Race for the Throne

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Jasmine laughs at Brandon. "Serena you have my permission to tease him when I get pregnant." She opens the door. "I suppose you guys are hungry. I just want Sakura."

"Baby snatcher!" Vincent crys out. "Brandon, better be careful you may never see your kids."

"Well Uncle Lawrence is only being fair. They did beat the shit out of him. Eventhough Anton deserved it. That is what it means to be King." Vincent tells her. "Gather your things, I am going to draw a relaxing bath." He kisses her and goes to the bathroom.

~~~~

Madeline winks and nods at Brandon. She goes over to Jasmine and hugs her. "Oh my Jasmine, I know how you feel. There is nothing to be ashamed of." Jasmine begins crying again in Madeline's arms. "They put Berenson, Iverson, and Nathaniel in the brig, but not after they beat that beast. He was sent under guard to the infirmary, but will be in the brig later."

"I want him gone Mom, I don't want him to be able to com near me again." Jasmine tells her.

"I am working on that. I am going to talk to Lawrence and his parents tomorrow. I am sorry baby, but we may need to delay the wedding by a day. I will make sure that they leave immediately under armed escort." Madeline holds her and pets her hair.

Serena gets up and gets her night shirt. “A nice bath would be helpful. Maybe I can relax enough to get some rest.” She said. “He looked so bad. He had a gash on his face and his face was black and blue. I know it sounds bad but I hope he doesn’t die…I don’t want anything to happen to my dad or anyone else because of him.” She said worriedly. Her imagination was beginning to play tricks on her.

~~

Brandon sighed as he paced the room. He was so angry with Anton. “I am ashamed that the wedding will have to be put off by a day just for that retched beast and his doings. It is not fair to Jasmine and me, but we will do what we must. I just want to make sure that Jasmine is safe.” He said as he watched Madeline and Jasmine.

"I doubt if anything will. Lawrence will make sure of it. He probably had no clue what happened. It was a good thing that Levi got him though." Vincent finishes the bath. "Why don't I wash your hair? I know you girls love things like that."

~~~~~~~~

"It may work out for the better. Anton and his wretched family will be out of the country. Jasmine, this may be a little early, but do you want to press charges?" Madeline asks.

"No, I just want him to go away and stay away. I don't ever want to see him again." Jasmine releases the hug. She runs to the bathroom and slams the door shut.

Madeline sighs. "You may have to give her the special tea. He forced himself upon her in front of everyone. I only hope he didn't do anything to dancer who he took the place of. Lawrence is probably investigating Miss Kitty's right now. I have to go, I will be back up tomorrow. Please stay with her, don't leave her alone tonight."

Serena begins to peel off her clothes. She makes her way over to the bathtub and gets into the hot water. She sits down and looks up at Vincent. "That would be lovely, actually. It is so relaxing to have some one do that for you." She explained.

She closed her eyes as Vincent began to wash her hair. "I can't believe that he actually forced himself onto her again. This time in front of family and friends. I am worried about her."

~~

Brandon watched as Jasmine ran. "I wish she would throw the book at him. He deserves it. I can't make her do it though." He said. He sighed gently.


"Don't worry Mrs. Lane, I will stay with her tonight and if I have to the tea.I only hope the sick basterd leaves us alone. Jasmine does not deserve this." He said as he slammed his fist down.

"I am sure Lawrence will make sure that he will never be able to do anything like that again to her." Vincent takes off his shirt and massages the shampoo on her head. "I am sure Uncle Iverson will have something in Rosario as well. I wonder if he actually beat on Anton, or if that was all Berenson and Nathaniel."

~~~~~~~~

"Swallow your anger before you check on her." Madeline advises as she heads out.

Jasmine started the water for a bath. She waits for it to fill up. She get in and leans back. She closes her eyes and tries to relax. She cannot believe that her father and brother are in jail. Why are they even here? Maybe she can get Lawrence to move Nadine.

Serena closes her eyes as Vincent massages her head. “If I know dad, I wouldn’t put it past him. He is a kind and loving person, but don’t mess with his family.” She said with a smile. “That feels good.”

~~

Brandon nodded his head as Madeline left the room. He takes a moment to take a few deep breaths and to calm down. Right now Jasmine needs him. He walks over to the bathroom and knocks gently on it. He opens it just enough to hear Jasmine, but not to see her. “Jasmine, your mother left and said she would be back tomorrow. Can I come in?” He asked.

"Good, you need to relax. We so we may have an extra day here again. I hope this does not become a habit when we visit." Vincent rinses out Serena's hair. "Now I am going to set out your stuff. Enjoy your bath."

~~~~~~

Jasmine sits up and looks in Brandon's direction. "You can come in. I have to apologize to mom tomorrow. I am so sorry, I just don't want to face him again. I want Lawrence to put an order in saying that. I also want Nadine moved."

~~~

Madeline meets Kalista in the hall. "She is scared to death. I wish we only knew that the Langorians were here. We could have done more to protect her. Come on let's head home."

“I miss coming to Moldova and having a good time. I hope the rest of our trip is good.” Serena said. She leans back against the tub and sighs as she lets the hot water take away her worries. She can feel the boys moving and she rubs there. “Everything is alright little ones, I am just fine.” She said with a smile. She then sang a lullaby as she continued to soak for a little while longer.

She gets out and dries off. She sighs. The towel won’t fit all the way around her. “Vincent, this towel doesn’t fit all the way around me.” She said as she walked out of the bathroom.

~~

Brandon opened the door and walked in. “Good you are taking a hot bath, it will help you to calm down.” He said. He walked over and sat on the side of the tub. “Don’t worry Jasmine, I will do everything in my power to do as you ask.” He began to massage her shoulders as he listened to her. “Don’t worry about anything. I am certain that they will understand your actions from today.”

Vincent covers his mouth to hide the smirk. "It must be the Moldovan towels because you never had any problems at home, or at the temple." He approaches her and rubs her stomach. "Hi boys, now you better let your mom sleep tonight."

~~~~~~~

"I am worried about Dad and Nathaniel. They are sitting in the brig because of me." Jasmine feels her muscles loosening. "Thank you for staying with me, visiting you in the brig would be uncomfortable."

“Oh, stop that laughing.” Serena said as she kissed Vincent. “I hope they let me sleep tonight, they have been pretty active the past hour or so.” She said as she put on her night shirt. “Are you going to hold me?” She asked giving him her puppy dog eyes.

~~

“I’m sure it was worth it for them. I know Lawrence probably has them in the best cells possible.” Brandon said as he continued to work on Jasmine’s shoulders. “He should be glad I didn’t get him, that is all I can say. You are more important though to me and for that reason I could never lower myself to his standards.” He kissed the top of her head as she soaked in the tub. “I love you, Jasmine.”

"Do you even need to ask?" Vincent lies in bed next to Serena. He rubs her stomach and sings a lullaby. "I love you all so much."

~~~~~~~~

"I love you too." Jasmine sighs. "Now, I do want to get out." She waits for him to back up. After drying off and putting on the pajamas, she joins him in the room. "Now I have some thank you notes to write." She walks over to the desk.

Serena lies down with Vincent and smiles as she snuggles up to him. She lies her head on his chest as he rubs her stomach. “We love you too.” She said as she closed her eyes. “At least today wasn’t a complete waste. Besides the horrible situation, I hope you had at least a good day.” She said as she started to fall asleep.

~~

Brandon walks over to the little tea brewer. “How about I make you some more tea so you can work and calm down?” He asked. He takes one of the sleeping teas and brews it instead. He walks over and hands it to her. “This will help you to relax.”

Vincent waits until Serena is asleep before falling asleep himself. He wakes up the next morning, the bed next to him is empty. He sits up and sees Serena on the recliner. He gets out of bed and goes to her. He rubs her stomach.

~~~~~~~~

Jasmine takes the cups and drinks it. "Perfect for after a bath, thank you Brandon." She turns back to her desk. She finds herself yawning and lies her head on the desk.

Serena’s eyes flutter open as Vincent rubs her stomach. “Is it morning already?” She asked. She was so tired. “I couldn’t stay comfortable last night. They kept kicking and it feels like someone’s beating me from the inside out.” She said with a sigh.

~~

Brandon waits until Jasmine is asleep before picking her up gently. He tucks her into bed and then lies down beside of her. “I love you Jasmine and I am sorry for having to do that.” He said.

Morning comes and Brandon is up early. He gets up and takes a quick shower. He walks back in to see Jasmine sitting there with an eye brow raised at him. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

"I am sorry that you are feeling so uncomfortable. You are over half way done with this pregnancy. You are being a champ as well." Vincent kisses her. "I am going to take a shower, then we can get ready."

~~~~~

"You gave me the sleeping tea. I guess I am thankful. Do we have to go to breakfast? I just want to be alone." Jasmine tells him. "Thank you for staying with me."

“Thank you Vincent.” Serena said as she sat up. She sighed tiredly as she gets up to get ready for the day. “I am going to need a nap later. I don’t know if I am going to be of any use today for that matter.” She said as she begins to get dressed.

~~

Brandon walks over to Jasmine and puts his arms around her. He then kisses her. “You are going to have to face them sometime Jasmine.” Brandon said as he ran his fingers though her hair. “I only gave you the tea so you would get some rest. You were so wound up last night and I hated to see you like that.” He said.

"Today is going to be a slow day, so I am sure you can get a nap in. Maybe we can get a lunch and have a picnic lunch. I love being outside here." Vincent tells her as he exits the bathroom. "We should check on Jasmine as well."

~~~~~

"I suppose I have to, I have to talk to Lawrence about getting my family out of the brig." Jasmine tells Brandon. "I am sorry. This whole situation is driving me crazy. I am so worried about Nathaniel, and my hand is hurting a little bit. Nathaniel probably hurt his." She goes to her closet. "I have to be dignified about all of this."

“That sounds good. Maybe we can invite Jasmine and Brandon along to get her out of the castle and to help her calm down. I can only imagine what is going through her mind right now.” Serena said as she looked up at Vincent. She was just finishing up her hair. “I will wait on you to get ready before we go check on Jasmine.”

~~

Brandon walked over to Jasmine and put his hands around her. “Stop for a moment and take a deep breath. I want you to calm down. I’m sure your family will understand that you need to come first.” He said. He helps her to get ready. “You are beautiful in your outfit. I think we should go see Lawrence and see if they are coming out of the brig now or by noon. He may not let them out until after the investigation is over.” He explained.

Jasmine sighs. "Thank you Brandon. At least with a smaller wedding, we can delay it without too many problems. I just hate that we are delaying it."

Vincent gets ready and opens the door for Serena. "I only hope she is not alone. I know it is not proper, but she needed someone last night." They walk to Jasmine's room and knocks on the door.

Jasmine jumps again. She takes a deep breath and goes to the door. "Oh good morning guys. Serena how are you feeling? Are you guys here to go for breakfast. I am not that hungry."

“I am just tired. I didn’t sleep well last night. I can’t get comfortable on my side anymore.” Serena explained. “We thought we would see if you felt like coming to breakfast and to see if you wanted to join us for a picnic lunch. Vincent was thinking down by the lake.” Serena asked. “How do you feel this morning?”

Brandon walked over and put his arm around Jasmine. He wished she felt better. “That picnic sounds nice, what do you say Jasmine? Do you want to go?” He asked.

Jasmine has to think, going out will be good. They will not know what happened, so she can at least pretend. She only hopes they don't run into George or Lenora. "I would like that. I need to get away from the castle. I am not really hungry though. I will go to breakfast with you."

They walk down to the dining hall. Jasmine pauses right outside the hall. She takes a deep breath and puts on her Princess face. Then she walks in with Brandon. "Good morning everyone." She sits down with a smile on her face.

Junaluska looks up as Jasmine walks through the door. She can see that Jasmine is wearing her princess face. She squeezes Lawrence’s hand. “Good morning, I hope all of you are well.” She said. She didn’t want to single out Jasmine and ask her how she felt, but she did want to know. She was worried about her.

Serena takes a seat as Vincent pulls out her chair for her. She looks up at her grandmother. “I am tired, I wish I could sleep better. Brandon, any tips on how to sleep better at night, or is this something I should ask Aunt Madeline?” She asked.

“All I can say is good luck. I have had several women tell me it’s easier for them to sleep sitting up versus on their side at your stage of pregnancy.” Brandon said. He pulled Jasmine’s chair out for her and let her sit down.

Jasmine sits down. "Mom sat up a lot to rest towards the latter part of her pregnancies. So don't be offended if Serena is not in bed." Jasmine waves off the servant opting only for coffee.

"Don't worry Mom was the same way." Vincent winks at Jasmine. "I found Serena in the recliner this morning."

Jasmine looks at Junaluska. She can tell that Junaluska wants to talk with her. She stands. "Excuse me, I will be right back. Junaluska, will you walk with me please?"

“Well that makes me feel a little better. It is just easier to get comfortable sitting like that to sleep.” Serena said. She watched as Jasmine and Junaluska left the room. “She says she is fine grandpa, but she looks so scared.”

“She is nervous. I know it was wrong, but I stayed with her last night. I couldn’t leave her like that all alone.” Brandon said as he watched them.

Junaluska walked with Jasmine out of the dining room. “I didn’t want to single you out Jasmine, but I wanted to make sure you were alright. I didn’t get to see you last night and I was worried about you.”

"I am a mix of emotions. I heard Lawrence arrested Dad, Nathaniel, and Iverson. I want them out. How am I supposed to get married when my dad and brother are in the brig because of me?" Jasmine demands.

“He only put them in jail because of what they did. He had no choice. Bail will be put up for them and they will be out before noon.” Junaluska explained. “If you had seen what they had done, you would have understood why.”

"I also want Nadine moved. I don't want her in the royal city. I know this is not her fault, but she grants him access to the city. And he has proven that I am not safe when he is here." Jasmine points out. Her hands are balled into fists at her side.

“I can’t guarantee that she will be moved, Jasmine, but I can at least keep him out of here for the next five years. The only other hospital she can go to is in Rosario in the capital city. I’m certain that Kalista would permit it and so would Iverson, but how would Serena feel about that?” Junaluska asked. “I can ask Lawrence to ban him from Moldova and in five years revisit the situation and see if it needs to be longer.”

"What happens if he becomes king before that? We cannot ban him then. What happens if we are on foreign soil? I know we have other facilities available in Moldova that are even better in the one in Rosario." Jasmine sighs. She looks at Junaluska fear in her eyes.

Junaluska walks over and pulls Jasmine to her. She hugs her tightly. “Calm your fear’s Jasmine. You cannot think with fear, think rationally.” She said. “We have to stay within the national laws when dealing with this kind of situation. I can have a restraint put on him as well. That would keep him so far away from you even on foreign soil.”

Jasmine forces herself to keep composure in Junaluska's arms. "Once he is out of Moldova, then I will be safe. Until then, I will be on my guard." His words ring in her mind again.

“Once the bail is put out for him from his parents, they will be leaving Moldova. I will see to that personally. I will talk with Lawrence and we will discuss what to do with Nadine. She is still our granddaughter and we only want the best for her as well as you. You are just as much my granddaughter as Serena is. I have always loved you Jasmine.” Junaluska said.

"I am not mad at Nadine. I hope she gets the help she needs. Hell, she is going to need it being married to that asswipe." Jasmine gasps. "I apologize Junaluska. We better return. I know Brandon is probably worried."

Junaluska took Jasmine’s hand and smiled. “That is the truth. I do feel for her.” She said. They head back to the dining room and Brandon looked up at Jasmine. He was slightly worried about her as she walked back to her seat.

He leaned over to her. “Is everything alright?” He asked.

Jasmine smiles at Brandon. "Everything is fine. She takes a drink of her juice. I was just catching Junaluska up."

Vincent leans to Serena and whispers. "I think she needs to get out. We should make sure she eats something for lunch."

Lawrence nods. He can tell how stressed out she is. "I am expecting Nathaniel and the others to be out by lunch. I know that Madeline and I will meet with the Langorians after lunch. Jasmine, I want you to take a break for the day. Do some shopping for the honeymoon."