each other close.

“I missed you too” JC said, his voice muffled against her lips.

“What’s going? Your dad said…” JC started confused, wanting to know what was going on, finally getting over his first shock of seeing Sam again when he thought he’d never see her again.

“My dad changed his mind” Sam interrupted him, smiling happily.

“But…” JC started another sentence, once again cut off by Sam.

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll have each other and that’s all that matters” she smiled.

“Yes, you’re right” he said smiling, intensely happy.

“We’ll be ok” he stated while he wrapped an arm around her as they walked away from the palace, walking towards their future together.