Disclaimer: I don't own The New World or its characters.

Title: Faithfulness and Betrayal

Couple: John Smith/Pocahontas (The New World)

Summary: Pocahontas betrays Powhatan and breaks the vow she made to him by warning John Smith of the surprise attack on the colony that her father is planning. Torn between her people and the man she faithfully loves, Pocahontas must make a tough choice. (Spoilers inside)

(Pocahontas' POV)

After my father realized that I had given John Smith the seeds to grow corn in the fields, I knew he was going to attack him and the other settlers in the colony for wanting to stay. I had to warn him before it was too late. I ran as fast as I could to the fort, knowing with every step I took I was more concerned about John and less about my people. I was so frightened, but I couldn't look back. I just had to get to my love—nothing else mattered to me.

Nightfall had come by the time I had reached the fort. A large fire had been made just outside the gate. It felt good to be near it against the cool night air , but I could hardly think of the fire now. Keeping warm was the least of my concerns and worries. My people were planning to attack the man I love, and I couldn't just stand back and not warn him. I would do anything if I could have the chance to be with him again, even if it meant betraying the vow I made to my father.

"Promise me—" he started to say as I was gently painting his face one afternoon when John Smith was still held as a captive in my tribe. "You will put your people above all else."

"I know myself," I assured him, but knew on the inside I was lying.

"Even above your own heart," my father continued to say and looked onward at my love as he looked back at me with curiosity in his eyes. "He is not one of us."

I never thought I would see the day when I'd care for a complete stranger more than own my family, but that's what love is. I couldn't deny my heart the chance of true happiness, even if I wanted to. John Smith was my reason for living now. He was the air in my lungs, the beats of my heart, the spirit in my soul. He was everything to me and nothing would stop me from loving him—not the roaring thunder from the clouds, or the crashing waves from the sea, nor the blazing heat from the sun. I was in love with this man and nothing could change that.

Mother, is loving this man so wrong? Why can't Father see the good in him like I do? He makes me feel happy and isn't that what fathers want for their children? Why can't I make him see the truth? Is it my destiny to love a man that my people want to drive into the sea? Isn't there somewhere we can go to be safe and free to love each other as we rightfully should? Give me a sign, Mother. What should I do?

I was desperately longing for him to touch me again like he had when we were open to love each other freely in the wild. Gently holding hands in the woods…caressing each other's skin lovingly by the river…kissing softly in the meadows where no one could see us… The time we spent together was a dream, the greatest fantasy a person could ever imagine to have, but vibrantly real. There were no words, only peace and fulfilled desires when we were together; alone in the woods, we kept our love a secret from the rest of the world around us.

Those fond memories seem so long ago, and yet feel like they just took place yesterday at the same time. I never knew how powerful the feelings of true love were until I met this man. Every time I see him now I wanted to be with him more and more—gazing into his eyes for all eternity, holding onto him forever so that I could memorize every inch of his body and kissing him with all the passion I could muster. These irresistible emotions changed something inside of me, but I knew it was right. It felt right and that was all I needed to know. Love cannot lie, I told myself, because it was the truest and most beautiful thing any person could ever hope to come across in their lifetime and that was why I wasn't going to let go.

He must've seen me coming to the fort ahead of time because it wasn't before long that I saw him coming out of the night's shadows to the fire. John didn't walk far from the gate, which saddened me, but I didn't allow my emotions cloud why I had come or get the best of me. I could tell by the look on his face that he was confused as to why I was here.

"Come away," I said to him in barely above a whisper.

"You must tell me why," he told me in a concerned tone of voice as he moved a few steps closer to me.

Suddenly I was afraid to tell him anything. I didn't want the other white settlers to hear what we were saying. After our encounter in the winter, I knew my love wanted to keep all others from knowing our relationship. John quickly picked up on this and said, "They can't hear. I sent them away."

"He sees…you mean to stay." I finally let out what I needed to say about my father. "They're coming."

John didn't look happy with the news, but I knew he wouldn't. He looked depressed and exhausted…so much so that his intentions were very unclear to me. I didn't have a single sign as to what he was planning to do once the boats of the English settlers arrived. Would he leave? Did he want to leave? I knew that there must be another way to keep peace than for John Smith to surrender to my father's demands and return to where he came from. My heart couldn't possibly bear it if I was forced to watch the man I loved with all my heart sail away from the shores and never come back to me.

No, there must be another way.

"Make peace with him," I once again said in just barely above a whisper as the sound of the fire continued to crackle.

"He won't accept peace," he informed me. "Why would he?"

I knew John was right. My father would never accept peace with the white settlers. He's only been tolerate with the settlers for this long because he always thought they would eventually leave in the spring as my love had promised…or have them all killed for deciding to stay. So I had to make a choice—here and now—choosing between my people and the man I loved, but the decision wasn't hard. If my people wouldn't accept peace with the settlers and they were going to be forced to leave, I knew what I had to do.

Follow my heart.

"Come away," I repeated again softly.

I didn't care about the English settlers, I didn't care about the vow I made to my father, all I cared about was him. If this was the only way we could be together, then so be it. My heart had already made up its mind and there was no turning back. John Smith was more important to me than anything else and I wanted to be with him even if that meant leaving everyone else I loved behind in the dust.

"And where would we live?" John asked, not giving me the answer I was expecting. "In the woods? On a treetop? A hole in the ground?"

I was suddenly frightened, having trouble breathing properly, and couldn't look at him directly in the eyes anymore. I was taken aback from what I had heard. John didn't want to leave with me…at least not in this way. Did he not want me anymore? Did he not still love me like I worship him for the god he is? Why was he turning his back on our love? Why did he seem so different from the man I fell in love with back when he was a captive in my tribe?

I abruptly envisioned us holding each other gently next to the fire as he kissed the top of my head… I saw us holding hands together like we were meant to do for all eternity.

It was perfect, just like our blissful love, but then I realized the visions inside my mind weren't real. I was not in my love's warm embrace or holding his hand. I was standing on the opposite side of the fire more than an arm's length away from him. There was no love in his eyes, but now had much fear in them.

"You have to come with me…into the fort," he said in a nearly desperate tone. "Your people will know you've been here. They'll find out soon enough."

I was breathing heavily now, I couldn't take in what was happening. I was faithfully in love with a man that my father wanted dead. I wanted to leave this place with John Smith and never look back, but I couldn't leave my people if my love wasn't willing to leave with me. They were all I had and all I knew. If I left them without John Smith, I would have nothing—the daughter of a king alone in a world of emptiness. No, I couldn't leave. Without giving it a second thought, I stepped away from the fire as John's eyes protested for me not to go and ran away back to my village, praying to my mother that I would see him again soon.

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