"I don't remember Adam and I deciding on a date," Teela's tone was deceptively mild. She knew what the Sorceress meant and wanted to force the issue. "Did you use magic to predict the future?"

"If you marry right when the sword finishes charging, you can disguise the mission as your wedding journey."

"You know what? I resent being told that I have to -"

"Teela," interrupted Adam urgently. "Can we please talk in private?"

Teela wanted to yell and scream. She was about to say something caustic when Marlena placed a hand on her arm, compelling her gently to look her way.

"My dear, please do. It is the proper way to handle this."

Teela was ashamed by her near loss of control. The Royal couple had welcomed her as the future Queen and Teela was clearly not ready for the honor. She nodded at Marlena, grateful for her intervention and whispered a thanks. Marlena gave her a tight hug and Teela knew that she hadn't lost the Queen's acceptance. The Sorceress watched the exchange feeling incredibly sad that she didn't have this easy maternal relationship with her own child. Instead the young woman seemed to see her as an adversary.

Keeping a tight grip on hr emotions, Teela followed Adam to a private room. As soon as he closed the door, She whirled around to face him, her eyes blazing.

"You actually think we should do this!" Teela's tone was incredulous.

He hesitated. Then he answered calmly.

"I do."

Teela flushed, and Adam couldn't tell if it was anger or embarrassment. He fought against taking her reaction personally.

"Because you do whatever the Sorceress says without question," Teela ground out venomously. She saw the hurt in his gaze and turned away harshly, unwilling to see his pained reaction. She hated hurting him, but she was angry that he was once again putting duty over love.

"I suppose it might seem that way to you," he responded calmly, not rising to the bait. Adam had years of experience of not rising to the bait.

"What if she told you to marry someone else? Someone you didn't love. Would you do it? If the world depended on it?"

"I love you. I wouldn't marry anyone else unless you decided that this was over."

"But – what if there wasn't an 'us'. What if you hadn't declared yourself? Would you have married someone else on her command even if you secretly loved me?"

Adam gripped her arm and turned her to face him. Her face was wet with tears and his heart twisted at the sight.

"If that had happened – if circumstances had demanded that I marry, I would not have considered marrying anyone until I'd told you how I felt about you – and yes, I would have told you my secret if that would have put you in the way of considering me as a husband! I promise you that, Teela."

Teela flushed again and looked down.

"What are you really upset about? I want to know so I can be where you are," he said, gently taking her hand in his and stroking it with his other hand. She felt herself begin to melt and fought the temptation to give in just to make things good again between them. She couldn't allow herself to fade away into him – she loved him, and she respected him more than any other person in the world, but she had her own nature and she had to be true to that.

She lifted her eyes to his, the hurt still burning in her gaze.

"Seriously – you're really upset - I won't just let it go, Teela. Please tell me what it is."

She pulled her hand out of his, unable to think when he stroked it so tenderly and shook her head despairingly. She didn't even understand it herself.

"Is six months too soon for you," he asked, getting the obvious concern out of the way first. "Do you need more time?"

Teela knew he was referring to marital intimacy – the freedom to take their passion to a level they had not yet done and she shook hear head.

"Elders no, Adam. I would marry you today if I could." She looked at him hoping to convince him of the truth in her words.

"Don't worry about feeling that way, Teela. You won't have hurt my feelings – marriage is a huge step – especially when you marry Royalty. Your whole life changes – you'll be a Princess and that can be pretty frightening."

"I won't be handling it alone," she said. "I can handle anything with you, Adam," she asserted strongly. "I love you, I am ready to be with you – as your wife. "

He flushed lightly at her words, understanding what she meant.

"Then what is it?"

"It seems so cold and calculated. We marry for the convenience of the mission – like one of those horrible arranged marriages so many Royals have in order to create alliances."

"So this makes us feel like an arranged marriage?"

"No. But it feels – wrong. To take something so incredible and make it a – component of a mission. It feels like it takes away something special."

"Teela – it doesn't to me," he said, taking her hand again. She met his gaze and forced herself not to look away. His love for her was shining so brightly, she felt eclipsed by it. "Even if this wedding is aligned to disguise the mission, it doesn't lose any of it's magic as far as I'm concerned. It worries me that it would for you, and I don't want to treat your misgivings lightly."

"It doesn't ruin the magic of 'us'. But the moment – and the moments following," she said, blushing as she referred to their post-wedding activities. "Adam – a wedding journey is usually long enough to take the new couple away from their lives so they can learn to be with each other as – married people... and not just physically – but also emotionally. When people can afford to stay away from their regular lives, they do – they get immersed in each other – they have time to slowly learn to be with each other... they don't feel the pressure of a mission knocking at the door – demanding that they step back into their duty bound lives - how can we just be us together if we have to this mission knocking at the door?"

"I hadn't thought of that," he said, suddenly aware of what they would be losing. "You make some very good points here... "

"I want to be with you – and you with me, and focus on each other and what we're learning about each other – as man and wife – not Adam and Teela – best friends from infancy, or He-Man and Teela – fellow warriors against evil - "

"Right. Of course," he said, reddening as he fully comprehended her words. The wedding vacation was about being able to get intimate in ways they couldn't before – without having to worry about someone demanding that they spend their time and energy doing other things.

"Adam – you're my first for everything," she said softly. "This isn't trivial to me. And it isn't without ... I mean – I'm – pretty sure I know what to expect, but still – I don't want to worry about anything else. Not that I'm worrying," she hastened, stumbling poorly over her words. "I just want to face this new experience together without feeling … "

"Rushed?"

"Not so much rushed – but – maybe that. Maybe that's the best word. Not that I think we wouldn't both – take the time to – ah – you know – savor the experience- but – maybe I'm thinking -or feeling that – the next day … what would we do? We'd pack up our swords and go on a mission. Just like the old days. Only now – we'd be lovers." She felt heat crawl up her neck and face at her words. "So – it would be different, but maybe we'd still feel – like we didn't have the right amount of time to grow accustomed to our altered relationship."

Adam understood. There was a lot that was intimidating about going from being a single person to a married person – especially where neither had ever even casually dated. The wedding journey would help them ease into this new life together away from the demanding reality of both of their lives, and by aligning it with this mission, she was losing the tender 'honeymoon', as his mother called it, that she deserved.

He moved in close to her and pulled her into his arms, giving her a hug that was intended to comfort.

"I love you – and I want nothing more than to spend some time with you – away from the reality of our lives. I do want that. And after holding back our feelings for so long, I say we both have a right to this time together. We have the right to not worry about what the next day brings.

She nodded, feeling a surge of relief that he finally understood what she herself was having trouble understanding about her own state of mind.

"Maybe we could marry before the sword charges... and have a vacation that's just that – a wedding journey. You wouldn't have to give up all your responsibilities – He-Man can't simply vanish because I got married... that would seem strange. But that would be the extent of it."

"I agree," he said. "The Sorceress could communicate with me telepathically as she always does – and we won't keep a communication line open to your father," he growled, suddenly, pulling her close for a passionate kiss.

She laughed and he felt a strong sense of satisfaction at having made her happy.

"I don't want to have a line open to your parents either," she laughed. "Just in case you decide I'm impossible and try to arrange for a ride home -"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not going to want to separate from you ever... especially after..." his voice deepened suggestively as he traced her cheekbones with his thumbs. "You might be the one trying to get away -"

"Mmm. I sincerely doubt that," she said, soothing the unspoken fear in his heart. She knew that Adam still felt protective guilt about his passionate response to her – and that it would be her responsibility to teach her foolish husband-to-be that women wanted intimacy as much as men did. She was a little concerned about the first experiences having heard different stories over the years from different women, but in her heart of hearts, she knew that regardless of any early awkwardness, things would end up amazing. The passion between them was too strong for anything else.

"Okay – so no parents," he said and then hid a wince. The Sorceress was Teela's mother after all.

"Agreed. Adam. What?"

"Oh... there's something you need to be told – but I can't be the one to do it," he said, stepping away from her, breaking the mood.

"About what?"

He shook his head, frustrated.

"I want to tell you, but I swore I wouldn't. I will however let it be known that I won't have any more secrets unless it's related to being the future King, or a life-or-death situation."

"Adam -"

"Can we go out there and tell them our new plan? Then we can move on and talk about what I'm not telling you?"

"Is it a Grayskull thing?"

He nodded. "And it requires the Sorceress. I'm sorry."

"No. It's okay. Let's go out there."

"Don't worry, Teela – I won't waver on either resolve – we will get the time we deserve, and all secrets between us will be out in the open."

Burning with curiosity, Teela nodded and held his hand as they walked back towards the rest of their party.