How many years had it been since she had last seen him? To Pocahontas, it felt like it had been a lifetime. It was not long after the Susan Constant set sail back to England that she had learned of John Smith's supposed demise. Of course at the time she had fully believed the rumor, as had so many others. It turned out to be a lie, albeit a necessary one. Still he failed to give a satisfactory explanation for why he had not written to her. Why had he left her to suffer for nearly half a decade when a letter could have put her mind at ease? It did not even have to be a long letter. A simple "Hey Pocahontas, just writing to let you know I'm not dead" would have sufficed.

Pocahontas pulled back out of his embrace and turned away, trying to process her emotions. It was strange, but it felt like she could not easily relate to him anymore. He seemed like a stranger. Who was she to criticize this stranger for not writing to her? Maybe she had really been a deluded pursuer of a one-sided romance in her mind these past four and a half years. Even before he had left Virginia, they had known each other for less than a month. She was eighteen at the time, and naïve as a spring daisy. A sense of infinite stupidity washed over her. She absolutely felt like the biggest fool in the world.

"Pocahontas, what's wrong? Aren't you glad that we're finally together again?" his voice inquired from behind her. "And your people are safe. You've got nothing to worry about anymore."

She felt his hand on her shoulder. The only way she could think to respond was to make polite conversation. She did not feel free to share her true feelings with this stranger who had spurned her. "I… just a bit hungry. It's given me a headache," she murmured, flashing him a false smile.

His eyes instantly brightened. He believed her lie. "Why, that's no problem at all. I'll go check on the banquet's preparation. I'm sure they'll announce dinner soon," he said, buckling his sword back onto his belt. He was gone in an instant and Pocahontas was left alone to brood about the bizarre conversation they had just had. If only she had someone to talk to right now about her feelings.

Suddenly Meeko and Flit showed up in the door and she smiled at them, feeling better already. They had brought her attention to John Rolfe on the balcony, talking with a group of noble men and women. She wanted to wait until Rolfe was alone before approaching him though, and that likely would not be until after the banquet, so she turned her attention to her animal friends as a distraction. She picked Meeko up off the ballroom floor. "Isn't it great, Meeko? We're going home!" She hugged him, and despite her mixed emotions, she felt as peace.