A/N: Welcome back, dear readers! A huge thank you goes to fellow He-Man fan Delora2047 for her fantastic efforts in giving me writing style tips. I'll admit I didn't edit Chapter 2 as closely as I should have before I threw it up on here, but I will, hopefully, fix that this weekend. I'm truly enjoying writing this - and probably am about five or six chapters (!!) ahead of this one. I need more time to type it all up! Thank you all for your continued support, it really means a lot to me! ~ Darcerin 2/25/09
Nightmares
Chapter 3
By Darcerin
Adora bathed in the adjoining luxurious bathroom to her bedroom. When she finished and toweled off, she dressed in a white terrycloth robe hanging on the back of the door for her. She walked back into her bedroom and found someone had put out an outfit for her to wear for the day, a beautiful pale blue and white body suit, similar to Glimmer's, with a short white skirt, with accompanying blue flats on the floor. She wondered how they knew her measurements, but didn't dwell on the thought. If it fit, it fit!
Her usual red and white tunic were nowhere to be found; probably in the laundry room being washed. Adora wrinkled her nose. "It probably needed it, too," she laughed internally. Laundry days on Etheria tended to be when they had any extra water or soap to spare at the end of the week, and with more rebels coming into the camp all the time, both were coming in limited quantities. She and some of the other rebels had resigned themselves to washing clothes in a nearby lake, but that didn't do much beyond putting a definitive interesting smell to the clothes.
She dressed and put her hair up in a ponytail. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized blue wasn't her favorite color on her, even if it did match her eyes, but it would do for tonight. She made her way down to the small dining area where the royal family had more intimate, private meals together. State functions were held in the larger dining area, or "the arena" as Adam privately joked.
A servant opened the door to the dining room for her, and she realized she was the last to arrive. Her brother and father stood up from the table as she entered.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Adora apologized as the servant closed the door behind her, "I guess I must be if Adam beat me here."
Her father came over and pulled her chair out for her and kissed her on the cheek as she sat down, "Nonsense."
"Being late is a family tradition I started," Adam said proudly, despite the disapproving looks his parents gave him.
"We're so glad you're here," Marlena said quickly, as Randor sat down again next to his wife.
"I'm happy to be here. I've missed you all so much," Adora agreed.
The servants' door opened and the head waiter came in with a bottle of red wine and behind him came the appetizer on a rolling cart. As each course came in, the family conversed over many topics covering both worlds. Marlena, Randor, and Adam told Adora about Eternia and in turn Adora told them about the Rebellion and Etheria.
"It sounds like a lovely place." Marlena sighed wistfully.
"You must visit...when it's free from the Horde."
The room grew quiet and Adora look down at her gold-trimmed dinner plate.
"Tomorrow I'm having the royal tailor stop by for your measurements, Adora," Marlena piped up to quell the silence.
Adora stopped pushing the last of her food around her plate. "For what?"
"For your gown for your return home party next week, of course," Marlena almost seemed amused at Adora's question.
Adora froze. She'd planned to go back to Etheria tomorrow, now that she was certain everything was fine on Eternia. She hadn't planned on staying, and apparently her parents misunderstood that. Randor noticed her expression. "Adora, do you not want a party?"
Adam had to gently step on her foot to snap her back to reality. "I – uh - I had wanted to head back tomorrow," she managed to get out.
For a moment, Adora thought her mother was going to cry, but Marlena straightened up and said, "Your father and I discussed this while you were asleep, and we think its best you stay here for the time being."
Adora balked at the idea that her parents were suddenly in charge of making decisions for her, and looked at Adam, but he looked as surprised as she. "Is this a royal order?"
"No, but I can make it one," Randor said gravely.
"Doesn't Adora get some say in this?" Adam's voice had an edge of panic to it.
"You are not well, Adora," Marlena continued, "if you coming home in Adam's arms in a dead slumber didn't make it clear, your hysteria this morning at the site of us did."
"Now hold on a min –"
Adora cut her brother off. "You don't understand. I've been having nightmares – ones that end up with someone I love kidnapped, hurt, or-" she felt a lump rise in her throat, "dead. The last one before I came back to Eternia-" Adora looked down at the table, and rubbed her left upper arm with her left hand. "I dreamed everyone in the palace had been murdered - you, Adam, Teela, everyone. It was real enough to frighten me, and I don't frighten easily. That's why I came home; to make sure everything was all right."
"Oh, my dear girl," Marlena reached across to her daughter's hand, and Adora gratefully took it.
"The Sorceress put a sleep spell on Adora as soon as she arrived. That's why Adora was asleep for so long. Partly the spell, and partly exhaustion," Adam added.
Randor asked, "Did you have any nightmares while you were asleep here?"
Adora conceded, "No, not that I can remember anyway."
"You see? It's settled," her father nodded in approval.
"What?" Adora was suddenly bewildered. "Nothing is settled!"
"Adora, you haven't given yourself a break since Adam rescued you. You ran right back to Etheria to help the Rebellion and haven't stopped. No one's going to fault you for taking a break," Randor said calmly.
"The Horde isn't taking breaks! I'm needed there!" Adora was clearly angry now. "I'm the Rebellion Leader, the one who knows the Horde inside and out. If they find out I'm gone, everyone on Etheria who ever thought freedom could ever be a reality can kiss that dream goodbye!"
"But you're no good to anyone if you're not at your best to begin with," Marlena said quietly.
Adora tossed her napkin on the table, finding herself stonewalled. "Excuse me, I'm retiring for the night," and stormed out without a glance back.
Marlena and Randor sat there, stone-faced. Adam was flabbergasted. He'd never gone up against his parents – not that he'd really have any reason to – nothing like this, at least.
"I'll, um, I'll just go." Adam quickly scooted out of the uncomfortable silence, and went to find Adora - or a nice place to hang out until things cooled down, whichever came first.
Adora was in the royal wing where all their bedrooms were before Adam managed to catch up to her. "Adora!"
Adora whirled around, daggers shooting out of her eyes. "What was your real purpose for going to Etheria," Adora asked suspiciously, "to tell everyone that I wasn't coming back?"
"Hey, don't start attacking me! I'm on your side here; and the answer to your question is of course not. I told you earlier why I went to Etheria – I was very concerned about you. Mother and Father are as well, but they're not sure how to deal with you."
"Then they need to let me go."
"That's not what I meant. You're their daughter, but you're also a complete stranger to them. You can't expect to waltz into their lives and expect them to know what you want, and then waltz out again when you feel like it. Heck, you're almost a complete stranger to me, and I've seen you a lot more than our parents."
That startled Adora; she thought she and Adam had a much closer relationship than he obviously did. "But –"
"Adora, while I don't agree with Mother and Father's methods, especially springing a party on us like this, on some level, they're right. For your own mental health, you need a break. Otherwise, someone else will pay the price for your mistake in battle."
Adora shivered. Hordak had told her something similar long ago. And to bet Swifty's, Bow's, or anyone's life on her continued leadership in the shape she was in, would be unforgivable. She sank against the wall in defeat. "All right," she said quietly, "two weeks. I can't promise anything beyond that. Good night, Adam." She opened her door, let herself in, and shut it behind her, leaving Adam to wonder if he'd just won a small victory, or earned a defeat in his relationship with his sister.
Adora changed into the nightgown waiting on her bed. Her bed had been made and turned down for her as well. She wondered if there were elves living in the castle, running around preparing these small arrangements for her while her back was turned. She felt slightly guilty for having this kind of luxury, when everyone back in Whispering Woods was sleeping on uncomfortable cots.
One of the maids knocked on the door and came in, "Begging your pardon, Princess, but would you care for a cup of tea?"
Adora smiled, "No, Adrina, not tonight, but thank you."
Adrina bowed and left, closing the door behind her.
Adora grabbed her brush and pulled her ponytail out. Waves of long blond locks fell down past her shoulders. As she stood in front of the mirror and brushed, she considered how best to apologize to her parents tomorrow. Adam was right; they barely knew her and she them. She had disrespected the Crown of Eternia by arguing with them. They were each trying to understand where the other was coming from with their points of view. If it hadn't been for the familial aspect to it, it could easily have been a diplomatic dispute spinning wildly out of control.
She sighed and put the brush down on the nightstand next to her bed, and crawled into the soft, warm haven, pulling the covers over her. "I'll work it out with them tomorrow," she said out loud with a giant yawn, "I'm too spoiled here. Spoiled princesses don't get bad dreams." The logic didn't quite fit, but it suited Adora's tired mind just fine.
End Chapter 3
