Title: Distant Relatives 2/?
Author: Heather, the Goddess of Evil
Date: January 31, 1999
Classification/Rating: JB/JQHR, Alt, Adventure/PG
Archivers: Have at it, you've my permission.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the JQ-niverse or any
of it's affiliates.  I do own Caldon and Levi (the
baddies) so you have to ask my permission if you want
to use them.
      
Distant Relatives
 
After jumping the fence Jessie galloped through the
woods until she hit a clearing.  She stopped and
waited to see if the adventurer had followed her.  To
her surprise he came galloping out of the woods and
stopped right beside her.
"Didn't think you were actually coming," she admitted.

"Well, I'm here aren't I?" he asked innocently.
Jessie smiled and held out her hand.  
"Nice to meet you," she said sincerely.
Jonny clasped her wrist.
"Nice to meet you too.  Now that we've had a more
casual introduction, what are we planning to do?" he
asked.
"I'm planning to find out if I can find a certain cave
and explore it," Jessie said looking around.  
She clicked her tongue and Shadow went into a walk. 
Jonny followed.

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The two never found the cave, but they did find
something better.  They found a friendship and maybe
something more.  Jessie and Jonny were lying on a
green grassy hill staring up into the sky.  Jessie
reluctantly sat up and brushed herself off.  Noticing
her, Jonny sat up also.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I've got to get back," Jessie said taking the reigns
in her hands.
"Why?"  Jonny asked.
"I have a ball to get ready for," she grunted as she
saddled up.
She looked at him.
"Are you coming?" she asked suddenly.
"I wasn't planning to, but now I think I will," he
answered.
Jessie smiled then rode off.  Jonny laid back down and
stayed there for a while longer before getting on
Bandit and heading for the castle.

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Jessie sat amidst a group of boys and girls her age. 
They sat gossiping about this and that, but Jessie
ignored most of it.  Wonderful music was being played,
but nobody worthwhile ever asked her to dance.  It was
always the same boring snobby royalty trying to get
her to notice them.
"What do you think about him?" one of the girls asked
catching off guard.
"What?" she asked.
"Not what, my dear Jessica, but who," one of them
corrected.
Jessie cringed at the full use of her name.
"And we're talking about that adventurer that arrived
today.  What's his name?  Something Quest?"  Cordelia
asked.
"Oh, you mean Jonny Quest.  He's nice," she answered.
The group looked at each other with disgust at the way
she shortened his name.
"Well, I'm glad you think so," came a voice from
behind her.
Jessie turned around and smiled when she saw the
adventurer.  She hoped he somehow got her away from
this group of snobs.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked extending his
hand.
"Actually, she was about to dance with me,"
intercepted the boy next to her before she could
accept.
"Actually, I would be honored," she said accepting his
hand and standing.
He led her onto the dance floor and they took up the
rhythm of the dance along with the other dancers. 
Jonny was an excellent dancer.  She wondered when he'd
had time to learn.
"Thank you," she said.
"Why, am I the first to ask you to dance?" he asked
sarcastically.
Jessie laughed at his joke.  It felt good to be
laughing instead of rolling her eyes at the
snobbishness of her usual group.
"I just can't stand the people I was sitting with,"
Jessie explained.
"So, why do you sit with them?"  Jonny asked.
"Because I can't get away from them.  They're like a
bunch of leaches trying to impress me," Jessie
explained as they swirled around.
Title: Distant Relatives 3/?
Author: Heather, the Goddess of Evil
Date: February 1, 1999
Classification/Rating: JB/JQHR, Alt, Adventure/PG
Archivers: Have at it, you've my permission.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the JQ-niverse or any
of it's affiliates.  I do own Caldon and Levi (the
baddies) so you have to ask my permission if you want
to use them.
       
Distant Relatives

Race watched his daughter ignore the group she sat
with.  She didn't look too impressed with the new
arrivals.  They were probably turning out like the
rest.  Snobbish and boring like they always seemed to
be.
I can't believe I agree with my daughter, he thought
to myself.
Race smiled as Jonny walked toward Jessie and asked
her to dance.  He watched them walk out to the dance
floor and smoothly glide around it in rhythm with the
other dancers.  Neither one missed a beat.  Jessie's
deep green, velvet dress contrasted with the bright
colors of Jonny's outfit.  He wondered where the
adventurer had gotten it.
Jessie's dress wasn't elaborate like the other girls. 
Of course, she had never liked those types of dresses
or the people who wore them for that matter.  Hers had
no hoops or millions of petty coats under it.  It went
straight to the floor with out any flounces, or
trimmings, just a velvet dress.  But, you had to admit
she looked a lot better than the rest of the girls. 
Her slightly tanned arms were left uncovered by the
short sleeves of the dress.  She wore no gloves and
the only piece of jewelry was the golden locket around
her neck.
Race remembered when he had apprenticed Jonny as an
adventurer.  He had taught Jonny for four years.  Then
Race had had this kingdom bestowed upon him by a dying
king with no heirs.  A year later, he had found Jessie
and the kingdom received an heiress.  Now, three years
after that, Jessie was meeting suitors and Jonny had
come to visit his father and best friend after being
on his own for four more years.
Race wished his wife were here so he didn't have to
just sit and do what was called presiding.  He was
bored and didn't like watching and looking pretty. 
His eyes grazed over the room before they landed on
his daughter and the adventurer.
What he didn't see was that all around the perimeter
of the room guards were being replaced by frauds.  And
it was too late to do anything when he realized that
four men dressed in black had surrounded Jonny and
Jessie.

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"None of the kingdoms are even close to half of the
area of my dad's and that's why all the young men are
competing for my hand.  That way they have this
kingdom when dad dies and their own to add on to it
when their own father dies," Jessie explained as they
danced on.
"Too bad they won't get it," came a voice from behind
her.
Jessie gasped and turned around to see a rather ugly
man smiling at her with a few missing teeth.  She
backed up until she hit Jonny.  She noticed that the
music had stopped and the crowd was totally silent. 
Four men in all black surrounded Jonny and herself.
"Get rid of him," the smiling man ordered.
"Jonny," Jessie gasped as another man grabbed Jonny
from behind and held him just out of the circle of men
surrounding her.
He called back to her, but the man's grip was too
strong and he couldn't get free.  He struggled, but to
no effect.  Jessie looked up at the man who was still
smiling.  She let the rage in her eyes ask the
questions she so desperately wanted to voice.

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Race got up and was pushed back down by two men with
crossbows.  He sat and watched as Jonny was separated
from Jessie.  Then the guy whom Race assumed was in
charge headed toward the dais where he was sitting.
"I hope you've had fun running this kingdom because
now the fun is over," he said smiling.
With a flick of his hand the guard holding Jonny
escorted him toward the door that led directly into
the castle.  Then Jessie and the four men that had
been surrounding her followed.
Jessie watched the back of the guard who held Jonny. 
She waited for the right moment before she secretly
slashed her foot out and tripped him.  Because he
didn't have a very good hold on Jonny he fell down to
the floor alone.  Jessie grabbed the sword of the guy
on her left and stood facing the guards behind her. 
Jonny was by her side in moments.
"I hate fancy clothes," Jonny whispered at the same
time Jessie was whispering, "I hate dresses."
The guards charged and Jonny took on the unarmed one. 
Jessie faced one of the ones with swords.  She swung
the heavy sword with all her might trying to keep her
balance at the same time.  She had only started
sword-fighting lessons three months ago.  And all
though she was a fast learner, she still wasn't great
at it.
The guard struck and went past her.  Jessie turned to
make sure she was ready for the next attack.  However,
the next thing she knew everything was going black.
Title: Distant Relatives 4/?
Author: Heather, the Goddess of Evil
Date: February 2, 1999
Classification/Rating: JB/JQHR, Alt, Adventure/PG
Archivers: Have at it, you've my permission.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the JQ-niverse or any
of it's affiliates.  I do own Caldon and Levi (the
baddies) so you have to ask my permission if you want
to use them.
       
Distant Relatives
 
Jonny turned around when he heard a crash.  Jessie
fell to the floor and one of the guards was just
returning a now broken vase to a table.  Jonny
immediately went to Jessie's side.  She was sprawled
on the floor.  He used a basic healing spell to make
sure she would be okay.
"Since you seem so fond of her majesty, you can escort
her to her room and stay with her," the smiling man
said when he came out to see what the commotion was
about.
"Who are you?  What do you want?"  Jonny asked putting
his attention on the enemy.
The man laughed for a short time.  Then he stopped and
barked orders to the guards.  Finally he walked back
into the ballroom.  A guard came and dragged Jonny
away from Jessie.  Another picked Jessie up in his
arms, her fiery hair hanging over one of them.
They were forced into a room and she was laid on the
bed.  Jonny recognized the riding leathers that were
hanging on the back of the chair and realized that
this must be her room.  The leathers were thrown off
the chair when a guard took it and tied Jonny's arms
to the arms of the chairs and his legs to the front
legs of the chair.
Jonny struggled to get out of the ropes, but the
guards just laughed at him as they left.  With his
strength spent, Jonny watched for any change in the
princess that lay on the bed.  Jonny realized he had
never felt this way about any other girl before.  It
was something new, but it didn't scare him.  It gave
him more of a peaceful joyful feeling just to be near
her.
Jonny started when the door opened and a boy about his
age walked in.  He wore all black and he had very dark
brown hair and brown eyes.  He had light creamy skin.
"Who are you?"  Jonny demanded of him.
"My name is Levi," the boy answered proudly.  He
continued, "My father sent me in here to meet my knew
wife."
Jonny felt the rage grow inside of him.  He knew there
was only one person in this room who would be able to
fit that bill and it certainly wasn't himself.  Jonny
heard the boy whisper a wakening spell, a spell that
was too complex for him to learn.
Jessie blinked then sat up oblivious to the danger she
was about to find herself in.  She looked around and
spotted Jonny tied to the chair immediately.  She was
headed for him when Levi intercepted her.  She stopped
short startled by his sudden presence.
"You are beautiful," he whispered in a voice barely
audible to Jonny.
Jessie gave the boy a disgusted, confused stare.  She
glanced at Jonny looking for an answer, but he wasn't
able to help her.  Jonny heard Levi start chanting a
weakening spell again.  He grabbed Jessie's wrists as
he did and pushed her against the wall by her bed.  He
pressed his body against hers.  Jessie squirmed trying
to get out of his grip, but the spell had already
taken effect.  
Jonny watched, disgusted, as Levi kissed Jessie who
was getting weaker by the minute.  He moved across her
cheek, down her neck, up her arms, chanting the spell
between each kiss.  Jonny could tell Jessie was just
as disgusted as himself.  She tried with the little
strength she had left to break loose of Levi's grip. 
Levi let one of her arms go feeling that she was weak
enough that he didn't have to hold her.  He still kept
one of her arms pinned just to be careful.  The other
one he wrapped around her waist.  At that point Jonny
began to chant the strengthening spell, the most
complex one he'd ever been able to learn, his father
had made him learn before he had left.  He whispered
it once, then chanted it in his head.  Having used it
a lot he needn't keep chanting it aloud.
He kept chanting it after the effect of the weakening
spell had been fully countered.  She started
struggling again and then she forced herself free. 
She fought him until he lay unconscious on the ground.
  After she had freed herself, Jessie stood there
looking as if she couldn't decide whether to attack
Levi some more, or break down crying.

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"Take him out and kill him," the smiling man ordered.
Two guards grabbed Race and escorted him out of the
castle and deep into the forest.  Race fought them all
the way making it hard for them to get their jobs
done.  When they were far away from the castle, Race
took out the two guards with the fighting skills he
hadn't used in along time.  Then he took off knowing
that despite the fact that his daughter was in danger
he had to get away from his castle as soon as possible
to save his own life and possibly the whole kingdom
and trust in the young adventurer and his father to
save Jessie.

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"Jessie, please, you have to free me," Jonny coaxed
her.
Jessie stood where she was for a little while more,
then moved toward Jonny and began to untie him.  She
jerked at the knots her face expressionless.  As soon
as she had freed him Jonny took her by the shoulders
and stood her up.
"Are you okay?" he asked tenderly.
Jessie looked at him.  Her face was now contorted into
pain and anger.  Jonny wished he could've gotten to
Levi before he had gotten to Jessie.
"I-I don't know," Jessie stuttered her answer.
Jonny pulled her close.  She cried on his shoulder. 
When her sobs subsided he pulled her away again and
looked at her.  Then he did something neither of them
expected, but both had secretly hoped for.  He kissed
her and she accepted it as readily as dying flowers
accept the rain.  When he pulled away she was smiling
a little bit.  And this time she kissed him.  They
were both startled when they heard a polite cough that
was only meant to get their attention.  Both looked up
at the Magic User Benton Quest.  Jessie immediately
disappeared with her riding leathers and Jonny hugged
his father.
"I'm glad you're okay son," Benton said.
"So am I," Jonny said smiling up at his father.
"It looked like you were more interested in the
welfare of the princess," Benton told his son.
"Dad," Jonny warned just at Jessie emerged clad in the
dark riding leathers.
She moved toward her wardrobe and pulled out a black
cloak, which she set upon her shoulders and fastened
with the plain clasp.  Then she pushed the mass of
clothes aside and knocked on the back wall.  It slid
open to reveal an array of weapons and supplies. 
Jonny came forward and grabbed a sword that was half
the size of a broad sword.  Jessie took a dagger and
some food.  Benton didn't take any weapons, but loaded
up on supplies.
"We must save your father," he said as he closed the
hidden compartment and shut the wardrobe.
"Why?"  Jessie asked afraid or the answer.
"Because Caldon is having him killed," Benton
answered.
"That must be the guy who is constantly smiling that
annoying smile," Jonny concluded.
"Look, we better get to the stables and get some
horses," Benton said taking out a small boot knife.
He slashed it through the air and a portal opened. 
One by one they stepped through into the stables. 
Jessie went immediately to Shadow and Jonny headed
toward Bandit.  When he got there, "Hadji!" was
exclaimed.  Jessie looked over in that direction and
saw a Jonny with another boy who was wearing a turban.
 She recognized him as Benton's apprentice.  She
smiled as she realized that two friends were now
reunited after a long separation.  Jessie finished
buckling a saddle onto Shadow.  She was feeding him
when Jonny and Hadji entered the stall.
"Hi Hadji," Jessie greeted him.
"Hey, what about me?"  Jonny asked with mock hurt.
"How could I forget you?" she asked with a smile.
"I think I see what you are talking about," Hadji said
with a knowing smile.
"Now the only person who doesn't know is my father,"
Jessie said grabbing a handful of oats and holding it
up to Shadow's mouth who munched on them happily.
"We should go," Benton said.
Jonny and Hadji went to get their own horses.  Out in
the stable yard Benton opened another portal and they
found themselves outside the palace mote.
"This way," Benton said taking charge.
Title: Distant Relatives 5/?
Author: Heather, the Goddess of Evil
Date: February 3, 1999
Classification/Rating: JB/JQHR, Alt, Adventure/PG
Archivers: Have at it, you've my permission.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the JQ-niverse or any
of it's affiliates.  I do own Caldon and Levi (the
baddies) so you have to ask my permission if you want
to use them.
        
Distant Relatives
  
Race sped through the forest.  At night the forest
looked a little different, but he still knew his way. 
He looked back every once in awhile to make sure he
wasn't being followed.  When he next checked he bumped
into a tree that shouldn't have been there.  He felt
something wrap tightly around him and knew he had been
caught again.  Many more arms forced him down to the
ground and knocked him out.

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"I hear something coming from that direction," Benton
said.  "I think it's the king."
With his signal they all dismounted and followed the
Magic User toward the place from which he had heard
the noise.  Sure enough in the clearing Race had been
tied to a tree and gagged.  Guards surrounded him and
one stood over him with a knife ready for the kill.
Benton extended his hand and with a quick incantation
a ball of Magic shot forth from it and knocked the
knife out of the guards hand.  They all stepped into
the clearing.  Benton and Hadji readied magic, Jonny
unsheathed his sword, and Jessie pulled out her
dagger.
The guards took no time in facing the group.  Jessie
slipped out of the group and went to her father.  She
used her dagger to free him.  She sat him up wishing
she had learned a little bit of Magic.  Jonny crouched
beside Jessie and said a quick spell.  He gave her a
smile then went to rejoin the fight.  Jessie helped
her father as he woke up.
"What happened?" he asked rubbing the back of his
head.       	       
"Long story and no time for it," Jessie explained.
Race looked around at the scene where the Magic Users
and the adventurer were winning the fight.  He warned
his daughter as one of the men came up on her.  She
turned around and tripped the guard then led him away
from the king and took care of him.  She joined the
fight and soon all that were left of the guards were a
pile of them scattered across the clearing.

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Benton motioned for the king to slow down.  When there
was more distance between themselves and their kids he
spoke.
"I think your daughter has finally found somebody that
she likes," Benton commented.
"You mean a suitor?"  Race asked.
"I do," Benton confirmed.
"Who?"  Race asked.
"Jonny," Benton answered.
"How can you be sure?"  Race interrogated.
"Because I saw them kissing," Benton said with a
smile.
Race laughed.  He was proud of his daughter.  He
didn't think she could have picked a better person. 
Race trusted this boy, he knew this boy, had
apprenticed this boy.  Jonny was the only person Race
would have picked for his daughter if he'd had to.
Race was startled out of his trance when screams and
yells were heard from ahead.  They had let the kids
get out of their sight without meaning to.  Race
nudged his horse into a gallop, but when he caught up
with the threesome Jessie was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is she?" he asked frantically.
"Levi took her.  It was so sudden and unexpected,"
Jonny rambled.
Race gave him a confused stare.
"Levi is Caldon's son and wants to marry her.  And not
just because his father commanded him to, but because
he's obsessed with her," Jonny explained.
Race immediately started his horse into a gallop.  He
raced as fast as he could toward the castle.
Title: Distant Relatives 6/6
Author: Heather, the Goddess of Evil
Date: February 4, 1999
Classification/Rating: JB/JQHR, Alt, Adventure/PG
Archivers: Have at it, you've my permission.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the JQ-niverse or any
of it's affiliates.  I do own Caldon and Levi (the
baddies) so you have to ask my permission if you want
to use them.
        
Distant Relatives
   
Jessie found herself in her own room.  She was alone
and didn't quite remember how she had gotten there. 
She remembered somebody grabbing her from behind
around her waist, but didn't know whom.  And she
hadn't had time to see her captor before he or she had
gone.
Jessie was startled when she heard the whisper of an
incantation.  She hadn't heard anyone come in.  She
felt a tingle around her body.  When she looked at
herself she saw her riding leathers had been exchanged
for a delicate, white, silk dress.
"But father, I liked the green one," she heard the
familiar voice from behind her making her whole body
cringe.
Jessie felt the same tingle as before and now found
herself in the green, velvet dress she had worn to the
ball.  She turned around and saw Caldon and his son
though she didn't know the son's name.
Jessie didn't like the way things were going.

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Jonny slowed Bandit to a halt.  The castle was now in
view, but with so many guards stationed he wasn't so
sure they could get to Jessie in time.  Jonny
dismounted and waited for his father who showed up
briefly.  Benton dismounted his own horse.
"What's wrong son?" he inquired.
"Pop, I need you to open a portal to Jessie's room for
me, but don't follow me.  Watch after Race.  He's
going to need you more than I will," Jonny requested.
Benton reluctantly nodded and opened the portal with
his Orange Magic knife.  When Jonny had stepped
through he closed it with a swish of his hand and
started back after Race after mounting his horse.

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"What do you need me for?"  Jessie asked boldly.
"You marry my son and he becomes the heir to the
throne, and after your father has been killed I will
rule until he comes of age," Caldon answered.
"And what if I don't want to?"  Jessie asked
defiantly.
"Well unfortunately, you have no choice in the
matter," he explained.  Caldon addressed his son. 
"Levi, why don't you get to know your bride-to-be
whilst I get the guest of honor. "
"And who would that be?"  Jessie asked.
"Your father," he answered before exiting through a
portal.

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Race's horse suddenly reared throwing him to the
ground.  When he tried to get up to calm the beast he
found he couldn't move and was beginning to feel
sleepy.  He tried to urge himself on by telling
himself that his daughter was in danger.  However,
Magic induced sleep is almost impossible to avoid.

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Levi approached Jessie with a smile that matched his
father's.  She backed up as he approached not wanting
to be touched by him again.  When she hit the bed she
fell onto it, startled by it, and Levi chanted a
spell.  Jessie struggled, but couldn't rise.  Levi
leaned over her, putting his hands on either side of
her.
"I've been looking forward to this," he said.
"Get away," Jessie commanded.
Instead Levi leaned closer.  Jessie turned her head
away, but he forced her to look at him.  His face was
inches from her own.  She could smell the stench of
his breath as he let the suspense build.  Just as he
was covering the last few centimeters between their
mouths something hit Levi and he was flung across the
room.
Jessie sat up and looked behind her when she found she
could move once more.  Jonny stood with anger pasted
to his face.  He rounded the bed and sat down beside
Jessie.  Levi was unconscious on the floor.
"You okay?" he asked rubbing her shoulders.
"Yeah, I think so," she said.
"But not for long," Caldon said startling them both.
Jessie gasped when she saw her father lying at his
feet.  Levi was regaining consciousness.  He looked
back at her and smiled.
"Are you ready for your wedding?"  Caldon asked.

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In the smaller library of the two the castle was
furnished with Jessie was standing beside Levi.  Magic
had been used to anchor her to where she stood. 
Before Jessie and Levi a priest, commissioned by
Caldon himself, had begun the ceremony.  Silently
tears ran down Jessie's face.  She glanced over at
Levi who was smiling.  Jessie looked away.
Jonny struggled and tried to free himself from the
spell that held him.  He had tried every counter spell
he knew, but nothing had worked.  He knew something
had to happen soon.  If nothing was done before the
sealing kiss then there would be nothing they could do
for the only way to free oneself from a marriage then
is by death.
Jonny glanced at Race.  As usual he was stoned face. 
However, he knew that somehow there was an emotion
etched in the stone somewhere to be read by somebody. 
And he had a hunch that that person was Jessie.  Jonny
wished that it were he up there instead of Caldon's
son.  Jonny could punch that boy's smiling face.  Just
like his fathers that smile got annoying real quick.
Jessie listened as the priest began reading the final
prayer before the time came when he would ask for a
kiss to seal this ceremony.  As before Jessie dreaded
feeling Levi's lips on her own.  She couldn't bear to
think of him touching her.
Levi paused before he closed in on her for the kiss he
was anticipating and she was dreading.  Yet, once
again as before he kissed her he was knocked away, but
this time not unconscious.  Jessie felt the spell
holding her disintegrate and she turned to see who had
freed them all.  Benton and Hadji stood in the door of
the library.  She felt strong arms surround her.  She
wanted to faint and let them hold her up.  It had been
too close of a call for her.
Then she realized they weren't friendly arms, but the
arms of Levi.  He was trying to kidnap her.  Jessie
became fully awake and fought back.  She wasn't about
to be taken that easily.  She turned around to fight
him.  He grabbed her wrists when she attacked him. 
She struggled against his grasp and he fought against
her strength.  He found he couldn't use his Magic for
some reason.
Jonny watched as Race and his dad fought Caldon.  Then
he suddenly saw Jessie fighting Levi.  He was
surprised.  Most girls would run away.  Jonny headed
for them when he saw Levi grab her wrists.
Jonny grabbed Levi's left wrist and used the same
strengthening spell on himself that he had used on
Jessie earlier.  He squeezed Levi's wrist until he was
forced to let go off Jessie.  Jessie yanked her other
wrist free.  Levi began to back away.  Jessie and
Jonny followed him.  When he tried to use a spell
nothing happened.
"What's wrong?" he asked hysterically.
"The spell my father used keeps you from using your
Magic," Jonny explained.
When Levi heard this he turned to run, but Jonny
grabbed him.  He turned Levi back and around and
Jessie punched him.  Levi fell to the floor
unconscious.  The two turned and smiled at each other.
 Then they turned around to watch their fathers. 
Caldon was on the ground begging for mercy.  Jonny and
Jessie laughed.

JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB
JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ JB JQ
 
The group had taken back the castle and freed all the
guests.  They were now all gathered in the ballroom
waiting for the king.  The crowd was filled with
chattering.  Jessie stood by Jonny holding his hand. 
They were also talking and didn't see the mob of young
noble men and women heading toward them.
"Hello Jessica," greeted a freckle-faced kid named
Alfred.
Jessie saw how they eyed their clasped hands.  She
then rolled her eyes.
"We're glad to see you're safe," said a blond boy
named Lyle.     
"Yes, we couldn't afford losing you," said a dark
haired boy by the name of Bruce.
"I'm sure you couldn't," Jessie mumbled just low
enough for herself and Jonny to hear.
"So have you made a decision on who will be your
future husband?" asked Bruce's twin Byron.
"Actually I have," Jessie answered.
"Oh, do tell, do tell," Clarice, Alfred's sister
urged.
"Let's just say it's not any of you," she said with a
smile before Jonny dragged her off laughing.
"You've probably just offended the whole group," Jonny
said.
"I hope so," Jessie replied smiling.
"Jonny over here," called a young girl.
Jonny pulled Jessie toward the group he was usually
was seen with.  Jessie had wondered who Jonny's
friends were.
"Hey guys.  I would like you to meet Jessie.  She's a
friend, a really good friend," he explained.
"So we see," the same girl commented with a knowing
smile.  "Whatever happened to 'I'll never marry a
princess'?"
"Sasha," Jonny warned, blushing.
Sasha just giggled.
"May we have your attention please," requested one of
the servants.
When all was quiet he stepped down and Race came in to
view.  He had changed into fresh clothes like Jessie
and Jonny.
"I would like to begin by saying that I am sorry for
the inconvenience," he said.
Jonny snorted.
"That's an under statement," Jessie mumbled.
"I am glad to see no one was hurt," he said looking
directly at his daughter.  "We hope you will all stay
for the ball tonight.  It is just to say that we're
glad you're all okay.  Thank you," Race finished.
As he stepped down the chattering rose again.  Jessie
looked at Jonny.
"I hate balls," she complained.
Jonny laughed.

The End