hooked: I think Randor didn't answer because he was enamored by her beauty. LOL But she's probably a pretty awful dancer too.
AdTeeFan: Glad you are enjoying this.
TeelanaFalcao: Eu não posso agradecer o suficiente por seus comentários agradáveis. Ela ajuda a motivar-me para continuar.
LanaFalcon: Gracias por la ayuda en la traducción ti. Necesito toda la ayuda que pueda conseguir. Gracias por su apoyo también.
Livs2write: I was so happy to get a message from you. I was like 'wow, praise from Caesar.' Thanks.
Thank you everyone who is reading. Sorry, this one's sad and it will get worse before it gets better.
Disclaimer: I do not own MOTU, as if anyone out there thought I did.
Tala watched as Marlena drained her glass. She handed her empty cup to a nearby servant. Tala frowned. Nothing seemed to be happening. Maybe she needed another? She carefully made her way to the alien.
"Wonderful night." She greeted Marlena pleasantly.
"Yes, it is." Marlena answered politely.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Oh, fine. Just a little overwhelmed by the attention." She said frankly.
"Not sleepy or dizzy?" She smiled thinly.
"Well, I am a little tired. I've been out all day." Marlena replied. Someone touched her arm. She looked up and saw Randor.
"Shall we dance?" He asked her.
"Oh well, I'm not sure I was very good last time." Marlena protested.
"You did fine." He firmly held her elbow and led her to the dance floor. He merely gave Tala a cursory nod.
Tala curtsied as they left. As soon as their backs were turned she rushed off to find the servant with the empty glasses. She spotted him just as he was about to exit the ballroom. She pulled the whole tray from his hands and searched the glasses. When she found the one she was looking for, she sniffed it daintily. Fruit juice! What had happened to the alcohol that was supposed to be in here? She glowered. Somehow Fawna had failed her! She shoved the tray into the startled servant's hands before storming out of the ballroom.
0o0
After Jany had finished with Marlena she wandered back to the servant's quarters.
"Well, what's the alien like?" One of the older gossipy woman asked when she saw Jany entered.
"She's as nice as the Eternian sky is blue." She answered settling herself into the comfiest chair.
"Really? I heard she's a witch." Another younger servant said.
Jany laughed. "The real witch is Lady Tala." All the woman laughed and heartily agreed. "Marlena, as the alien insisted I call her, was quite polite. She didn't want me to do anything but help. Quite sensible too." She added.
"What else, Jany?" The servants began crowding in to hear about the alien. Jany relished the attention. She started with how the alien apologized for keeping her waiting then she moved onto their conversation about the unfairness of the debtor's law.
"She's concerned about us?" One of the woman asked surprised.
"Yes, very much so. " Jany said smiling. "She was especially concerned when I told her about your father Fawna."
Fawna who was standing at the edge of the crowd paled. "You told her?"
"Why yes, she was very upset. Said that something must be done or something like that." Jany frowned trying to remember the exact words. "She seems to like you Fawna."
Fawna quickly walked away before anyone could see her tears. She felt awful. How could she have helped that evil woman plot against that kind person? She pulled out the flask she had hidden under her apron and tossed it out. She had been on her way to the kitchen to exchange the fruit juice for the alcohol but Jany had walked in. Curious she stood at the back of the crowd listening to Jany talk about Marlena. Fawna knew now she should have stood her ground. Her father would have stayed in prison but at least he would have been proud of her and she could face herself in the mirror. She had to make things right, starting with warning Marlena about Tala. Fawna exited the servant's quarters and made her way to the ballroom. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she did not notice a hand grab her. Her mouth was quickly covered by a scaly claw.
"It'ssss jussst a sssservant girl." She heard a voice behind her hiss. She shuddered as a pair of yellow slit eyes appeared before her face.
"Do you know where they keep treasure, girl?" The snakeman demanded.
Fawna fearfully shook her head.
"Ssshe'sss ussselesss. Get rid of her!" The voice said. A knife appeared near her throat.
"No, wait. She may still serve some use like a hostage. Bring her along."
The hood of the snakeman opened and Fawna was hit in the face with some sort of gas. She coughed and passed out.
The snakeman threw her over his shoulder and followed the others as they searched for the treasure room.
After wandering aimlessly for 20 minutes, they split up into two groups. One headed back to the ship just in case they needed a quick get-away. They took Fawna as a hostage. The other group continued their search for the treasure room. As they came to another hall they heard footsteps approaching. They scattered to the shadows.
Tala stalked through the halls toward the servant quarters. She was furious that Fawna did not switch the fruit juice with the alcohol. Who did she think she was? Well, when she found that little wench... Tala didn't get to finish her rant. Something grabbed her and a claw went over her mouth before she could scream.
"Look, this one is not a servant. She will know where the treasure room is." A snakeman said.
"Talk, pretty one or tasssste ssssteel." A knife flashed before her eyes.
Tala fearfully nodded.
"Good." The snakeman grinned evilly.
0o0
Marlena was tired. Randor had kept her on the dance floor all night. She was sure she was getting dirty looks from the other woman. If Randor noticed he ignored it. But he could tell she needed to sit. After the last song he led her out into the gardens.
"Are you sure you can leave the party?" Marlena asked as he led her to a stone bench in the garden outside the ballroom.
"I'm entitled to get some air like everyone else." Randor answered as he sat next to her.
"I think some of the women may be upset that I'm monopolizing all your time." Marlena joked.
"I would say the men are more jealous that I am with the prettiest woman in the room." Randor said.
Marlena blushed and looked down at her feet. She suddenly found the grass around her feet very interesting.
Randor watched her for a few seconds. He cleared his throat and she looked at him curiously.
"Marlena?" He began nervously.
"Yes?" She asked.
"I… I… I was wondering if perhaps you were having a pleasant stay?" He stammered.
"Oh yes, everyone's been wonderful and I've been taken care of so well." The smile she gave him left him weak.
"Well, yes, of course." Randor fumbled. He looked away as if trying to summon help. But when none came he turned back to Marlena. She was now looking up at the night sky.
"I wonder which one's home." She said softly.
Randor glanced up at the stars. The butterflies in his stomach turned to lead.
"I can have my astronomers look it up." Randor offered.
"No it's all right. The computer in my ship should have the coordinates." Marlena said. "Will my ship be fixed soon?"
Randor felt a knife tearing at his gut join the lead. "Man-at-Arms is looking at it. I'm sure he'll have if done in no time." The truth was, Duncan had informed him that after looking at the ship he could have it flying by the end of the week. Then she would leave and be out of his life forever.
"Do…do you… do you miss Earth?" Randor asked hesitantly.
Marlena looked at him incredulously. "Of course I miss Earth!" She looked away and Randor felt incredibly stupid. He screwed up his courage to ask her.
"I miss the fields of corn on my dad's farm. I miss the sprawling mountains, where we go hiking and skiing. I miss the lakes, brooks, and ponds where we'd go fishing. I miss the beaches where we'd picnic. But most of all I miss my family and friends." Marlena said softly.
The words Randor was about to say stuck in his throat. How selfish could he be? How could he ask her to stay with him and give up everything she ever knew? He couldn't do that to her. He loved her too much to pain her like that.
"Earth sounds… nice." He said stupidly.
"It is. But…," Before she could say anymore there was an explosion from inside the palace.
Randor and Marlena got up startled. Guards rushed pass them. Randor stopped one of them.
"What happened?" He demanded.
"There was an explosion in the Treasure room." The guard said after saluting the king.
Randor's eyes flew open. "The ring!" He followed the guards.
0o0
Randor flew to the treasure room. When he arrived, he saw Duncan and Stratos there already. The next thing he saw made his skin crawl. There were a band of snakemen in the hall. Some of the palace guards lay on the floor unconscious.
Duncan and Stratos immediately attacked. Randor drew his sword and began fighting with the nearest snakeman. Their swords clashed. The cobra's hood flew open but Randor was ready. He yanked the tapestry off the wall and wrapped the snakeman in it. The snakeman gassed himself and fell to the ground. Randor then turned to face another. Other bird men arrived to help as well as palace guards. They engaged the snakemen in battle. The sound of metal on metal as well as blaster fire echoed through the wing. It looked like their sheer number would overwhelm the snakemen. Then there was another explosion. Everyone was thrown back.
When the smoke cleared a large snakemen with two heads appeared. He held the serpent's ring in one hand and Tala with a rag stuffed in her mouth in the other.
Randor pushed himself off the floor with sword still in hand. Stratos and Duncan also got up if a little unsteady.
"Let her go!" He demanded.
"I don't think so." The snakeman sneered. "You have no power to demand anything! Now unless you want to see her pretty head cracked open you will put down your weapons."
The men hesitated.
"NOW!" The snakeman squeezed Tala who gave a frightened squeal through her gag. Randor dropped his sword. The other men followed suite.
"Good little humans. We will be leaving now."
"How did you get in?" Randor snapped glaring at the monster.
"I let them in." From behind the snakeman Malkine appeared.
"Malkine, what is the meaning of this?" Randor asked shocked.
"Well, your majesty." His voice dripping with sarcasm, "you seem to think that my advice is no longer viable. So I have decided to align myself to people who appreciate the wisdom I have to offer."
"Malkine, you traitor!" Man-at-Arms spat out. "How could you?"
"Randor isn't half the king his father was! It's time for a new regime." Malkine answered with a strange glint in his eye.
"Of what? Snakemen?" Stratos asked. "No thank you."
"The snakemen have promised me the kingdom of Eterneos. They can rule the rest of the planet." Malkine looked disdainfully at Stratos.
"Malkine! You fool. You can't trust these... these snakes!" Randor was furious.
"I can judge who to trust or not and I do not trust your judgment your majesty," he grounded out.
"Enough!" One of the heads on the snakeman yelled. "We have what we want. We will take our leave."
The brood of vipers made their way to the exit. Just as they were about to leave, Stratos swung his arm. The two-headed snakeman screamed in pain and dropped Tala. Sharp pinions stuck out of the snakeman's arm. Randor swiftly yanked Tala to safety. She clung to him so hard that he was unable to retrieve his sword off the ground.
"Tala! Let go!" He tried to free himself from her grip. Luckily Stratos and Duncan were able to grab their weapons. They opened fire on the snakemen.
"Let's just get out of here. They'll be finished soon enough." The two headed snakeman yelled clutching his injured arm.
The group fled. Randor managed to disentagle himself from Tala and shoved her into one of the guards' arms.
"Here, see to it she's fine." He growled going after the snakemen.
"Randor, they are headed for the south side of the palace!" Stratos shouted from above.
"The gardens!" Randor's eyes widened. "Marlena!" He rushed back to the party with his friends right at his heel.
Marlena was keeping the party guests calm. Some wanted to rush out to investigate or to satisfy their curiosity. Marlena knew that they would only get in the way. She entertained them with her stories of her days as a test pilot. As she finished up her last story, she heard a commotion outside the gardens. She looked out the glass doors just as a two-headed snakeman accompanied by other snakemen and an older gentleman. Suddenly a large ship materialized from behind the garden wall. The door of the ship opened crushing the wall and hedge. Marlena saw another snakeman emerge from the ship. He had a sack over his shoulder.
No wait! The sack was moving. Marlena squinted. Her eyes widened in shock. It was Fawna! Marlena without thinking rushed out.
"Put her down!" Marlena yelled.
The men all turned to face her. Suddenly Marlena realized she was unarmed and not in the proper attire for a fight.
"Ah, the alien. The bane of my existence." Malkine said maliciously.
"Umm, do I know you?" Marlena asked. She searched her memory to see if she had met him before.
Before he could answer the one holding Fawna dropped her to the floor. He pulled a long rifle from his back and shot at Marlena. Marlena tried to move out of the way but her heel caught the hem of her dress and she fell. Fortunately, the blast missed. The snakeman fired again and again and again. Marlena unable to get up, rolled away from each shot which barely missed her. But then her back hit the trellis. She had no where else to go. The snakeman grinned as he took aim.
When Fawna was dropped on the floor she was jolted awake. Blinking she didn't move when she heard gun fire. Then she remembered what happened to her. Lifting her head a fraction she saw to her dismay that the snakeman standing above her was about to open fire as Marlena lay helpless on the ground. She bolted up and pushed the rifle into the air. The shot fired harmlessly into the sky. The furious snakeman grabbed the little servant girl by the throat and ran a blade through her chest.
Marlena watched with horror as Fawna's crumpled body was dumped onto the garden floor.
"No...no... NO!" At first she couldn't get the words out but the last part came out as a shriek. The snakeman satisfied now aimed his weapon at Marlena who was shaking with fury. Grabbing the closest thing at hand she threw the rock at him with all her might. The rock was blasted by his rifle but the resulting debris created a cloud of dust that made the snakeman cough. Randor burst through the garden gate along with his soldiers. The snakemen hastily retreated to the ship. The door closed and the ship lifted off.
"Come back you cowards!" Marlena screamed in anger. She ran after the ship scooping up another rock and throwing it at the fleeing ship. By now the ship was out of her reach. Marlena stood for a second staring at the retreating ship before going to where Fawna lay. When she reached her, Marlena gingerly picked her up. Her dress became bloody but Marlena didn't care.
"Silly girl," Marlena said quietly, "why did you do that?"
Fawna's eyes half opened. "To make up for what I'd done. Please forgive me." She said in low tones.
"You? You haven't done anything." Tears began falling from her eyes. "Hang on. Everything will be all right."
"Thank you." Fawna said as her eyes started to close. "Thank you for being my friend." Marlena could feel her body go slack.
"No, Fawna, you're going to be okay. You hear me? You'll be okay. Stay with me. Just stay with me." Marlena was babbling now. She didn't know what she was saying anymore. She cradled the body and softly wept. Randor stood quietly watching with anguish.