Adam

And I thought I had been angry before. Six hours she had been subjected to that torture. I couldn't imagine it. My body was aching as much as it had after the Electrocutress got through with me, and Skeletor only had me down for a minute or so. I wanted to wrap myself around Teela and protect her forever. Realizing my own anxiety was tightening my grip and was going to cause me to hurt her, I deliberately eased up as I met Duncan's eyes. "And you?" I questioned harshly.

"Fortunately, Mekaneck was with me and was able to follow us. He called in reinforcements at the same time, so I didn't get hit much more than you, just a few minutes over the period of an hour," Duncan replied matter-of-factly. I heard what he didn't say. If it hadn't been that quick, he might not have been able to hold out, or at least he didn't think he could have. I knew better.

"Thank you," I mouthed silently. He nodded his acknowledgement. I ached at the thought of gentle Gracelyn going through that torture, or my father...my father. No wonder he was so sure there was a connection between me and He-Man! And it made even more sense now why he didn't want to know the details.

I closed my eyes in denial, my brow furrowed as I tried to come to terms with what others had suffered because of my secret, because of me. A tremble ran through my body, mostly from anger at Skeletor and fear of what could happen to those I loved now that I was back. Teela raised her head. "We need to get you back to the palace," she insisted. "You need rest."

"I'm fine," I reassured her. "Just sore." And angry enough to throw Skeletor into the abyss around Grayskull after beating him to a pulp.

"I wouldn't mind doing that myself," Teela responded. Duncan chuckled, causing me to flush slightly. I must have spoken that thought out loud. Maybe I was affected more than I had thought.

"Seems we're going to have to increase security while He-Man's away," Duncan observed. His eyes narrowed as he looked around thoughtfullly. "Skeletor is really gunning for you."

"He-Man's away?" Teela echoed, stepping away from me. "Why?"

I shrugged. "He had a promise to keep. She-Ra's here. We'll be fine."

"I know, I just…" Teela trailed off.

Jealousy reared its ugly head, and in spite of my intentions to keep things level, my eyes narrowed in suspicion as if they had a mind of their own. "Just what?" Yeah, that definitely came out jealous. Duncan smirked at me as Teela's eyes flew to me.

"You're kidding, right?" she asked in disbelief. "You want me to trust you when you go out at all hours of the day and night, return at even stranger times, and won't tell me what it's all about. But I inquire about a friend, and you're jealous?" My face started to flush. "What, you don't trust me?"

"I trust you!" I countered emphatically. "It's just…" I shrugged self-consciously as Duncan struggled not to laugh. He turned away, but the sudden fit of coughing didn't fool me. I guess it was kind of funny that I was essentially jealous of myself. "He's He-Man, Teela. And I'm…" I stopped there, not wanting to lie outright. She'd just caught me at a bad time. Without the sword, having just been attacked and at Skeletor's mercy, I was feeling decidedly unsure of myself.

She stared at me for a minute, looking confused. I wondered what was going through her mind. I wasn't sure how Grayskull's magic might or might not work when I wasn't in possession of the sword. I was never really clear as to whether the magic that kept the secret was part of me, part of the sword, or both. Or neither. "So...I trust you," I said. It was a bit random and definitely awkward, but the silence was unnerving me. "Okay?"

"Oh! Yes, it's nothing you need to worry about," Teela assured me. She stood on tiptoe and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth, igniting a surge of desire in the pit of my stomach. "I'm just realizing that over the years, I got used to you being safe and him being around to save the day, and I liked it that way. It was as if I had a promise from someone that everything was going to be okay, because he'd get me out of trouble…" She trailed off again, and I had to shove back the urge to defend myself or snap at her. She obviously had something to say. "And when I got back to the palace, you'd be there, asking about me, listening to me." She smiled, her lips trembling slightly. "I missed that more than I missed He-Man saving my butt."

At that point, it didn't matter how weak I felt or that her father was standing there. She had just basically said I meant more to her than He-Man, and that meant more to me than I could tell her right now. I reached out and pulled her to me. We stared at each other for a few seemingly unending seconds before I slowly lowered my head and kissed her tenderly, her mouth warm and inviting. I wasn't a total idiot, though. I still knew Duncan was there. I ended the gentle kiss and drew back slightly, looking into her eyes. I wanted to confess my love for her, but I still felt we were on uneven ground. I couldn't do it to her again. I couldn't tell her I loved her when she had no idea that I was He-Man. I had to wait until she knew the truth about me. And without my sword, that was bound to be a long time coming.

In the meantime, there was something else I could do to demonstrate my feelings. I bowed to her and kissed her hand. "Lady Teela, I am awed by the trueness of your heart and the depth of your beauty. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the welcome home ball in two weeks' time?"

Teela's cheeks tinged pink and she smiled. She curtseyed to me and dipped her head. "The honor would be mine, Prince Adam." Grinning at her extremely appropriate response-it was a bit odd for us to be so formal with each other-I straightened up a bit too quickly. My muscles protested and my head began spinning. Before I knew it, Duncan and Teela had hold of each side. "Maybe I'm not feeling quite as strong as I thought," I murmured, blinking hard until my vision finally cleared.

"We should head back," Teela insisted. I nodded gingerly, pulling away from the two of them and taking Teela's hand. Duncan fell into step behind us. "Skeletor's not going to give this up," Teela said after a moment. My own thoughts had started down that path as well, and I wasn't liking where they were headed. She cast a glance around, then said lowly, "Whatever information he's after, this connection, it has something to do with your secret, doesn't it?"

I kept my gait steady although her comment shocked me. I had to play it off somehow. To admit it out loud would be dangerous-not only because she wasn't supposed to know about my secret, but because Skeletor and his minions could be eavesdropping at any point in time. "I don't know what he's after," I countered quietly. "I have nothing to tell him." Half-truths, both of them. Who am I kidding? The first statement was an outright lie. I knew exactly what he was after. It just so happened that I would die before telling him.

My step slowed slightly at that thought. Obviously I wasn't the only one in danger. The risk this posed to my family and friends was starting to overwhelm me. The crux of the problem was that Skeletor was absolutely right-he was right not only in that there was a connection between He-Man, me, and Grayskull, but that of the three, I was the weak link. And that put everyone around me in danger. I shook my head, trying to clear it a bit.

"Are you okay?" Teela asked, concerned. She moved her hand up my arm to the curve of my bicep, and a shiver ran through me.

"I'm fine," I assured her again. I leaned over and whispered, "And I'm looking forward to the ball. I can't wait to see what you decide to wear."

Her eyes widened and she used them to motion back to her father. I offered a shameless grin. "Your daughter is beautiful when she's embarrassed, Man-at-Arms," I tossed over my shoulder. Teela smacked me lightly on the back of the head. Man-at-Arms' response was a grunt. I would probably pay for it later, but at least I'd distracted her.

The next week passed somewhat quietly. My schedule was beginning to fill up as Father sought to help me catch up on the political happenings of the last nine years. I was in lessons almost as much as Abraham. During that week, Teela and I spent one afternoon at a picnic and an evening at a dinner at an oceanfront restaurant, but of course we saw each other at meals as well. By now, the nobles had been officially notified that we were courting and the general population had caught wind of it as well, so our outings were quickly becoming less private when we left the palace grounds.

Orko returned from Trolla, and with that, dinner in the evenings were considerably livelier. Skeletor and his crew were surprisingly quiet for a change, which was extremely convenient since I couldn't change into He-Man. They attacked twice, and I was the clear target at least the first time, but She-Ra and the Masters had no trouble handling them. The Sorceress remained diligent but still couldn't determine what old bonehead was up to.

In an attempt to let go of my anger, I met with Duncan several times-call it counseling, if you will, and really, that's what it was. He obviously wasn't a professional counselor, but I needed to talk to someone I could be completely honest with, and not worry about my secret. That didn't leave me a lot of options. Considering he was also Teela's father, he wasn't the ideal choice perhaps, but he did his best to help me work through the frustration and anger.

"The Sorceress said I have to forgive Skeletor before I can reclaim the sword," I confessed during one of those sessions.

Duncan grunted and stared at me. "And what do you think about that?" he asked.

Scratching Cringer's head, I shrugged. "I think it's asking an awful lot," I admitted. Cringer started purring as I shifted my hand behind his right ear, his favorite spot. "I don't want to forgive him." The now-familiar fury rose up again and I clenched my jaw. "I understand that I need to get this anger under control, but asking me to forgive him is completely unrealistic. It's ridiculous. He took everything from us." Even as I said the words a small part of me acknowledged that it was an exaggeration, but at times it was how I felt. Adora, Teela, my child...

"And what of the results?" Duncan asked calmly, though his own features were tight.

"What do you mean?" I countered roughly. I had stopped scratching Cringer; my hand was a fist in his fur. I could feel his worried gaze.

"The Sorceress told me that one of the reasons she sent Teela here was to fill the space left by Adora, to help you grow into the man you are today," Duncan said.

"Yes, she told me that," I admitted.

"There were a million ways she could have kept Teela safe," he pointed out. "Putting her here with me was certainly not the best or easiest option for her. But it was the one that was needed, because you needed Teela. If Hordak and Skeletor had not taken Adora, you would know Teela only as the Sorceress' daughter, if at all. She may have remained in hiding until it was time to take on the mantle of the Sorceress, and you may not have met her for another twenty years."

The knot in my chest loosened just a bit. "But my child," I whispered, tears burning at the back of my eyes. "The more I think about what you and Father suggested about Teela being manipulated by Skeletor in disguise, the more I think you're right. Ancients, Duncan, I can't stand it."

"I know, Adam," he agreed quietly. "But it is only a hypothesis. We have no proof."

I knew he was right, but for me, it was the final piece of the puzzle of how my fiery, strong, independent Teela had fallen apart and betrayed her own beliefs.

"Remember, forgiveness is a choice, Adam," Duncan reminded me once more.

"Have you forgiven him?" I questioned, barely recognizing my own tortured voice.

My mentor hesitated. "I'm trying," he finally said. "I think that's all we can do. Keep trying until we get there."

He was right. I knew he was. I didn't want to let hatred run my life. In fact, as He-Man and future king, I couldn't allow it. Knowing that and putting it into action, though...well, those were two very different things, and I was having a really hard time practicing what I knew to be the right thing to do.

Teela and I met up for a walk after dinner that evening, staying in the palace gardens just because it afforded more privacy.

"How are you doing with all the publicity?" I asked her as we strolled along, her hand properly held in the crook of my arm. News was getting around a lot faster than it had nine years earlier. The media had already caught a few pictures and holographs of us and spread them around. My father had had numerous calls of protest from those who had missed the formal announcement as well as anyone who had hoped to match me with their daughters.

Teela frowned slightly. "I was fine until this afternoon. I went back to my cottage to pick up some things, and a reporter was snooping around the back."

"Snooping?" I repeated, unsure whether to be amused by the word or offended by the action.

Teela shrugged. "I'm not sure what he thought he'd find. I don't even have a garden."

Chuckling slightly, I studied her out of the corner of my eye. "But it upset you."

Again with the shrug. "Not him really. There was an anonymous note shoved under my door."

"I assume it said more than, 'Have a nice day.'"

Teela shrugged yet again. She was really mastering that move tonight. There was a silence.

"Tee-la," I said, dragging out her name a bit. I tugged on her hand to get her to stop and turned her towards me. "What did it say?"

She blew out a breath, looking over my shoulder, then met my gaze square on. Suddenly, she was Captain of the Guard again, her tone official, though her eyes couldn't hide her turmoil. "'You don't deserve him, and Eternia doesn't deserve you. Watch yourself, bitch.'"

I had no doubt that she had quoted it verbatim. "That's a threat," I said in disbelief.

Teela nodded.

A mix of protectiveness and anger rose up, and I wanted to insist that she move back to the palace full-time, immediately. She was staying there more than half of the nights anyway. Fortunately, I caught my tongue before it let the words past. There was no faster way to get Teela to dig her heels in on something like this than to tell her what to do. So instead, I asked. "What are you going to do?"

And there went the shoulder again. It dawned on me that for some reason, Teela was very uncomfortable this evening. "I'm not worried about it. I can take care of myself," she said. There was something in her voice I couldn't define. I didn't like it.

Choosing my words carefully, I said, "Maybe I'm out of practice on the whole center-of-the-public-eye thing, but it worries me, Teela." I took both her hands in mine, holding her gaze. "Would you consider moving back to the palace? Full-time and permanently?"

Teela ducked her head. "Actually, I think they might be right, Adam," she said so quietly I had to tilt my head to hear her. "I care for you, very much, but Eternia deserves a real queen, not a recovering alcoholic who killed her own child." A tear fell onto her cobalt blue shirt. "We need to stop this before it goes any further. We-"

She didn't get any further because I forced her chin up and kissed her. I couldn't tell her I loved her, but I was darn well going to make sure she knew in every other way possible. I half-expected her to turn away, but instead she responded immediately, almost desperately. At first the passion nearly overwhelmed me, but then I felt the moisture on her face. That's when I realized she was treating this like it was the last kiss we would ever share. Breaking off, I leaned my forehead to hers.

"You are an amazing, selfless woman who almost always puts duty before herself," I said, hoping my voice conveyed the depth of my conviction. "You're not perfect. None of us are. But you are worthy. Eternia deserves someone like you, someone who always tries her best and is capable of incredible things."

Teela shook her head, but met my eyes this time. Hers were still bright with tears. "You can't be serious."

"Oh I am," I assured her, wiping her wet cheek with my thumb. "And anyone who thinks differently is going to have to deal with me."

"Is that so?" she asked, a ghost of a smile starting to appear on her lips.

"That's right," I said firmly. My eyes narrowed. "I don't always run from a fight. And I won't run from this one."

Confusion flitted across Teela's face before she obviously decided I was serious. "Adam!" she exclaimed. "You can't just go picking fights with the nobles just because they disagree with you!"

"Who's picking fights?" I asked innocently, raising one eyebrow. "They can disagree with me all they want, and they can use the appropriate channels to share their views." I leaned in towards her. "But if they start trying to dictate my personal life, they will quickly come to know the not-so-mild-mannered Prince Adam."

Teela's eyes grew wide, then closed as I brushed my lips against hers once more. My own eyes drifted shut, but I could still feel her smile.