Thank you for all the reviews. I thought this would be the last chapter but I was wrong, so I won't say this is the next to last chapter this time. Please R&R
Sam was thinking about everything that had happened over the week. Although she hated to admit it she had missed Jake.
I can't believe how much I missed Jake. He calls me a brat! Why would I feel this way about someone that calls me a brat? I'm almost 17, and daddy is for sure going to marry me off to some prince. I am so glad that Prince Rupert is out of the picture. That guy just wants a pretty dopey wife anyway. Besides that, he's not even cute, and he's mean to horses. If I was married off to him I would run away. I wish the princess was allowed to pick her own husband like the commoner girls. I guess my dads next choice would be Prince Andrew. He's kinda cute, and nice to horses, but I doubt he could handle my wanting to explore and travel, and well I doubt he could handle me being me. Jake could.
Sam shook her head softly. I need to quit thinking about Jake. I'm probably not going to get to marry him anyway.
She heard a soft tapping on her door, so she got up and opened the door a crack. It was Luriana, and Lily. Lily hugged her the moment she opened the door. Sam hugged the little girl back, and smiled at Luriana.
"How long are you going to stay Luriana?" Luriana shrugged. "I'm not sure, but today I am going to help Lily find her brother." "I hope you find him soon." "I'm sure we will."
Sam loved Lily. She was so sweet and cute, it made her sad to hear that her father had been beating her. "Do you think that I could go too?" "No Samantha," Luriana sighed. She wasn't sure if she should tell Sam or not.
Sam was surprised. Luriana had called her Samantha. Luriana let out another sigh. "Your mother told me that they are going to introduce you to your husband to be."
Sam's jaw dropped. Her eyes were opened wide with shock. How in the world could her parents do this to her? "Who? Did they tell you who?" Luriana shook her head. "Do you know anyway?" Luriana shook her head again. Sam sighed once more. "I didn't think that they would marry me off that fast." She choked back some tears. Luriana sighed. She shouldn't have told her so soon after being home.
Luriana put her arm around Sam. "It will be okay. I can read minds, but your mom was blocking her mind from me. All I can tell you is that you will like the person they picked."
Sam looked at Luriana. She liked Jake and that was about it. Unless it was one of his brothers. They were okay, but she didn't like like them. She needed to think about this.
Luriana stood up to leave, and hugged her gently.
Why hadn't they told her? She had a right to know. She was the one marrying him for goodness sake! If it was that one stern prince that had just nodded ever so politely at every thing she had said, she would scream.
What am I going to tell Jake? He's so protective, and he won't be my bodyguard once I'm married. A tear slipped down her cheek. She had just got home and she was going to be married off. She held the small carved unicorn she had made her second night at Zared's cave and wondered where The Phantom was, and if he would come back.
"Oh well, I'll just pretend I haven't heard any thing, and I don't want to get Luriana in trouble."
Else where in the castle
"Sir Jakob," The king was nervous. What if Jakob said no? "You know that Princess Samantha is old enough to marry." Was he imagining that Jake had gasped? He ignored the gasp. "I was wondering if-" Jake interrupted, "You want me to help sift through the princes don't you?" Then realizing that he had interrupted the king said, "I apologize for interrupting." "It is alright, but no."
Jake was surprised. Wait, was he going to say his services were no longer needed? No no no. What ever you do, do not say that my services are no longer needed!
"I was wondering, well, I don't know how to say this." Queen Louise walked into the room. "Have you asked him yet sweetie?" King Wren shook his head. "Would you like me to?" With a pained expression the king nodded.
"What we were wondering is, would you like to be the Princesses husband?"
Jake's eyebrows shot up in shock. They wanted him to marry Sam?
"Please give us your answer before tonight."
What in the world? I can't believe that they asked me to marry Sam! Why me? What would Sam say? Would she marry me? I would hope she would say yes. I need to go find her and talk to her about it.
"Is that all you were wanting me for?" Queen Louise and King Wren nodded. "Oh and Jake?" Jake turned to Queen Louise. "Please let me know your decision by sunset, because we are having a party and if you are going to marry her we will announce it." Jake nodded and left the throne room.
Outside of the throne room he leaned up against the wall and sighed.
Oh wow! I'm ready to march over to her and marry her right now, but... I need to find out where she is.
He saw Lily running along with Luriana, and stopped her with a hug. "Jakey! We're gonna go find Bradley!" "Really? I hope you find him soon." "Me too," Said Lily putting her arms around Jake's neck. "Hey Lily, do you know where Princess Sam is? "Uh huh! She's in her bedroom." She gestured for Jake to lean forward, and he did so. "She's gonna get married. Luriana said that Queen Louise was gonna talk to the guy about it."
Luriana watched for Jake's reaction. She tried reading his mind, but he had blanked it out. He didn't seem surprised, or upset, in fact it looked like he was about to grin. Could he be the one they had wanted to marry her to? She hated it when someone blanked out their mind like that.
"Well alrighty then. I need to go talk to Princess Sam." "And I need to find my brother!" "Alright. I will see you when you come back." Lily hugged Jake one more time and then grabbed Luriana's hand and said, "Comon Luriana, we've got to find Bradley soon."
Jake smiled at Lily as she walked down the hall. She was so sweet. Maybe he could adopt her. He sure wasn't going let her dad have her back. He would even adopt Bradley if necessary.
He got to Sam's door. He sighed and lightly tapped on it.
"Who's there?" Called out Sam. "Jake." The door opened and he saw Sam's face streaked with tears. "What's the matter Sam?" Why was she crying? She wasn't the kind of girl that cried. "I-I found out th-that I'm going to get married!" "Really?"
Sam was surprised. Why wasn't Jake upset? Didn't he realize that if she got married he wouldn't be her bodyguard anymore?
"Sam," Sam noticed that Jake was blushing a bright red. "I- Well- Your father- Would you be upset if I married you?" Sam shrugged. Why was he asking? There was no way it was going to happen. "I don't know." She did know but, she knew she couldn't marry him, so she decided to say something kind of with two meanings. "I would rather marry you than Prince Andrew."
Jake had a twinkle in his eyes. He thought that comment had been funny. Then his eyes got serious. "Sam, I want you to be perfectly honest with me. How do you like me?" For a minute she looked shocked, then her eyes got mischievous. "Hmm. You're okay fried." Jake stared at her for a moment, and she giggled. Then he got the 'joke'.
"Sam!" She began to look like a cornered animal. Sometimes cornered animals attacked. He hoped she didn't.
"Why do you want to know? I'm going to meet the person I'm gonna marry tonight, so even if I do like you like that, I'll never work!" Another big tear rolled down her cheek.
Jake leaned close to her. She got a tingling feeling deep down in her stomach. He grinned at her reaction, then leaned in farther and whispered in her ear, "I think that if it's okay with you, I'm gonna be your husband."
Jake heard Sam's sharp intake of breath, and saw the pure shock in her eyes.
"Y-you? M-m-me? Marry?" Jake nodded. "Um, Are you okay with that?"
Am I okay with that? Am I okay with that! Duh I'm okay with that! I've loved him ever since I turned twelve. Of course I'm okay with marrying him! Now if I could just spit out the words!
"Um um... Well- I-" She licked her dry lips. "Well, um Jake... Me marry you?" Finally a sentence!
Jake nodded. "Sam, if you don't want to marry me I'll understand."
Sam's jaw dropped. "Not marry you!" "Well, you are sending me mixed signals. I can't tell if you want to marry me, or if you are horrified at the idea."
Sam decided to do something that would shock her mother and father. Maybe even shock Jake.
She stepped forward so she was closer to Jake, and kissed him. It wasn't just a peck on the lips either. It was more of a- well, more of a not peck on the lips.
"Ya still getting mixed signals?" Jake shook his head in disbelief of what had just happened, and that no he sure wasn't getting mixed signals.
"So do you want me to tell your mom and dad that you're okay with us getting married? Sam nodded with a smile, and hugged Jake one more time before he set off to let her parents know that they were both okay with it, and that the party should go on as planed.