Lance-

It had been three months since the death of my mother when I finally saw my kingdom on the horizon once again. I couldn't stop the large smile from spreading across my face as my home and family came into a reachable distance.

I wondered where Jayne was right now in the castle. It was around noon. She was probably serving the court in the grand hall. I silently sent a prayer up hoping she had waited for me and hadn't found someone new. A year was an awfully long time to be gone.

As we reached the courtyard my father and the household were waiting at the top of the steps. My weariness had me half dragging myself up those stairs without much hurry. I couldn't remember the last time I got a decent amount of sleep.

I hugged my father first, before I lifted up my sister who stood beside him and kissed her cheek. "Did you miss me?"

"On occasion" she teased and I couldn't help but smile.

When I got to my room I ordered a bath and rushed through it quickly before sneaking off to the slave's quarters in an attempt to find Jayne. I found it odd that I hadn't seen her face in the crowds at my arrival. I assumed she would have been there, as anxious to see me as I her.

I hadn't seen her in the slave's quarters I decided to search the royal quarters, since she would most likely be there cleaning if she was not with the other castle slaves.

After looking through the rooms in our family's chambers I finally asked a page and another slave that I didn't recognize from before I left, if they had seen her. Both shook their head and scrambled away from me. I figured I'd go back downstairs and ask around there as well and risk the rumors that would abound by a prince wondering after a slave.

On my way down the steps I ran into Leah again, bouncing her way up.

"Leah, do you know where Jayne is?"

She stopped and looked up at me with an expression of shock and pity that could rival any adult. Oh god…

"Jayne's been gone. Left almost a year ago."

"What?" She left. Why would she leave? "Why? How? Where'd she go?"

Leah shrugged. "I don't know. I just know she left."

Fear overtook me, "Did…was she hurt? Did she leave or…did…did something happen?"

Leah raised an eyebrow, "She didn't die or anything of the sorts if that's what you're implying. I saw her leave with her bag. But no one told me why. No one ever tells me why." She said the last part with a pout.

I didn't bother saying goodbye as I dashed down the stairs to the study I knew my father would be in. I swung open the door without knocking. My father's eyes turned up towards me upon my arrival, with a strong look of disapproval.

"What is it, Lance? I'm busy."

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the questions I would soon be asked. I wasn't backing down though. If anyone knew anything about Jayne's ware bouts I had to find out. "Where's Jayne?"

His eyes grew large and his face froze. At the same time he didn't look all that shocked, more disappointed. Could he have known about us?

"Jayne left about nine months ago, son." He said sighing and leaning back into his chair, hands folded across his chest. He was eyeing me, trying to figure something out. He knows…

"She left? To where?" My anger was starting to boil. What was going on? What was I not being told? "And you just let a slave escape? Because that's very much like you."

He sighed again and stood up, walking around his desk to me. "She did not escape, Lance. She was granted freedom and took it."

"You expect me to believe that?" I was practically shouting at him now, "You just let a slave free? You would never do such a thing."

His face and tone did not change. His easy tempter was staying hidden, "It was your mother's wish, son. You know how close she was to Jayne. She asked me to grant her freedom. So I did."

I closed my eyes, trying to calm down, but it wasn't working. My mother asking for Jayne's freedom did not shock me. This could have been her attempt at making sure Jayne and I could be together but… "Why would she leave?" it came out not as an angry command as I hoped, but a desperate plea for him to tell me she wasn't gone. Tell me she hadn't had left me.

"She was a slave. She was given freedom. Why would she have stuck around? What was here for her once she wasn't bound?" He looked pointedly at me and I tried to read in his eyes any dishonesty. Like always though I just saw the unreadable coldness.

His words started sinking in though. What reason would she have to stay? Myself? Of course I hoped I was enough of a reason for her, because she was enough of reason for me. But like I had thought so many times before: a year is a long time. Maybe to her I wasn't worth it? Maybe the thought of making her own life somewhere was too tempting.

But no…we had something so rare. No one could walk away from that, right? I rubbed my head at the jumbling thoughts and sat down on one of the chairs in his study.

"She wouldn't have just left…"

My father sighed and sat in the chair next to mine, "Lance, she's gone. I'm sorry if losing a…friend…has hurt you, but you should be thankful for this opportunity she's given you. You'll be King soon. You need to focus on finding a woman who can fill the position of Queen."

My head shot up, "She would have been a great Queen."

His eyebrows raised at this, "A slave? Do not insult our family thusly."

"As you pointed out," I replied, "She is not a slave anymore."

He patted me on the arm after a moment, " I know you're hurt but this will pass." He stood up, "Now if you excuse me I have some work to be done…"

And just like that I was dismissed. I left the room and not a second after shutting the door I punched the wall, crumbling some bits of the stone. How could she leave…

Jayne-

The days were approaching to the anniversary of day I left Benbourgh and the day I'd hear from someone about being able to return to my Lance. I prayed it would be him waiting for me at that church, but even a messenger would make me weep in happiness at this point. Not knowing was the worst.

I placed my now six month old daughter into her cradle and climbed into my own bed, sighing as I contemplated what is to become. A smile slipped over my face as I thought of Lance and our past together. A blush ran across my cheeks as I thought of the first time we kissed and then of the first time we made love. I sinked lower in my bed, willing sleep to come faster so I would be that much closer to his return.