Chapter 18

The house changed overnight there were flowers in every room, floors were polished, rooms were ready for everyone to stay. Jazzy had never seen a place so big. “Jeff, what kind of job do you have?” “I trade things…” “what do you mean you trade things?” Looking at her, he said, “I am a pirate of this day and age. We go for ships that have paintings, lost treasures, and money. We go elsewhere and sell them, bring good money home, and bank it. Now please get ready it is not going to be long before our families are here.” Kissing her, Jeff went to the dining room to talk with the others. And she realized she forgot to tell him about her family. Slowly she goes upstairs worried about how he will take the news.

She found a dress, doing her make-up, hair in a long curl she grabbed her shawl and went to talk to Jeff. To get the shock over. She heard the doorbell and knew it was too late. Jeff just came out of the dining room when her mother and father walked in. “our daughter is here yes?”

“Where is she, we wish to speak to her now!” “That is no way to speak to my husband your son-in-law,” she said. “Is this how you speak to your father? This country has made your attitude worse I see. Come kiss your mother and we will talk about your future.”

Jazzy walked to her mother and kissed her, walked to her father kissed him but did not follow him she went to Jeff and kissed him knowing her father was watching. “Jasmine Marie Lawther, get over here now.” Looking at Jeff she grabbed his hand and smiled. “Sir if you do not mind, we want to talk to jasmine alone. “

“Madam I do mind she is my wife, and she needs me with her otherwise she will go into a state of panic and shut down. We can go to my office to be alone; the others cannot hear what has happened.” Jeff locked the door after everyone walked in, stood behind Jazzy his hand on her shoulder.

“Father I know you and mother sent me away because I am wild and free. I am not in line for anything and I refused to marry without love. Now I am thankful that you did so, otherwise, I would have never meant Jeff, but I have had a lot happen to me in the last six years I got a job made friends and lived a good life.”

“I do not need your money, name, or your guards. And I refuse to leave with you. Jeff is my life and hero, and the father of my unborn child.” “Your pregnant?” From all three people, looking down she knew it was a bad lie when it came out, but she knew her father would make her leave Jeff and go home. “Yes, I am. At least two days I was going to have Jay run a test to make sure. “

Jeff knew it could not be true he and the others made sure she could not make children for at least two months. But why would she lie about this? What did she mean next in line and guards? “Ok let us back up for a second, I am Jeff, who exactly are you guys?”

“I am king John, and this is the queen Nancy you know nothing of us?” “Why have you not told your husband about us? Are you ashamed of us or who you are?” “No! my name is Jazzy not Jasmine, I am a simple woman who works, and in the last seven months I have been kidnapped, drugged, raped, and beaten and Jeff and the others saved me.” Tears in her eyes she looked at her father “and not once did your guys help me in any way.”

“Not once did they aid the second princess, the daughter of the king and queen whom they love. No instead they helped the man who did it and took their turns with me. The king and queen throw the number two princess out with no one to protect her, but this man Jeff who took time out of his life to stop it all and show me what love is. If you do not mind, I want you to leave me alone tell everyone I died like you all knew I would!” Falling to her knees she started to cry.

Jeff saw it coming he grabbed her up and held her, telling her she was safe now and no one would hurt her ever again. All she could do was cry, “I was never good enough for you guys and my kids will not go through that.” “Jazzy, I am sorry we pushed you away like you said.”

“I am glad that your Jeff has found you. I see he loves you, but are you sure you want to do this? Your father and I want to take you home, and have you married that prince. It has been promised for an exceedingly long time you have duties to complete still. You can change your name, but you are still a princess.” “Mother, you and father can leave without me I am staying here.”

“Jeff I would like to go to our room now, if you would tell the others I will be down after a nap would mean a lot to me.” Looking at her eyes he knew she would start crying again and would need to check on her in a little while but said he would and watched her leave.

Turning he looked at her parents “she has been through a lot, and all you worry about is yourselves, well let me tell you something, she will not be leaving with you. She will have a good time at this party, she is married and if you guys want to make it hard for her then my family will meet you in the field.” Someone knocked on the office door and it opened, his mother and father were there. Walking over to his mother he kissed her and shook his father’s hand.

“Welcome to my home away from home.”

“My son you had done well for yourself. It is a beautiful place, but cold. Would you and our daughter-in-law be coming to the islands?” “Yes, mother we will be. You just missed Jazzy she went to lay down I am afraid her parents were not so nice to her. They do not approve of our marriage. She was meant for someone else. It was her birth promise to marry the prince,” “And she will do as she is told there is nothing you can do to stop it after all you are just a commoner.”

“My dear lady your wrong about that our son is a prince of our island and if you break their vows my troops will break yours. That is no way to speak to my son you will hold your tongue.” “King John may I suggest you gag your wife. As for the prince, she was to marry she has, and you no longer must worry about her. You do not even have to pay anything we will take her into our family.”

“Meredith, go check on our daughter while us men talk.” Knock. Knock. “Jeff, I am fine please do not worry. I need time alone.” Hearing the door open Jazzy went to look at him only to find her mother and another woman coming into her room. “My dear I am queen Meredith, I am Jeff's mother, and now your mother, our husbands will make things better I promise nothing will happen to you ever again. Now let us wipe them tears my daughter and see what I brought you.”

The guards brought in the trunks that could fit everything she owned. Looking at her mother-in-law she walked over and with a small smile, they opened the first one. One was full of dresses, for every kind of weather. The next one was full of jewels and shoes the third one was what caught her eye. It had a pair of boots that made her want to go riding and finally asked where they lived. “Like Jeff, we have many places where we live. But my favorite place is our island, it is warm all the time, you have many beaches to walk on. The waves of the ocean spray seawater onto our grounds.” The night of the party everyone was having fun, Jazzy never heard anything more about going home with her parents.

They left right after their talk with Jeff's father, Jeffs parents had requested that they have a wedding ceremony with them to make it official, and Jazzy and Jeff agreed.