DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, nor am I in any way affiliated with the show, or with Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. This story is purely for entertainment purposes.

A/N: This story was partly inspired by In the Eyes of My Enemy over at the Divine Intervention forums.

A/N #2: Okay, it was inspired a lot by that story. But in my defense, you can't just leave me hanging on such an addictive story for three years without updating once in a while (not that I'm one to talk, admittedly); otherwise, I start getting ideas. And thinking. (Points if you got that reference!) ;)

A/N #3: Now, I know the title seems to be a reference to Game of Thrones, and it partially is with regards to the medieval aspect of the story (with some inspiration taken from CW's Reign), but it more refers to the fact that Lois is full of fire while Kal-El is from an icy planet and considered 'cold' by Earth standards.

A/N #4: Happy birthday to the one and only Tom Welling! :D You just keep on aging like a fine wine. ;)


"Presenting Prince Kal-El of Krypton, son of King Jor-El and Queen Lara, and his cousin Lady Kara, daughter of the Duke Zor-El and the Duchess Alura," the royal herald announced to those who were assembled in the palace's great hall. Chief in attendance were King Jonathan of Metropolis, his wife Queen Martha, and their daughters, the Princesses Lana, Chloe, and Lois.

From the open double doors at the other end of the hall entered a tall, dark-haired man and a blonde that reached to about the man's chin. They each wore a dark blue tunic, a silver breastplate, black breeches, and a deep red cape that flowed from their shoulders to the floor. Lady Kara's long hair was braided in places, which Lois thought gave her a feminine yet battle-hardened appearance.

As they strode past nobles and commoners alike, towards the dais upon which the royal family stood waiting patiently for them to approach, the cousins' heads were held regally high but not pompously so.

"My, he's so handsome," Princess Lana whispered to her two older sisters, shielding her mouth with her hands.

"My thoughts precisely," Princess Chloe replied quietly, also concealing her words.

"He's okay," Princess Lois opined with a shrug. Unlike her sisters, she didn't bother with covering her mouth, figuring it would've just drawn more attention to their conversation. Besides, it's not like the prince could've made out what they were saying anyway.

"Okay?" Chloe echoed. "He's more than okay. He's..."

"Perfect," Lana finished for her, sighing.

Reluctantly, Lois admitted, "I'll admit he does seem to possess a certain...rugged appeal."

At that, Chloe and Lana exchanged knowing smirks. Meanwhile, it seemed Lois's assessment of the prince had been a bit premature; she thought she saw a corner of his mouth twitch, as if he'd heard her and was holding back a smile. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

As the prince and his cousin approached, they were accompanied by another dark-haired man who walked a couple of steps behind them. Lois assumed he was an advisor the prince had been allowed to bring with him, a general by the name of Zod whose counsel Kal-El's family had come to trust. Zod sported a goatee, a black tunic, black breeches, and a black cape. Like the cousins he served, he too wore a silver breastplate; only, Kal-El's was bigger as it had to cover a broader, more muscular chest while Kara had on a more feminine version of the armor.

It was only when the trio had stopped just short of the dais that Lois noticed another difference in their armor. While all three breastplates had sculpted torsos seemingly chiseled onto them, Kal-El and Kara's chests each bore a symbol consisting of an 'S' inside of a five-sided shield, whereas Zod's chest bore a stylized 'Z'. From that, Lois figured that the symbols were family crests, or perhaps indications of their rank.

The prince and Lady Kara bowed to the king and queen, their right fists crossed to the left sides of their chests, clearly a Kryptonian gesture meant to indicate respect. Kal-El then addressed the king and queen, "Your Majesties. My father sends his regards. He would be here himself, but with the turmoil plaguing our homeworld, my cousin and I have come in his stead."

By all reports, the Kryptonians' homeworld was dying, and so Kal-El had been sent to plead their case to the Metropolitans in the hopes of relocating their people. From the day he and the rest of his Kryptonian entourage had arrived, most in Metropolis had taken an instant dislike to them, considering them too foreign, too alien, to be trustworthy. Which is why, as Lois and Kal-El both knew, this meeting between the two peoples was so important.

As it was, a ship bearing a few essential Kryptonian personnel (plus a few non-essential personnel, as Lois was later to learn) hovered in the sky above the kingdom.

"It's perfectly alright, Prince Kal-El," King Jonathan assured him, smiling warmly. "Believe me, we understand."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Queen Martha spoke up, "Please, Prince Kal-El, allow us to present to you our three wonderful, beautiful daughters."

Starting with the petite brunette next to her, she informed him, "This is our youngest, Lana."

The prince bowed his head politely, while Princess Lana gave a little curtsy.

Then, indicating a petite blonde on Lana's other side, she introduced her and Jonathan's middle child, Chloe. Again, the prince bowed his head to her, and Princess Chloe curtsied slightly in response.

Finally, Martha introduced their eldest daughter, Lois, who was a bit taller and a bit curvier than her sisters. She too curtsied, but when she finished, she found the prince gazing at her intently, seemingly mesmerized.

It was flattering but unnerving at the same time.

She resisted the urge to visibly gulp. Instead, she'd been taught to closely guard her emotions in certain situations, and she now used that training to match his gaze with a subtle but challenging one of her own, even as she felt a twinge in her belly, as if she were a harp and someone had struck a chord in her. However, her refusal to show weakness only seemed to earn her a lopsided smirk from the prince.

Mercifully, the moment was over as quickly as it had begun. The prince returned his attention to King Jonathan and Queen Martha, who smiled knowingly.

Clearing his throat, Kal-El got down to the reason why he was there, "Now, as you know, Your Majesties, my homeworld is currently unstable; quakes are becoming more and more frequent, and increasing in their intensity. In a matter of months, the planet will destroy itself, taking my people along with it."

At the prince's words, the king and queen sobered. Queen Martha replied sympathetically, "Yes, Prince Kal-El, we are fully aware of the situation on your world, and our hearts reside with you and your people."

"Unfortunately, that is not enough," he continued. "Now, we have the resources to evacuate everyone before our world is destroyed, but we have no place else to go. Our leading minds have determined that your world is most like ours, and we would be willing to share some advancements we've made if you would allow us to bring our people here."

King Jonathan countered, "Unfortunately, Prince Kal-El, Metropolis lacks the resources to sustain all of your people. Not to mention, there is simply not enough land to go around. However, if your people don't mind being separated, I'd be willing to speak with lords from the surrounding provinces about helping you to relocate."

"Thank you, Your Highness. While it's not ideal, I'm sure my people would accept that arrangement."

"Excellent. Come sunrise, I'll send a messenger to each of the provinces, asking the lords to meet with me. In the meantime, Prince Kal-El, Lady Kara, you and your advisor are more than welcome to stay here in the palace."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Kara told them, speaking up for the first time.

Also speaking for the first time was Zod, revealing a richly accented voice as he addressed the king, "Your Highness, I too thank you for your hospitality, but I have a young son aboard our vessel. I cannot leave him behind."

"He's welcome to stay here too. The more, the merrier!"

"Thank you, King Jonathan of Metropolis," Zod replied, bowing his head.

"Don't mention it. Now that that's settled, I'm sure Lois would be more than happy to give you three a tour of the palace, and show you to your quarters."

The princess in question turned wide, surprised eyes on her father, as if to ask 'Why me?!' King Jonathan, however, fixed her with a stern look, the kind of look that told her that it was not up for discussion.

So, Lois quickly returned her attention to Prince Kal-El and his companions, informing them, "Yes, I'd be happy to. If you'll just follow me, Your Highness."

With that, she lifted up the skirt of her dress, just as the prince rushed over and held out his hand to help her off the dais. She studied him for a moment, before finally accepting his hand.

As politely as she could, she told him, "Thank you, Prince Kal-El, but I am perfectly capable of stepping down by myself."

"Lois!" Queen Martha chided.

"It's quite alright, Your Highness," Kal-El assured her. "Princess Lois is just speaking her mind, a trait we admire on Krypton."

Then, turning to General Zod, the prince asked, "Are you coming?"

"Actually, I was going to take my leave of you, sire. I need to retrieve my son Dru-Zod, and inform the others that you, Lady Kara, and I will be staying here in the palace."

"Very good, General."

Zod saluted the prince and Lady Kara Kryptonian-style, before turning and striding back down the aisle, towards the door from which they'd entered. Kal-El then turned back around in time to watch Lois head towards a side entryway. He and Kara quickly followed after her, just as someone approached the dais from among the crowd of Metropolitan subjects.

When Lois heard the newcomer's all-too-familiar voice, she stopped in her tracks in the entryway, then whirled about to find a well-dressed noble addressing her parents and occasionally smiling adoringly up at Princess Lana. Despite his relatively young age, he was bald, supposedly because of a curse that had been enacted on him when he was boy, a curse that had been meant to punish the deeds of his notoriously wicked father.

Kal-El and Kara followed her gaze, before returning their eyes to Lois and then back to the bald man.

"Former lover, I presume?" Kara asked, going by the heated glare she was giving him.

"Lord Alexander, or Lex as he prefers," Lois informed them, saying the name with distaste. "I don't know about royals on Krypton, but my sisters and I haven't taken any lovers, nor do we intend to until the marriage bed."

Lois was still so focused on Lex that she completely missed the looks Kal-El and his cousin exchanged at that pronouncement. Kara suppressed a smile, while Kal-El arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

Oblivious, Lois continued, "Though, that hasn't stopped Lex from making his...affections for my sister Lana well-known. Obsession, more like. And for some reason I can't fathom, she seems to fancy him too."

Kara next asked, "Since they're not already married, I take it that the king doesn't approve of the union?"

It was at that moment that Lois spun on her heels, relying on Kara and Kal-El to follow as she answered, "That, and he'd prefer to marry me off first."

"I see," Kara replied, falling into step on Lois's right while her cousin walked on the princess's left, his hands held loosely behind his back.

As Lois gave them a tour, Kal-El took note of two blondes starting to follow them. Still, he continued on with the topic of marriage, pointing out, "Surely, a princess as beautiful as you doesn't lack for suitors?"

Lois, however, noticed him noticing her entourage, and quickly explained, "The one on the right is my lady-in-waiting, Courtney; the one on the left is Dinah, my personal guard. Dinah's much less conspicuous than Carter, our big, burly captain of the guard, and since she's a woman, everyone assumes she's just another of my ladies."

"Clever," Kal-El commended.

Then, getting back on topic, the princess added, "But to answer your question: no, my lack of a husband is not for lack of suitors. Granted, I don't have quite as many admirers as Lana, but when I marry, I'd rather be in love first."

"And does your father agree with that sentiment?" he asked.

She chose her next words carefully, answering, "He's...sympathetic. His marriage to my mother had been an arranged one, but they grew to respect each other and eventually learned to love one another. They even forged an unbreakable bond. I know I have a duty to my people to give them a suitable king and produce heirs, but I envy what my parents have."

"I know what you mean," he replied. "My parents had been engaged since birth, but they'd spent a lot of time together as children and they fell in love in their youth."

Suddenly confused, plus another emotion she couldn't name, Lois asked him, "So, you've been engaged since you were born?"

"Yes. To Lady Zara of the Argo Province. It's customary on Krypton for those of highborn status. Unfortunately, Zara and I never really connected, not like my parents. I even suspect she's in love with someone else."

Lois wasn't sure how to feel about that. Some small part of her felt relieved, though she couldn't explain why, even to herself. It wasn't as if she had romantic designs on him; she hardly knew him!

Finally, she settled for trying to comfort him, "Kal-El, I'm sorry."

At that, he exchanged another look with Lady Kara, this one wary, before replying, "Thank you, but perhaps it's all for the best."

"That's a very...cold way to look at it."

"Not cold," Kara gently corrected, "practical. Kryptonians are a very pragmatic race."

"I'm sorry, but I see no distinction," Lois countered. Neither Kara nor her cousin said anything to that, so instead, Lois quickly tried to keep the three of them from lapsing into an uncomfortable silence, "So, Kara, you're highborn as well. Does that mean that you're engaged too?"

Lady Kara answered, "Yes, though my betrothal isn't nearly as urgent as my cousin's."

"Right, of course. He's next in line."

"Yes, that's it precisely," Kara cautiously agreed.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she fixed her cousin with a steely gaze, to which he nodded once, knowing what he had to do and knowing he'd have to do it soon.

Lois, oblivious to the exchange, continued on with the tour.

...

That night, Lois and her family feasted in the dining hall with their Kryptonian guests, including General Zod's young son, who was the spitting image of his father.

As they ate, Lois cheerfully made small talk with the boy, "So, Dru-Zod. Do you mind if I call you Dru?"

"If you'd like, Princess."

"Please, call me Lois. Now, Dru, I know you didn't get to have a good look around the palace earlier, so how about I give you the grand tour tomorrow? Would you like that?"

"Yes, very much so," he replied enthusiastically.

"Great." After a beat, Lois added, "You know, if I had to guess, I'd say you were right around eight years old."

"Seven, actually. But I'll be eight this year."

"I think one of the cooks has a son about your age. Since I know these talks your father will be participating in can get quite boring, I think you and he can keep each other entertained. I can introduce you two during our tour."

"Thank you, Prin— Lois."

"Great," she repeated, beaming. "Then, it's all settled."

Throughout the entire exchange, General Zod had watched the two with a smile. Meanwhile, Prince Kal-El and King Jonathan had been involved in an intense discussion, but broke off when they noticed Dru and Princess Lois conversing lively with each other. Pretty soon, everyone else at the table had begun watching them as well.

As Lois and Dru continued talking animatedly to each other, blissfully ignorant of the audience they had drawn, Martha and Jonathan exchanged knowing smiles. So, too, did Kal-El and Kara, though theirs had an underlying intent to it.

Regardless, all four seemed to share the exact same thought: She'll make an excellent mother someday.

...

Princess Lois had always possessed a curious nature. As a child, she'd explored every inch of the palace from top to bottom, even if she couldn't convince her sisters to accompany her on her explorations (which wasn't often).

So, it wasn't surprising when, following an evening stroll in the palace gardens, Lois had been on her way back to her quarters, when the faint sound of voices in an empty corridor had piqued her interest. It also wasn't surprising when she'd quickly located the source of the voices, realizing they were coming from behind an intricate tapestry to her left, a tapestry she knew concealed one of the walls to Prince Kal-El's room.

Intrigued, she quickly slipped behind the tapestry, and found a wrought iron grate, carefully lifting up the thin metal slot that covered it. She didn't know why it had been put there, only that she'd come across it while playing hide-and-seek with her sisters years ago. The grate itself was big enough for her to peer through, yet small enough as to not be noticeable by the room's occupant.

Or, rather, occupants.

Through the grate, there was no one in sight, but she could make out two distinct voices, one belonging to Kal-El and the other being that of General Zod.

Zod was saying, "Do you believe Princess Lois will be a problem, sire?"

The prince replied, "Certainly not. She may not be happy with the arrangement at first, but I think she knows what's at stake."

"If nothing else, sire, I have the utmost confidence in your ability to convince her."

"Thank you, General." Sighing wearily, Kal-El added, "Now, please. Leave me. I have a feeling I'll need plenty of rest if I'm to convince the princess of anything."

Though unseen, Lois childishly stuck her tongue out at them, not liking what they were saying about her.

"She does seem to have a certain...fire within her," Zod agreed.

Lois could hear a slight smile in his voice even as he said it, and it in turn made her smile.

She next heard the shifting of boots and cloth on the floor as the general turned to leave. However, he stopped, asking, "Shall I send for Maxima, sire?"

For a moment, there was silence, as if Kal-El was contemplating the answer to that.

Finally, he replied, "Certainly, General."

"Very well, sire."

With that, the door opened and closed, and Kal-El was left alone in his quarters.

He heaved another weary sigh, before finally coming into view of the grate. Facing the bed while his back faced Lois, he began undressing, starting with his cape and boots. He then reached to one side of his breastplate, unfastening it and taking that off as well.

When he next removed his tunic, leaving him in only his breeches, Lois involuntarily let out a small sigh at the sight of his sinewy back. It was nearly inaudible, but still, Kal-El quickly turned his head, seemingly having heard it. Holding her breath, she studied his profile a moment, before he relaxed again.

She knew she should've just returned to her room once she'd realized what he was doing, but she hadn't been lying when she'd told him and Kara that she and her sisters were virgins. She herself had never even seen a man in his natural state, and as far as she knew, neither had her siblings. And so, curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the prince's door.

"Sire," one of the guards said, poking his head in, "there's a woman to see you."

"Send her in," Kal-El instructed.

The guard obeyed, closing the door after her.

Kal-El then turned to face the new arrival, allowing Lois a glimpse of his impressive pecs and abdomen, which looked to have been chiseled on to him by a master sculptor. Clearly, his breastplate had been modeled on the real deal.

"You sent for me, Your Highness?" the newcomer asked, an air of seduction to her voice.

"Yes. Thank you for coming, Maxima."

"Of course, Your Highness," she replied, joining him in front of the grate.

She had long, silky red hair, which was tied up in a high ponytail, and wore a crimson cloak that had a strange symbol on the shoulder.

Another family crest, perhaps? Lois wondered. Or maybe it means that she's some sort of mystic, or a healer.

Grinning hungrily at Kal-El, Maxima asked, "So, will it be the usual tonight?"

"Let's just see how things progress," he told her.

"Of course. Anything for you." With that, Maxima undid the clasp of her cloak and slipped it off, revealing an intricately designed halter top and bottom, both of which appeared to be made of metal.

For a while afterwards, nothing happened. Then, finally, Kal-El pulled her close, and started moving his lips over hers. However, the kiss itself, while full of lust, was somehow devoid of any actual passion. Lois wasn't entirely sure what she was witnessing, but at least she now was very certain that this Maxima person was neither a mystic nor a healer.

Unless she's healing him through his mouth, her mind added sarcastically.

Lois was just about to leave and head back to her own room, but then, Maxima broke off the kiss, instead using her mouth to make a trail down to his neck, his bulging pecs, and his washboard abs. When she reached the top of his breeches, she slowly pulled them down, inadvertently baring Kal-El's very impressive manhood to Lois's virgin eyes.

Suddenly, Lois was mesmerized, held captive by her own curious nature.

Especially when Maxima next took the length of his manhood into her mouth. Gripping his shaft firmly, Maxima slowly moved back and forth over him, while Kal-El gently held on to the back of her head, his breath deepening and his eyelids reducing themselves to slits.

After a moment of that, the prince stopped her, his length now throbbing with life. He helped her to her feet, and immediately attached his mouth to her neck, his strong hands holding her firmly to him. She moaned in ecstasy, eagerly offering her neck to him, as one of his hands unerringly reached to unclasp her top before sliding around to one of her sides to undo the bottom.

Well, he's clearly done that a time or two, Lois thought with a twinge of jealousy.

As soon as Maxima's underclothes fell away, hitting the floor with a sound like metal on stone, Kal-El slid his hands to the backs of her thighs, lifting her up to wrap her legs around his waist. She clung tightly to his shoulders, invading his mouth with her own as he walked around to the foot of the bed and deposited them both on the mattress.

Okay, I think I've seen enough!

With that, Lois left the lovers to their coupling, carefully sliding the metal slot back into place and peeking her head out from behind the tapestry. After making sure the corridor was still empty, she quickly made her way back to her own quarters, where she stayed for the rest of the night and where she dreamed fitful dreams of the prince and his female companion.

TO BE CONTINUED...