Chapter 8: The Lie

"AAAAHHHH!" Querl screamed in terror.

He was now hanging off the edge of the Axiom and with only thing stopping him was Clark, who was holding his hands as tight as he could. "I got you, come on!" Clark grunted as he tried to lift Querl back up.

Querl whimpered in fear as he attempted to pull himself up.

"Come on!" Clark encouraged. However the Coluan teen slipped again. "AAAHHHH! SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!" He cried out desperately, fearing that he and Clark would be pulled over.

At the other end of the ship three crewmen heard Querl's cry for help and ran to see what the problem was.

"Listen to me. I got you and I won't let go." Clark reassured. Querl looked into his blue eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. "Now pull yourself up. Come on!" He said as he tried to pull the smaller man up.

Soon Querl's feet and left hand were on the railings while Clark was holding his other hand firmly.

"That's right. You can do it." He smiled. He grabbed hold of Querl's right leg and attempted to pull him over the railings to safety. By now the three crewmen that had heard Querl's screams were close by.

However, just as Clark pulled him over they both slipped and rolled slightly away from the edge of the ship.

This caused Clark to accidentally rip off the piece of Querl's pants he had been holding. The crewmen found them just as Clark Kent was getting off of the Coluan lying on the floor.

"What's this?" One of the crewmen asked as they took a good look at the scene.

Querl was lying on his back with tear stains on his face and was in a state of shock. Clark was kneeling by his side with the piece of clothing still in his hand. The crewmen looked to the side and saw Clark's coat and shoes.

If you added their positions with Querl's expression, Clark's removed clothes, Querl's ripped pants and the screams.

Well, you can just guess how it looked to the crewmen. "You stand back! And don't move an inch!" The first crew man spat in anger. His two friends went to make sure Querl was alright.

Clark slowly stood up and put his hands in his pockets.

"Fetch the master-at-arms." The first crew man said and one of his follow crew men ran off somewhere...


After two minuets everything had calmed down slightly.

Querl Dox was sat shivering on a bench with a thick blanket wrapped around him as Rokk offered him something warm to drink while Kel's friend R.J Brande tried to comfort him.

Clark Kent had been handcuffed to a pipe close by as Kel-El interrogated him.

"This is just completely unacceptable. What made you think you could put your hands on MY fiance?" He snarled in Clark's face. But Clark just kept his gaze to the ground.

Kel frowned at this and grabbed Clark by the collar of his shirt.

"Look at me you filth!" He shouted. "Kel." Querl spoke up, finally calm enough to talk. But Kel either didn't hear him or ignored him. "What did you think you were doing exactly?!" He shout with intense fury.

Querl shot up from his seat and gently grabbed Kel's hand that was around Clark's collar.

"Kel stop! It was an accident!" He cried. Kel looked at his as if he had grown two heads. "An accident?" He asked. "It was, stupid really, I was leaning over to see the thrusters and I slipped." He chuckled nervously.

Clark raised an eyebrow at this.

"And I would have gone over board and into the water but Mr. Kent here saved me and almost went over himself." Querl added with a small smiled. Kel smiled back and rolled his eyes.

"You can be such a clumsy fool at times Querl." He sighed as he rubbed his love's face calmly.

"Well it happens to us all Kel my boy." Brande laughed. "Was that the way of it?" The master-at-arms asked Clark. Clark glanced at Querl and saw him pleading with his eyes to say yes.

"Yeah, that was pretty much it." He agreed.

"Well the boy's a hero then. Good for you son, well done." Brande smiled. Querl smiled at Clark that seemed to say 'thank you'. "So it's all's well and back to our brandy then?" Brande asked as the master-at-arms un-cuffed Clark from the pipe.

Kel looked at Querl in a concerned way as he rubbed the smaller man's arms.

"Look at you, you must be freezing. Let's get inside." He said and began to lead Querl back to first class. "Err.. perhaps a little something for the boy?" Brande suggested to Kel.

Kel looked back at Clark as the latter was trying to straighten out his shirt.

"Of course. Rokk, I think a 20 should do it." He said and went to walk away. Querl laughed bitterly at this. "Is that the going rate for saving the one you love?" He asked his future husband coldly.

Kel smirked at his love.

"Querl is displeased. What to do?" He joked before walking over to Clark. "Perhaps you and two friends should join us for dinner tomorrow evening. To regale our group with your heroic tale." He suggested to the fellow Kryptonian.

"Sure, count me in." Clark replied.

"Good it's settled then." Kel smirked before walking away. "This should be interesting." He whispered the Brande. As they walked away Clark whistled to Rokk. "Can I bum a smoke?" He asked the butler.

Rokk glared at him but provided him with a cigarette none the less.

"Are you going to tie those?" Rokk asked with a scowl. Clark looked down and saw that he hadn't tied his shoe laces. "It's interesting. The young man slipped so suddenly and you still had time to remove your jacket and your shoes." He said before walking away to join up with his master...


Later that evening Querl was sat in his room staring at the mirror he was sat in front of.

He had changed into a purple silk pyjamas. Lying open on the table in front of him was a small music box his mother used to play for him to get him to sleep when he was little.

The bedroom door opened and Kel walked into the room, holding a small thin box.

Kel smiled at his future husband as he approached. "I know you've been melancholy." He said calmly as he stood next to Querl. "I don't pretend to know why." He added and show the Coluan the box he was holding.

"I intended to save this until the engagement gala next week." He smiled and closed the music box.

He then gave to box the Querl to open. Querl opened it and he was presented with a beautiful royal blue heart-shaped jewel attached to a chain made of small white diamonds.

"Good gracious." Querl gasped when he saw it.

"Perhaps as a reminder of my feeling for you." Kel chuckled. "Is it a diamond?" Querl asked. "Yes. 56 carats to be exact." Kel smiled before getting behind his lover and fastened the necklace around his green neck.

"It was worn bu Louis XVI and they called it 'Le Coeur de la Mer.'" He explained.

"The 'Heart of the Ocean." They both said together at the same time. Kel chuckled slightly at this. "It is overwhelming." Querl said as he stared at the gem sat around his neck.

"Well it's made for royalty. We are royalty Querl." Kel whispered in his ear.

"You know there's nothing I couldn't give you or deny you if you would not deny me. Open your heart to me Querl" The Kryptonian pleaded. Querl looked back at his reflection and pressed his hand over the blue heart...