Man-At-Arms and the King entered the Palace through the private gate, not wanting to be seen by the public before the King was able to prepare for the ceremony.
As they returned to the Main Hall of the Palace, they encountered Teela as she was also returning from the barracks.
"Father! Back from the hunt so soon? I take it the beasts of Eternia managed to live to see another day?"
Duncan smiled at his daughter; despite being an adopted child, she certainly managed to take on some of her surrogate father's wry sense of humor.
"You are correct, Teela my dear. And how goes the training of our new Palace Guard recruits?
"They're coming along," Teela admitted. "Our Royal Guard is also prepared for the Royal Procession. They are standing by in their quarters."
"Very good, Teela. Now if you'll excuse me, I must begin to get ready myself," said the King as he began to head to his chambers.
"Of course, your Highness." Teela bowed swiftly as the King passed. She didn't mind at all that her father accompanied Randor on his yearly hunt; it allowed her even more time to fill in for him with other responsibilities, such as training new soldiers and continuing some of his research.
"How are the other members of the Royal Family today? Aside from the Queen, whom I imagine has barely been seen by anyone all morning." Duncan asked his daughter as they made their way out the hall.
"I saw Adam and Adora heading to the Royal Gardens earlier when I began training, but I haven't seen them since. No doubt they are seeing to their own preparations as well – at least Adora should be…"
Duncan shot her a look out of the corner of his eye, although she wasn't paying attention. He knew many shared the same opinion of the Prince; that he was just like any prince; spoiled, lazy, irresponsible.
Stigmas such as these are hard to remove once applied, especially when it came to Royalty. Adam and his family were regarded with such esteem by the people of Eternia, that any negative connotations also became just as equally, if not moreso detrimental.
If only it was common knowledge of the Prince's alter ego, they wouldn't have such reservations about him. Anyone could easily understand Adam's misgivings if they knew the pressures he faced as Grayskull's true champion. But there is always another side to every coin, and Duncan knew deep in his heart it was best to keep his identity a secret, even if that meant damaging his character; because if word spread that Prince Adam was actually He-Man, it opened a much greater degree of danger for the Prince and the Royal Family.
"I think I'll rest a while before this evenings' engagement." Duncan concluded, "Perhaps you should do the same? I'm sure you're tired from training all morning."
"In a while," Teela said, as she kissed her father fondly on his cheek. They parted ways, and Duncan knew his daughter had no intention of resting. It was becoming more and more difficult for even him to keep up with her these days.
Luckily it didn't take long for Adam to locate Mekaneck. Besides his personal quarters, the Master spy could usually be found in one of the Palace Towers, since that gave him an even greater vantage point without even having to use his robotic neck to its fullest advantage. Adam happened to check there first anyway, since it was closer to the Gardens.
They both stood atop the North Tower, the wind picking up and howling softly as they peered across Eternos.
"Well, Orius – what can you tell me?"
The cyborg's head swiveled slightly from side to side as he scanned the horizon.
"My sensors are definitely picking up something," informed Mekaneck, now locked onto the exact area that Orko had described. "The magician was right, it's an abnormal kind of energy disturbance. I'd better go in for a closer look."
And without hesitation, Mekaneck proceeded to do what he did best – his neck flung out like a fishing line, zooming out over the city walls. Within minutes, the cyborg's neck began to slow as his head approached the outskirts of the Eternian Badlands.
Silence as the spy continued scouting, his scanners drawing in data. "I found it." He finally confirmed, "It's a cloaked target, large – most likely a caravan of some kind."
Interesting, thought Adam. Surely if friendly visitors were arriving to attend the Royal Ceremony, they wouldn't feel the need to cloak themselves, unless they were being overcautious. But an overcautious group of travelers wouldn't take a route through the Badlands, known across many lands as a treacherous place.
That seemed illogical and somewhat fishy to him, and coupled with what Orko's intuitions had told him earlier, The Prince now decided to give the situation more imminence. Even Mekaneck seemed more intrigued with the scenario than usual.
"Smugglers, perhaps?" Adam guessed, hoping the spy could give him more.
"Very possible," he replied, "Although dangerous, they may be traveling through the Badlands to add further cover." The cyborg grimaced as he attempted to decipher more. "Their cloak is highly advanced, I'm not getting much feedback. It's going to take some time if I'm even able to reveal it."
"Thank you, Orius – however I'm afraid that as usual, time is not at our expense."
Adam headed for the Tower stairs, but hesitated at the door and turned around. "I need your discretion about this for the time being, Master spy," he said, "I don't want to worry my father and the others with this on the day of his anniversary. He has enough matters to attend to, I'm going to handle this myself."
"Very well, Prince Adam. As you see fit." Mekaneck paused in the doorway as well. "And if I may be so bold as to ask The Prince for a favor as well..."
Adam turned to face the cyborg. "Of course. Anything in my power."
"If any conflict should arise, please do not hesitate to call upon me as one of your Masters in the field of battle." Mekaneck stated boldly.
"I certainly will Orius, you have my word," the Prince promised as he descended the first flight of stairs.