Sorry it took a little while to get this chapter out. As you know I've been a little under the weather. Anyhow, this chapter actually needs a little warning. The third section with Randor and Marlena is a little…heated. I won't say in what way I mean that because I don't want to spoil too much, but just know that kiddies shouldn't read that part, so skip it, youngsters.

As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this! A lot of this is actually a lot of inner monologue with my characters but important to the story, so bear with it, haha.

Against Nature Chapter 25

King Stefen stood just inside his bedchambers and peeked out into the hall as he heard the sound of a door shutting. He observed his brother and Marlena walk together towards the Royal Suite. With a grimace, he noticed that Randor had placed his hand at the small of his wife's back, almost possessively even though they thought they were alone, and led her into their rooms.

When the door shut, he leaned back against the doorframe and sighed. Randor was catching on. Stefen had hoped fervently that his brother would remain blissfully ignorant of the things that were happening around him, but no amount of wishing had helped—he had found out about his son's doings and put a stop to it.

And now, Randor was about to find out about his.

He knew it was going to happen, because he had almost seen the wheels turning in his brother's mind in Adam's bedchambers earlier. The way Randor had conducted himself was proof enough. He had entered the room and practically glared at all of them. And, what was the first thing he did after that? He stood behind Marlena, placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her back towards him as he leaned forward. His actions spoke louder than words, "She's mine!" Then, he had gotten rid of him—he had made him leave the room and made sure Marlena stayed even though he had supposedly gone in there to talk with Adam alone.

He shook his head and realized it was all going to come crashing down unless he found a way to pacify his brother. He didn't know how and he was afraid he wouldn't have the time to figure it out. Randor had led Marlena to their bedchambers even though it was nowhere near bedtime. He obviously wanted to get her alone, undoubtedly to talk…and that was going to be their ultimate undoing. He was surprised Randor wasn't already charging out of his room like a bull.

Randor and he had competed over girls before, and each had won over the other many times. Some had preferred the brother who was the life of the party while others had preferred the mature, future King of Eternia…or they were simply after the throne.

It had started out as pure sibling jealousy on his part. He had seen how girls flocked towards Randor, so he wanted to show him that he was desirable, too. Eventually, though, it had gotten out of hand and to the point where Randor had asked him to stop, saying that it was cruel to the girls involved if he didn't really have feelings for them. So, he had stopped and he never went after girls that Randor seemed interested in again. Fortunately for him, there hadn't been many and the few that his brother did seem to like soon lost their favor for unknown reasons. He supposed the future High King had been waiting for Marlena to arrive even though neither man had even been aware of her existence at the time.

Again, he found himself wondering if Marlena would have chosen to be with Randor if he had also been with his brother on that faithful day she had crashed onto the planet. He knew it was foolish to contemplate such things since he couldn't change the past, but he couldn't help it. She was an amazing woman…and unfortunately for him, because she was such a perfect and ideal wife and queen, he already knew she wouldn't allow herself to fall for any other man. She would never leave Randor unless the circumstances were extreme. On the one hand, he was glad because she wouldn't allow Randor's heart to be ripped out by his own brother, but on the other, he was sad that she wouldn't give him a chance.

Not for the first time, he found himself completely jealous. His brother had a wonderful life: he ruled the entire planet and he had a perfect family. Not only was his wife everything a man could wish for, his son was also ideal. Adam was such a fine young man and so susceptible to learning the ways of court and life in general. Even with his recent rebellion, the boy hadn't gone too far: he hadn't spouted hatred towards his father as many other young men would have in similar situations; he hadn't taken advantage of his running away by having sex with random girls who would have loved to spend the afternoon in the arms of the High Prince; and he hadn't blamed his uncle for any of his mishaps even though they both knew the King of Dyperia had set him on that path in the first place. No, Adam took responsibility for the things he had done as a man should.

Of course, Stefen was also proud of Dal. He was a good boy, too, but the truth was his son was a little spoiled and acted foolishly sometimes in ways that would be detrimental to the kingdom and sometimes even his own life. He remembered the time his son had given him a supposed magical rock that made people invincible—Dal had almost gotten him killed that day. The boy just didn't think before he acted sometimes. The more he got to know Adam, the more he realized Adam would never make some of the mistakes Dal had in the past.

Yes, he had many reasons to be a little jealous of his brother.

Sighing again, he banged his lightly on the doorframe behind him. He knew he had to find a way to handle Randor and his inevitable fury.

=)=)=)

Adam laid back down on his bed next to Cringer, who had fallen asleep at some point during one of his many discussions that afternoon. He had a lot of things to contemplate and a lot of time to do it since dinner was several hours away. Realizing that his uncle was right, he had to look at the bright side of things: he now had plenty of time to think and sleep for a change. He smiled at that.

The one topic that held dominance in his mind at that particular moment was his dilemma with Ashlyn and Teela. He didn't know what he was going to do. When he had arrived home, he had planned on speaking with Teela and admitting his feelings…but he didn't know how that would be possible now. First of all, she was no longer his bodyguard, so he wouldn't have as much time with her as he used to, especially since she and her father were mad at him. He also wouldn't be hanging out with them like he normally would. Besides, he was confined to his bedchambers right now and they certainly weren't going to come see him! And, then of course, there's the fact that she told him that she hated him. In the back of his mind ever since he had received the Sword of Power, he had feared that possibility. Prince Adam had changed into the type of man Teela despised and he had always feared hearing those words…and now he had. What if she really meant them? His mother was convinced she didn't, but no one knew for sure.

And, then there was Ashlyn. He liked her; he really did. And, amazingly, she liked him, too. He didn't believe it had anything to do with the crown he rarely wore and that he would one day be the King of Eternia. If that were true, she would have tried to get on his father's good side and not suggested that he do things that they knew would make him mad. Instead, she had wanted to hang out with him and get to know him as a normal person. He had to admit it was very refreshing, especially since she didn't judge and question him all the time like Teela did. But of course, he realized he was being a little unfair to Teela when he made that observation. Teela had grown up with him, so she literally saw the big change in him. She had seen him go from a decent prince to a buffoon almost overnight. Not to mention, Ashlyn had the advantage of knowing who he really was. She didn't see him as cowardly and carefree Prince Adam. No, she knew he was He-Man, too, so she knew both pseudo-personas in a way that Teela didn't. She had the advantage of knowing that neither represented the true Adam. Ashlyn knew enough to discover who he really was, and even though it might sound a little smug, he knew she would like that guy. He rarely showed his true self to anyone anymore, but he really was an okay guy, one that he really wished he could be publicly. At least with Ashlyn, he would have the opportunity to court a girl without feeling guilty about not being who he really was with her…

Of course, that didn't really matter. Even though Ashlyn had many positives on her side of the debate, she did have a major strike against her. The king didn't approve of her, and he wasn't allowed to see her anymore. That wouldn't be much of a courtship and it pretty much cancelled out the fact that he could be his true self around her, because he wouldn't be around her in the first place. But of course, the same thing could be said about Teela. She wouldn't want to be around him again after today. Everything was just a huge mess, and as he laid there in bed, he realized his earlier assessment was probably right: he had lost them both.

=)=)=)

Randor never felt such conflicting emotions before: he was angry, almost to the point that he wanted to turn his back on his usual stance on fighting and make his brother scream apologies for daring to touch his wife. He felt as though the action might even bring him some pleasure…but he also felt guilty for feeling that way. He had promised himself long ago that he would be a man of peace in everything he did. It didn't matter if he were handling personal or worldly matters; he didn't want to result to violence to get his way or to make his position known. He believed wholeheartedly that there were better ways to do that, and he had stuck to that belief for his entire reign as king, except for when he had been forced to fight with no other choice available. He was shocked to find himself capable—after all this time of self-conditioning—of turning to violence because someone had acted in a way that had hurt him.

He paused in the hallway as he realized the truth. He felt his wife wrap her hands around his bicep as he closed his eyes. "Randor?" he heard her question, but he couldn't reply, because at that moment, he realized why he was acting in such a deplorable manner: he never had anyone betray him like this before, and it hurt deeply. Yes, one could argue he had been through and overcome worse. Hordak had stolen Adora after all, and he had lived through that…but this was different. Hordak hadn't owed him the least bit of loyalty. They were enemies, and as such, kidnapping his daughter had been part of that struggle.

But Stefen was his brother! Stefen owed him loyalty, not only as a member of the Eternian government but as a beloved family member! He loved Stefen and his brother had betrayed him most horribly. That's why he was so angry. He knew he didn't really have to worry about Marlena leaving him—he knew that from the beginning. He was simply angry because his brother had hurt him in a way he hadn't expected, in a way no one would have expected.

Tears slipped down his cheeks when he opened them, and Marlena stepped in front of him and raised her hands to wipe the moisture away. "I love you," she whispered, staring into his eyes with a deep intensity that did not belie her words in any way.

Despite his prior turbulent thoughts, she made him forget about everything but her.

He relaxed as she met his lips with hers, but he quickly took control of the situation. He didn't kiss her with the desperateness that he had before when he had first learned of his brother's actions; instead, he kissed her slowly and took care to plan each movement of his lips and hands. He ran his tongue over her lips and when she opened them, he sucked on her bottom lip and then her top. When his tongue finally slipped into her mouth to duel with hers, he ran his hands down her body to rest on her hips. He then pulled her to him tightly and she whimpered in response.

He pulled back a little to make sure he hadn't hurt her. He thought he had firm control of himself and that his actions had been done gently, but he wanted to be sure. He smiled as his wife looked at him wantonly.

"Randor," she whispered, "make love to me. Today has been such a horrible day and has been dominated with the horrible thoughts of another man kissing me. Instead of leaving to find him, stay and make me forget what happened. Please."

He hugged her to him tightly. He knew what she was doing: she was intentionally speaking to the primitive man inside himself. She was afraid he was going to attack Stefen, so she was trying to distract him in a way that only she could. He decided he'd allow it, because he felt the need to do exactly as she asked before she had even stated the words. The only reason he hadn't before now is because he had thought she would see his actions as jealousy and she might be opposed to it.

Pulling back so they could look into each other's eyes again, he replied simply, "Yes." He took her by the hand, kissed it, and then led her back into their bedchambers. When they stood near the side of their bed, he gathered the bottom of her dress in his hands and pulled it over her head. She did the same with his robe, and then he pushed her softly onto the mattress and watched her slide upward to rest her head on the pillows. She reached out for him, and he slowly covered her body with his. "I love you," he stated as he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her eyelids, her nose, and then finally her mouth tenderly.

Soon, they found themselves moving slowly against one another at a pace neither had wanted since he had took her for the first time twenty-three years ago. Now, both did it instinctively, and Randor knew it was probably because they wanted to feel every bit of movement of the other and to pick their actions with the utmost love, care, and passion. Personally, he wanted to do this as slow as possible to prolong not only the physical sensations but the sense of oneness that he got every time Marlena and he came together like this. He felt it now, and usually he would have closed his eyes at that moment to savor the feeling even more, but this time, he continued to stare at his queen as she stared right back at him. He couldn't look away, because her emotions and the pleasure she felt was made bare for him to see. Also, the soft moans she gave as a result of his efforts made him want to continue like this for the rest of their lives, but as she clutched his forearms with both hands and shook almost convulsively, he knew it was impossible.

He was going to have such a good time trying, though…

Several hours later, the chronometer chimed on the wall, and Randor and Marlena realized they were late for dinner. They laid in each other's arms exhaustedly and both sighed at the sound.

"Must we go to dinner tonight?" his wife asked as she stretched beside him. He smiled as his eyes travelled up and down her body, enjoying the view she was giving him.

He leaned over, met her lips softly for a moment, but before he could answer a knock reverberated throughout the room. He groaned, slipped on his robe, and opened the door.

Randor didn't know who he had expected, but he surely hadn't expected to see him.

King Stefen stood before him, and as soon as their eyes met, he stated quickly, "Brother, you and I need to have a serious discussion and it can't wait for another moment. May I come in?"

=)=)=)

Randor narrowed his eyes at his brother and then glanced back at Marlena. There were so many responses he wanted to have at his brother's presence and words. Like earlier, part of him wanted to hit Stefen, but he knew his wife would want to get involved at that point and she was currently undressed, clutching the sheets to her chest. Not wanting to put her in that position, he sighed and replied, "Marlena and I need to make ourselves decent. Wait right here." He closed the door and locked it.

He went back to the bed and said, "Stefen's at the door. He wants to talk to me about something serious, he says. I need you to get dressed and leave the room."

"Randor," she whispered, "are you sure that's such a good idea? I know you're still angry with your brother right now and I don't want to see you two go to war over a mistake."

He closed his eyes and stated resolutely, "I will not hit him. You have my word, Marlena. Yes, I may be tempted, but I won't actually do it. Now, let me see what he wants and then I'll discuss what he did afterward. I promise to remain as calm as possible, my dear."

She nodded and quickly got ready for dinner. Each got in their usual outfits and put their crowns back on. As he walked her to the door, he told her, "You should go get Adam and escort him to the dining hall. I don't want you alone and he's supposed to be accompanied at all times anyway."

At his wife's nod, he took a deep breath to keep himself mellow and opened the door.

Stefen was still there and the Dyperian king stepped aside as Marlena slipped out without looking at him. She turned to look at Randor one last time and flashed him a look that he knew instinctively meant that he needed to be good. He smiled at her as she walked away and entered Adam's bedchambers.

He then looked at his brother and his supposed happy demeanor melted away. "Come in," he ordered calmly as he stepped aside.

Stefen entered and immediately stood in the center of the room. Randor noticed his brother had glanced at their unkempt bed, and he narrowed his eyes as Stefen sighed. Then, they stared at one another for a few moments.

"You said you wanted to speak with me about something important?" Randor finally stated, trying to stay hospitable for the time being. It was hard, but he wanted to see what his brother was going to say before the fireworks started.

Stefen nodded slowly and rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly. "Yes," he answered. "The problem is I don't know how to do it." He met his brother's eyes. "I have to come clean about something, Randor, and I know you're going to be furious with me. You might even hate me."

The High King widened his eyes. He knew then why Stefen was here! He was going to tell him he had kissed Marlena and why he had done so! He turned away for a moment. Until that moment had arrived, he hadn't realized how badly he didn't want to hear his brother tell him about it. It was such an awkward and inappropriate situation that had occurred that he knew the discussion would be hard to handle on both sides.

But he knew they needed to do this, no matter how bad the outcome.

He looked at his brother again and replied, "Just say it, Stefen. We'll deal with the consequences afterward."

"Okay," mumbled Stefen; "Okay." Then, there was a long pause before he finally told him. "Randor…today I did something that I know you will find unforgivable. I want to tell you ahead of time that I'm truly sorry and that I didn't mean for it to happen." Their eyes met and he continued softly, "I…kissed your queen today."

Randor once again felt a hodgepodge of emotions overwhelm him, but for once his anger did not take precedence surprisingly, even though it was a close second. Instead, tears filled his eyes as he saw a few slip down his brother's cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, brother," cried Stefen. "Before you say anything, please let me explain!"

The only thing Randor found himself able to do was nod and steel himself to hear what he was sure would hurt him more deeply than he already was. He hoped his compassion and composure stayed with him after the fact and that anger wouldn't take control.

=)=)=)

Yes, I know: another cliffhanger. Please forgive me! LOL It is a good stopping point, though. You have to admit that! =)