Disclaimer: I do not own She-Ra or its related characters. All is the property of Noelle Stevenson, Dream Works Animation, Netflix, NBCUniversal Television Distribution, Filmation, Larry DiTillo, and J. Michael Straczynski.
Inconvenient Arrangements
Chapter Twenty: Working Together – Keldor
Keldor was reclining on the sofa in their shared sitting room, reading the datacards on Eternia.
He finished the first two and was on the third now, and could confirm that there was definitely, definitely at least one card (probably more than one) missing from the set. The decimal filing system wasn't wrong, someone had removed the cards from the Imperial library. Not just taken the datacards off the shelf, but erased their existence from the library's computer so that no one would know to look for them.
That was concerning in and of itself. But when reading the datacards that he did have access to, Keldor also soon found that some of the information in the cards that were left was redacted. Whole paragraphs, or even chapters showed as nothing more than pixilated static on the datapad screen. The first time he came across it, it was just a few paragraphs in the chapter he was reading, so Keldor thought it was nothing more than a corrupted file. The Horde's battles with Eternia happened a long time ago, these cards were probably old.
But when it kept happening, and so selectively too, Keldor scrolled back to previous chapters and re-read over the parts before and after where it was fuzzed out, trying to figure out from context what had been redacted.
The first time it happened was describing Princess Mara, a cousin to one of Keldor's ancestors. Neither she nor her twin ever sat the throne of Eternia, but they were still descendants of King D'Vann Grayskull. Keldor re-read lists recounting her line of descendent and that of her brother. A bit of her early life. Their relationship with their cousins –whom did take the throne- and how they were living and serving Eternia up until they made contact with the Imperial Horde.
Then, the text spontaneously fuzzed out and became impossible to read.
It did the same thing in the following chapter which was about Mara's brother, Gray.
Also a descendent of the first King Grayskull. Mara's twin. Royal cousin. Never sat the throne. Still worked in support of his cousins for the betterment of Eternia up until the planet made contact with the Horde Empire.
Then, the text glitched and pixilated, making it impossible to read anything further.
The next few chapters after that were similarly corrupted and impossible to read.
Which was very interesting to Keldor because Mara and her twin were supposed to be the last two wielders of the Swords. The Swords of Eternia's greatest heroes. Everyone knew the stories. He-Ro, whom wielded the Sword of Power, and He-Ra, whom wielded the Sword of Protection. Eternia's near-undefeatable defenders.
Undefeatable, until the Sword of Protection was lost.
In the battles with the Horde.
Nobody ever knew what exactly happened. All they knew was that Mara died. Her body was recovered, but the Sword was not. His family always just assumed that the Horde had the Sword. It was the basis for their truce. They needed both Swords to equal enough power to challenge the Horde. Eternia joined the Empire, under the assumption that the Horde had the lost Sword and was holding it hostage.
Hell! Keldor assumed his marriage to Hec-Tor was arranged because only a descendent of King Grayskull could wield the Sword. So, if Horde Prime wanted to use the weapon, he would need a descendent of D'Vann in his pocket. (Not that Keldor was actually in his pocket, but that was a nuance.)
But, if the Horde had the weapon, why conceal all the information on it? Why delete, or redact, and hide a narrative of just how powerful the weapon was? Wouldn't the Horde prefer to brag about how powerful this weapon they stole from a conquered world was? Wouldn't they rather use it as an intimidation tactic? You don't wanna challenge me, because I have this!
Unless…?
His trail of thought was cut off when Hec-Tor entered the suite.
Keldor tossed his datapad on a cushion and stood.
Hec-Tor paused for half a step, his cheeks coloring a self-conscious shade of pink. He stood at parade rest, arms resting behind his back. "I am not too tired." He announced. "If you would give me a moment to freshen up."
For a heartbeat of a moment, Keldor froze. Realizing what the space bat was talking about. His knee-jerk reaction was to be repulsed. He did not want a reprise of their escapade in the office, only with him as the one on his knees. But, Keldor had to remind himself, he wasn't doing this for his own pleasure and enjoyment. He was doing this to keep Hec-Tor happy. Because Hec-Tor might one day be Horde Prime.
Hec-Tor could be ruler of the Known Universe, which would make Keldor also a ruler of the Known Universe.
It wasn't for the pleasure, it was for the power. He had to remind himself of the power.
So, it was with a suggestive grin on his face that he asked, "Your bed or mine?"
"Mine, if it is not too selfish." He answered.
"That's not selfish at all." Keldor hoped his smile didn't look too fake. "I think I'll take a moment to freshen up too."
Keldor fled the sitting room. His own bedroom nothing but a blur of motion as he made a B-line for his bathroom. He braced his hands on the opulent marble counter of his sink, and glared at his reflection in the mirror, one strand of ebony hair falling over his face. Meeting his own brown eyes in the reflection, he growled.
He could do this. It was just sex, and sex was no big deal. He did it all the time before he was married. He could do it after he was married. Just make sure to use plenty of lube and try not to clench up. Otherwise those horrifying barbs definitely, definitely would tear something.
Like his mother said, just close his eyes, bite the pillow, and think of Eternia.
Except Keldor would be thinking of becoming Emperor of the Known Universe.
Fuck Eternia! Eternia threw him away! No… no, that was unfair. Miro threw him away. Eternia did not have an opinion. But Keldor would show him. Keldor would endear himself to the husband that was arranged for him. Wrap Hec-Tor around his finger. Then, when their relationship was solid and there was no question of Hec-Tor's loyalty or devotion, Keldor would remove the current Horde Prime from the picture. With no living children, the title would pass to Hec-Tor and Keldor could rule through him.
It was a perfect plan!
Except for the whole, having sex with Hec-Tor part.
Taking another deep breath, and steadying his nerves, Keldor consciously forced himself to relax. Going through mental techniques that were usually only taught to warriors to calm themselves before a battle. He never imagined someone needing to use them to calm down before sleeping with their spouse. Measure breathing, be aware of heartrate, note tension on the muscles. Take a breath, hold it, exhale. Unclench your teeth. Open your fists. Take control of your body and force it to relax. The mind is the body's master. The mind commands and the body obeys.
When Keldor was confident he at least did not appear nervous or tense, he pulled a brush through his hair to look presentable for his husband, and stripped out of his clothing –since Hec-Tor seemed to have trouble with his belt buckle earlier. No clothes at all seemed more appropriate.
He grabbed a robe to pull over his shoulders as he was passing back through his bedroom, since nudity also seemed to make Hec-Tor flustered and uncomfortable.
The sitting room was not overly large, but crossing the space felt like journeying across a vast expanse. And yet, he got to his destination all too quickly.
The door to Hec-Tor's room.
Plastering a smile on his face, hoping it was a believable smile, Keldor knocked on the door.
"Just a moment!" Called Hec-Tor's voice through the door. There was an extended pause. Then, finally, "Come in!"
Keldor didn't know what he was expecting to walk into when he opened the door. But he did know that he was not expecting to walk in to find that Hec-Tor had dimed the lights and lit several eclectic candles. Hec-Tor himself was reclining on the bed wearing a black teddy nightgown with red lace. The whole set-up seemed so ridiculous.
'Don't laugh! Don't laugh! Don't laugh!' Keldor told himself furiously. Then he felt his face begin to crack and knew he was just breaths away from snorting and laughing in his husband's face. 'Use it! Use it! Use it!'
Holding in his laughter, Keldor let the smile stretch across his lips. Hopefully, Hec-Tor would think he liked what he saw. "What's the occasion?"
Fiddling with the lacy hem of the teddy, Hec-Tor's cheeks colored pink. "I just wanted to do something to impress you." He answered honestly. "You're so confident and bold, I just… don't want you to think I'm… frigid."
Keldor would have preferred it if he was. Instead, he crossed the space to join Hec-Tor on the bed and rested a hand on his leg. "I know you're not frigid."
Hec-Tor ran a talon over the collar of Keldor's robe. "I think, for once, you're wearing more clothing than me."
"Clothing has no place in the bedroom." Keldor told him, leaning in. He slipped one of the shoulder straps of Hec-Tor's teddy off his shoulder. "You should take it off me. And I'll take this off you."
"You don't like it?" The red flush of his cheeks deepened, this time with mortification.
Honestly, Keldor thought it looked ridiculous. Satin, chiffon, and lace. If Hec-Tor really wanted to impress him, he should throw on a little leather and fur. "I like seeing you without anything in the way."
Hec-Tor looked startled for a moment, and Keldor froze, hesitating. Second guessing himself. Was he laying it on too thick? They were still getting to know each other. Was it believable that Keldor liked his body so much right away? Hec-Tor was self-conscious about his body. Did he not believe Keldor's sincerity? Of course, if Hec-Tor were smart he wouldn't believe him. Keldor was lying through his teeth.
Hec-Tor moved the strap that Keldor slid off back into place, and moved the other arm to cover his chest. Yup. Self-conscious and shy.
"My body is… not the healthiest." He admitted. "I know I am not very attractive. You do not have to say nice things to make me feel good."
Keldor smirked. "I thought the whole point was to make you feel good."
"I-"
Before Hec-Tor could get out whatever the rest of his statement was going to be, Keldor pushed him back against the pillows. Lifting one skinny leg to gain better access.
Hec-Tor gasped when he felt Keldor's lips press against the inside of his thigh. Keldor felt the slight muscle under the skin tense in shock, then relax. He trailed kisses up the inside of the thigh, making Hec-Tor gasp and twitch with every touch. Pausing when he got to the juncture between the legs, exhaling a deep sigh, breathing warm tickling Hec-Tor's balls.
The space bat twitched and giggled, the sensation making him shudder.
Keldor shifted his position, rolling over to give the same treatment to the other thigh. Kissing gently, trailing upwards to the juncture between the legs. Feeling the muscles twitch under his lips.
Then he ran out of leg and Keldor couldn't avoid it anymore.
Trying not to hesitate, his tongue flicked out to lick at Hec-Tor's ball sack.
Hec-Tor flinched at the sensation.
So, Keldor held his legs down as he continued.
Tongue sliding over the sensitive skin, feeling the way the outer layers pulled over the delicate organs inside. Above him, Hec-Tor gasped and moaned at the sensation. Then Keldor took one ball in his mouth and sucked gently.
Hec-Tor arched his back. Moaning loudly at the sensation. He tried to sit up, but Keldor pushed him back down.
"I haven't even gotten to your dick yet." He said. "Just relax."
Keldor lowered his face back down between Hec-Tor's legs, pushing the lacy hem of the teddy up to give better access. He resumed sucking on the ball sack, running his tongue over it, and slathering the area with spit.
When he was pretty sure he'd exhausted everything that could be done with balls, Keldor raised his head a little bit to look at the Hec-Tor's stiff cock. He'd stalled for about as long as he could. Keldor wrapped his mouth around the tip. Sliding down a fraction of a fraction, until he felt the first few barbs prick against his lips. Then he stopped. Sucking gently. Only the head.
"You are a merciless tease." Hec-Tor whined, bucking his hips, trying to force his dick deeper into his partner's mouth.
"I can't deep-throat like you can." Keldor muttered to the shaft of spines. Actually, he didn't want it inside his mouth at all, never mind down his throat. "Unlike you, I have a pretty strong gag-reflex."
"You don't have to deep-throat me." Hec-Tor tried to sit up again, and this time Keldor let him. He leaned in to kiss his husband on the lips. "I just want us to enjoy ourselves."
Adjusting his position so they could both sit, Hec-Tor leaned in for another kiss. Deeper this time, open mouth, and slippery tongue. His hands slid up Keldor's chest to push the robe off his shoulders.
Hec-Tor took a moment to really appreciate Keldor's skin. Not just the dusky blue color that was an almost perfect uniform shade, no discoloration like his own, but also smooth, soft to the touch, the only blemishes slight scars here and there. He was too nervous on their wedding night to really appreciate his new husband's body.
He dragged a thumb over one scar just below the collar bone. A jagged line, it was smooth, but a different shade of blue from the skin around it. "This looks like it was bad."
"That's just a training scratch." Keldor scoffed, suddenly feeling more comfortable. He could talk about his scars. Scars were easy. He turned and moved his hair out of the way so that Hec-Tor could get a good look at what remained of a gash that ran between his two shoulder blades. The one who dealt the blow had been trying to take his head off, so the line was almost perfectly horizontal, only the slightest bit of a diagonal angle to the slice. "This one was bad!"
Keldor felt Hec-Tor run his hand over it. It was rougher than the rest of his scars, the skin knitted together with uneven ridges, making the line feel course, the skin was a darker shade of blue than the rest of him and the line itself ridged and scratchy from healing.
"How did- -this happen?" He asked.
Keldor turned back around to see his face. He liked seeing people's expressions and different reactions when he told this story. "It was in the final battle with the Snake Men when we finally took the fortress at Snake Mountain." He explained. "My father ordered me to the vanguard."
Those glowing crimson eyes blinked for a moment, processing what Keldor just said. It took him a couple moments, but he saw it on his face before he said anything. "Why… were you ordered to the vanguard? You're a Prince, your place should have been behind the lines with the rest of the commanders."
And there it was.
Even back then, his father didn't want him. Wanted him out of the way. His firstborn son whom was half-Gar and thus unfit to rule. Miro was hoping ordering Keldor to the vanguard would be the simplest way to get rid of him. That he would parish in a blaze of glory fighting their enemies. That after he was gone, they would write songs about him. Keldor, the half-blood Prince who loved his world and his peoples so much he was ready to die for them. Miro could praise him in death like he would never praise him in life. Meanwhile, with Keldor out of the way, and Stephan uninterested in the throne, the way would be cleared for Randor, Miro's favorite son.
Except Keldor didn't die. He and his unit broke through the Snake Men's defenses, breached their barriers, and made it into the fortress at Snake Mountain. Paving the way for the rest of Miro's forces to surge in after him and take the enemy stronghold.
"When did this happen?" Hec-Tor continued to stare at him, confusion and concern mingling on his face. "When we were married, you mentioned you were barely old enough to marry by Eternian law."
And the scar was not fresh.
"On Eternia you have to be eighteen to be married, but you can join the military as young as fourteen." Keldor informed him.
He could see Hec-Tor counting and doing mental math, trying to calculate how many Eternian years equated to how many years on Horde World. Then he nodded. "That is the age I was enrolled in the Horde Academy." He admitted. "But, even if I were healthy, I would not have seen active combat until I graduated –which would be equivalent to an Eternian age of sixteen or seventeen."
Keldor only shrugged. "We like our fights, on Eternia." Then he paused, the rest of what Hec-Tor said finally registering in his mind. "Wait, have you never seen active combat? You've never been in a fight?"
"Fighting is for clones and Enlisted." Hec-Tor informed him, repeating almost the exact same thing he said before their wedding. "The only fight I've ever been in was when you dragged me out of the castle to that low-life tavern."
"How can you command the Horde's military if you've never even been in a battle?" Keldor demanded.
Such a thing was unheard of on Eternia. Even if he hadn't been ordered to the vanguard by his father, Keldor still would have fought along side his troops. On Eternia, Princes and Kings fought and bled alongside their soldiers. That was how it was done. How could the crown expect their Heroic Warriors to fight for them, if the crown wasn't willing to fight for them in return.
"A commander's job is behind the lines. Commanding." Hec-Tor repeated.
Keldor just continued to stare at him.
"But a commander also needs to understand battle." He argued. "Not just strategy. Not just terrain, and numbers, and moving pieces. You need to know how the chaos of a battle effects a soldier's mind. The noise, the motion. How death cries sound different when it's someone you know. How the ground gets slippery with the fluids. How, when your adrenaline is pumping, and blood and the shit sprays, when all you can smell is death, and all you can see is the person in front of you who wants to kill you… it changes something in your brain. The conscious mind checks out and you become something other than yourself. Something primal and base."
With a sigh, Hec-Tor stood from the bed. He flicked the lights back up to standard and began turning off the electric candles.
Keldor blinked, as if being snapped out of a trance. He looked up at his husband, confused.
"Forgive me, but I do not find talk of blood and shit spraying very sexy." He informed Keldor.
"Why not?" Even as the words were out of his mouth, Keldor wondered why he was arguing. He was being given a free out. Hec-Tor wasn't in the mood anymore. He did not have to have sex with the space-bat. "Blood and shit are natural, and sex and violence are the bodies two most basic desires." (Second two most basic desires, actually, thirst and hunger were higher on the list of 'Basic Desires', also breath and sleep, but that was a nuance.)
Standing by the bed, Hec-Tor assumed another parade rest, legs slightly parted, arms folded behind his back. The stiff military pose looked so odd in the context of the bedroom while he was wearing nothing more than a lacy teddy that barly covered his still half-hard dick. "Blood and feces are unsanitary."
Grabbing his robe from where it had been discarded on the bed, Keldor also stood, slipping it over his shoulders and tying the sash shut.
"They're messy." Keldor agreed. "So is battle. So is war. So is ruling a country. That's why Princes must be trained to deal with a mess."
He closed the shot space between them, pressing his chest against Hec-Tor's. Or, more accurately, puffing his chest out and pressing his pectorals against the other man's diaphragm, since the space bat was so tall.
"Your Brother wants to expand the Empire, but you don't have enough troops to do that while maintaining the territories already under your control. That's messy." Keldor informed him. "You are dealing with a mess." He brushed a lock of ebony hair back behind his pointed ear. "Luckily, I happen to have some experience with sorting out messes. Tomorrow we'll go over the number together and I'll see what the Empire can actually do."
"That is my job, you don't need to concern yourself-"
Hec-Tor's statement was cut off when Keldor pushed him back down onto the bed. He pressed his lips to the space bat's. When their lip's parted, Keldor ran a hand along the sharp angle of Hec-Tor's cheek bone, caressing his face. "You know I can be of use to you outside the bedroom too. Married people should help each other." He reminded his husband. "Let me help you."
"I'm not sure my brother would approve…"
Keldor silenced him with another kiss. Pushing him all the way down on the bed so they were laying again. "So don't tell him until after you've given him a couple new planets." Keldor muttered into one of the ports on his neck. "My brothers and I always found it was much easier to ask for forgiveness instead of permission."
"Eternians are so undisciplined…" Hec-Tor muttered to the ceiling. But his hands slid up Keldor's back, wrinkling the fabric of his robe.
"Eternians get things done." Keldor corrected.
…
Keldor didn't know when exactly Hec-Tor got up to start his day. They didn't share a bedroom, and so one never woke the other when they got out of bed. But, he assumed it could not be any earlier than Keldor himself got for his morning exercises.
So, in the hopes of meeting up with his husband before he sequestered himself in his office for the day, Keldor began his exercises in the shared sitting room instead of his bedroom like he usually did.
Keldor was on his second set of reps before Hec-Tor emerged from his room, already dressed but yawning. He stopped short when he saw Keldor using the couch to perform raised-leg seated twists.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Waiting for you." Keldor finished the motion he was in the middle of before getting up and stretching to make sure the muscles stayed nice and loose. He flicked his hair over his shoulder. "Since we'll be working together today, I figured we should start together. Now I haven't had breakfast yet and I assume you haven't either. You need to take your meds with food, right? Let's get something to eat."
He hooked his arms in Hec-Tor's and pulled him from the room.
The many, many, many dining rooms and parlors were some of the things Keldor found during his explorations of the Imperial place and he dragged Hec-Tor to one that overlooked the gardens. The view was not all that impressive at the moment. The most recent storm had stripped the beds and buried the paths. It looked less like a 'garden' and more like a 'sand trap'. All that could be seen from the windows were the servants, digging out the paths and replanting the beds.
Servants set the table. Yogurt with fresh fruit, and herbal tea for Hec-Tor. Eggs and potatoes, and black coffee for Keldor.
"I usually take breakfast in my office." Hec-tor informed him. But that was his only protest. Keldor noted that he didn't hesitate to sit down with him to share breakfast.
"And I usually eat alone." Since coming to Horde World. Since his arrived on Horde World Keldor had eaten along almost every day except for the one lunch he shared with Par-Is. On Eternia he almost never ate alone. He would have breakfast with his mother. Lunch with Heroic Warriors, or his magic instructors. Unscheduled snacks with his brothers, Randor was still fairly small and his hands could fit in containers that Stephan and Keldor's could not. Dinner with his father.
"I…" Hec-Tor averted his eyes, cheeks coloring. "Would like to share more meals with you, but I am always so busy."
"But you do have meals." Keldor pointed out. "So, make me come to you. If you're so busy you can't leave your work to come and eat with me, make me come to your work and eat with you."
"I would never demand-"
"It's not a demand if I'm offering." Keldor cut him off. "Besides, after spending the day working with me, you might decide you don't like my company as much. I've been told I'm much easier to get along with in small doses." He took a bite of his food.
"I'm sure that's not true." Insisted Hec-Tor. "I have enjoyed every moment I've spent with you thus far."
That was a bold-face lie and they both knew it. Keldor was certain the space bat had not enjoyed a moment of their excursion out of the castle in Eternos. From the moment Keldor pushed him over the wall, Hec-Tor hated it. He clung to Keldor and held his hand tightly as they walked the streets. He refused to drink with him. He passed out the moment the first started. Keldor knew that Hec-Tor had not, in fact, enjoyed 'every moment' they spent together. So, who was he lying to, Keldor or himself?
"Well, good." Keldor decided not to call out the obvious lie. "Because I'm not leaving you alone until we've found out a solution to your problem. Now, eat. You'll need your energy."
…
Hec-Tor was one of the most frustrating people Keldor had ever worked with. And he had worked with Zanthor, keeper of the Golden Disks of Knowlage. Keldor didn't think any academic could be as tedious as that guy! But here was Prince Hec-Tor Kur, the brow-beaten bookkeeper of the Great and Eternal Horde Empire.
Keldor tried to read a datapad displaying the numbers of clone units and success rates of Enlisted from the Horde Academy, and compared them to a 3D projected map of the current Horde Empire with pockets of unrest or civil disobedience marked in yellow, and outright rebellion marked in red. All the while, with Hec-Tor leaning over his shoulder. And it was taking every ounce of mental conditioning Keldor ever received in his life to keep from snapping at him.
He tried to ignore Hec-Tor's breath on his ear as he studied the information in front of him. One of the reasons why Empires fell was over-expansion. Horde Prime wanted to expand right now, even though the worlds he already held were not completely under his control and stable. An Empire needed to be stable before it could be expanded. There was no point in ingratiating himself to Hec-Tor if the whole damn thing was collapsed by the time he got to rule it.
"Part of your problem is efficiency with your troop deployment." Keldor pointed out. Since he seemed content to peer over his shoulder at everything, Hec-Tor might as well learn something. "You're spending the exact same ratios of clone to Enlisted troops on Zal-Kron as you do on Robotica."
"What do you mean?" Hec-Tor asked, not seeing a problem. It was standard procedure for the Horde.
"The crystal-humanoids of Zal-Kron are creative and think in multiple facets." Keldor reminded him. "Clones don't. Clones barely think at all. They're not adaptable. Deploying clones to Zal-Kron is basically just throwing them away. The crystal-humanoids will just mow them down. But Enlisted are people from your loyal-held worlds. They've had childhoods, and educations, and experiences that taught them how to think. They come from all over your Empire which makes them diverse, and from their diverse backgrounds they've all passed through the same Horde Academy. That makes them adaptable. You should recall your clones from Zal-Kron and replace them with Enlisted. Transfer them to Robotica where they would be more effective against the roboticans. Leave a few Enlisted officers to direct the clones, but let the bulk of the force be clone troopers because creativity is not necessary to hold Robotica, you only need force."
Hec-Tor frowned, glaring at the projection of the Empire, eyes flicking down to the datapad held in his husband's hand. Keldor could practically hear the metaphorical gears in his head turning. "That is not how things are done in the Horde."
"Right, right, right." Keldor brushed off the comment. "Standard Horde strategy is just to overwhelm any opponent until they break. That's why you're called 'the Horde'. But at this very moment, you don't have a surplus of cannon fodder to swarm over the universe. So, what you do have, you need to divide up in the most effective way possible. Move the clones on Zal-Kron to Robotica and transfer the Enlisted there to make up for the difference."
"There are not as many Enlisted as there are clones." Hec-Tor pointed out. "Clones can be made much more quickly than an Enlisted can be trained."
Keldor rolled his eyes and glanced at the chronometer on the wall. They'd been at this for two hours. It was time for a break.
Setting the datapad down, Keldor stood. He came around to the front of the desk where there was the most open floor space and began a new exercise rep. Beginning by lying flat on his belly, then propping himself up on only his toes and his forearms.
"What are you doing?" Asked Hec-Tor.
"The plank." Keldor supplied.
"I can see that, I mean, why? We are working." To illustrate this, Hec-Tor sat back down in the desk chair Keldor had just vacated.
"I'm taking a break, and you should too." Keldor informed him, eyes focusing on the chronometer on the wall to count how long he could hold his plank. Keldor had to let go a little after two minutes. He was out of practice and getting out of shape living on Horde World, before, he used to be able to hold a plank for a full three minutes.
"I will break when it is lunch time." Hec-Tor informed him.
Rolling over, Keldor sat up. Stretching his legs out in front of him, he began a sitting toe-touch. "Or, you could take a break right now so you don't get burned out and are too tired for other things at the end of the day."
"Other things?" Hec-Tor grinned at him from behind the desk.
Keldor knew exactly what he was thinking about. He opted not to confirm or deny that was what he was implying. "Yeah. Other things. There is more to life than just work and sleep. Back on Eternia I did lots of stuff besides sit quietly and study statecraft and magic."
"I'm sure you did." Hec-Tor scoffed, probably remembering their escape from the castle.
"I did." Keldor confirmed. "And even between all my diversions and misadventures, I still became an accomplished sorcerer and a competent warrior."
"There isn't enough time in the day." Hec-Tor looked down at his desk. He deactivated the map projection and ejected the datacard with the latest troop census. There were other matters that needed to be dealt with and that he could deal with quickly and get them off his desk while he deliberated on more complicated matters.
Ending his toe-touch, Keldor laid back down and bent his knees. "Try taking a break. Just for a couple minutes." He said. "Come over here and stand on my feet while I do some sit-ups."
It looked like Hec-Tor was trying to ignore him. Eyes turning down, attention focused on whatever he was reading on his datapad. Keldor just laid on the floor, watching him. After a prolonged pause, Hec-Tor sighed. He stood and came around the desk to stand in front of Keldor.
He placed one foot over his husband's boot, but did not put any weight on it. "This won't take long?"
"Not long at all." Keldor promised. "I keep my reps to ten or fifteen, but do multiple sets."
He could see on his face that those words meant nothing to Hec-Tor. Reps and sets. Those were not things he did in his daily life.
Hec-Tor allowed some of his weight to rest on Keldor's boot. When the other man didn't object, or display any discomfort, he added the other foot, placing the full weight of his body on Keldor's feet. "And I am not too heavy?"
Keldor fought the instinct to laugh. "No. You're not too heavy."
He began his sit ups. Abdominals flexing to lift him up. Knees spreading ever-so-slightly as he lifted himself up. He was not even five sit-ups into his rep when Hec-Tor began to blush.
"Something wrong?"
Hec-Tor looked away, trying to cover his face with a hand to hide his embarrassment. "The view is… quite provocative."
"Oh. Provocative." Keldor smirked. Keeping his knees bent, he spread his thighs until both legs were laying flush against the carpet. The bulge of his crotch through the leather of his loincloth on full display. "You mean like this?"
His already red face deepened to shade Keldor didn't even know space bats were capable of. "I- I would ask you not to make such indecent a display in my officer, but we have already done much, much worse in here." Hec-Tor stepped off Keldor's feet and folded his arms behind his back. Not quite a military parade rest, but close enough. "All I can ask is that you refrain from such lude behavior during work hours."
Giving up on his exercise reps, Keldor sprang back to his feet. Doing an impressive lean-back-and-flip maneuver that was overly showy and completely unnecessary.
"Gosh, how did you survive when you came to Eternia for our wedding." He asked. Mostly teasing, partly because he genuinely wanted to know. Hec-Tor was so prudish and easily excitable, and people on Eternia were… not. "Everyone dresses like this on Eternia."
If it was even possible, Hec-Tor's already stiff posture stiffened even more. "Not everyone on Eternia acts like you do." He informed his husband. "And besides, I was not in the right frame of mind to- …take in the scenery…"
"Hm… scenery." Keldor muttered. "Maybe during the lunch break I can show you some more scenery."
Hec-Tor's red flush climbed all the way to the tips of both ears, and down the neck to where his skin changed from pale ivory, to steely blue-gray, and Keldor noted that the blush on the blue-gray gave the skin an almost purplish hue which appealed to him. Being only half-Gar, he also turned more purple than the Eternian-average red, or proper Garish blue when he blushed.
"There is no 'scenery' you can show me that I have not already seen." Hec-Tor informed him.
Keldor put on a pout. "Are you saying my scenery's not worth seeing again?"
The space bat sputtered, floundering helplessly. So flustered, it was almost cute. Keldor might not like sleeping with Prince Hec-Tor, but he sure as hell was enjoying teasing him!
"Your- scenery –is very nice. Very… healthy." Hec-Tor informed him. "And I would very much like to take the time to- …appreciate your scenery later. When I am not working. Now, if you are finished making a fool of yourself, I am declaring this 'break' over and getting back to work."
And so they did.
Keldor did make Hec-Tor take more breaks over the course of the day. Both before and after the lunch hour. But he didn't tease him as much. Poor man was so repressed, Keldor thought he might break all together if he pushed too hard. As the eldest of three brothers, he knew when it was okay to tease mercilessly, and when enough was enough and it was time to stop. He did, however, manage to convince Hec-Tor to try exercising with him on one of their last breaks.
Nothing too strenuous. Hec-Tor wasn't exactly dressed for high leg lifts or anything like that. And he was terribly out of shape. It was mostly just stretches, really.
Keldor rested his hands on the tips of his toes and lifted his head to look at his husband.
Hec-Tor was similarly bent over, but his hands were not even near his feet. His hands dangled just a fraction lower than the knees, fingers straining to reach the tips of the toes.
"Don't try so hard, otherwise you'll pull a muscle." Keldor told him. "Just stretch until you feel the muscles pull back. Then hold that position for a couple of seconds. Let go when the pull becomes uncomfortable."
Hec-Tor did let go, straightening back into that absurdly stiff parade rest of his. As if he were some kind of real soldier and not the spoiled and pampered princeling that had never seen a moment of active combat in his life, that he was.
"I do not see how you can bend like that so easily and I cannot." He informed Keldor. "I have far less… bulk in my abdominal religion to get in the way."
Keldor held his toe-touch for a second longer before he also lifted up.
"Huh?" He put a hand over his belly, thinking the space bat was calling him fat. He already noted earlier that he was falling out of shape since coming to live in the Imperial palace. But then he remembered just how dangerously skinny Hec-Tor was under his clothing and his armor. "You mean my abs? Toe-touches don't have anything to do with the abdominals, it's supposed to be stretching the back of the legs. The popliteus and soleus muscles." A pause. "And the tibialis. It's about flexibility, not muscle mass. If you have trouble getting past your knees, it means you're not flexible."
Hec-Tor made a dismissive scoff.
Keldor put on a teasing smirk. "Ya know, if you stretched more, you'd be able to bend over farther."
…
Keldor did not see Par-Is very often, and he saw Horde Prime even less. The Imperial palace was a big place and so if he didn't run into either of them, he just assumed they were just always in whatever wing of it was opposite from him at any given time.
At this given time, Keldor was outside in the gardens. Sitting on the edge of a flower bed filled with salk weed, a plant from Eternia. As the name would imply, it was technically a weed. On Eternia it choked out many of the trees in the Evergreen Forest, the plant was a menace that destroyed ecosystems. But it was also pretty. A rich orange color, both the flowers and the leaves, and so many off worlders took clippings of the salk weed to plant in their own gardens on their own planets not realizing that it would overrun the landscape.
Horde World was probably the only planet that didn't have to worry about the salk weed taking over. The frequent dust storms destroyed the gardens and the plants living in them too often for it to take hold. Even if the high winds managed to spread the seeds over the shield wall, there wasn't enough surface water to support the plants. The orange leaves were perfectly pruned and trilled and under the control of the palace's gardeners.
In all honesty, Keldor hated the weed.
But it did remind him of home. The color, the texture, then smell. It smelled like home.
Currently, he was reading about home.
Keldor made it to the last datacard the Imperial library had on Eternia and he was feeling a little homesick.
More than just superficially homesick, he was concerned. There was absolutely no mention of the Swords at all. Not just erasing them from the narratives of Mara and Gray, they were erased from the complete history the Horde kept on Eternia. That made no sense! The power of the Swords was the only thing that allowed a single planet like Eternia to challenge and match the overwhelming forces of the Horde.
They acknowledged Mara as a key player in Eternia's strength and ability to hold its own against the Horde. But they called her Mara Sebrian, not He-Ra. Similarly, Gray was explained as one of the Heroic Warrior, not He-Ro. Neither one received even a peripheral mention of having a Sword. As far as this heavily censored history was concerned, the Swords did not exist.
He scrolled through another page, noting that the text fuzzed out and became corrupted and unreadable as the passage turned to an explanation of Mara's death on the battle fields of Etheria, Eternia's sister planet. According to the history Keldor was taught as a child, Mara's body was recovered from Etheria, from a region called the 'Whispering Woods', but her Sword was never found. It was generally assumed that the Horde officer that struck the killing blow took the Sword off her body. This history the Horde hand in their library confirmed that she died on Etheria, and that she was laid to rest on her home planet of Eternia. But there was no mention one way or another of her ever even having a Sword, never mind which side got a hold of it.
Several shadows fell over him and Keldor looked up to see four clones blocking out the sun. Standing between those four was Par-Is.
She sat down next to him on the planter box.
"I don't know how you can stand this sun wearing as little clothing as you do." She commented, fanning herself with a hand. With her other hand, she snapped her fingers. "The Prince and I are hot, bring us a canopy."
Two of the four clones that accompanied her rushed away to fulfill the Horde Prima's command.
"It was unbearable when I first got here." He admitted. "But I've since adjusted. Gar are very adaptable." The secret was staying hydrated and slathering on the sunscreen generously.
"Hm." She ran a hand over a bright orange salk leaf. "You'll find my brothers are not quite so adaptable. But Hec-Tor tries."
"If he was displeased by my trying to work with him the other day, he has not said anything to me." Keldor informed her.
"He does not share such things with me." Paris informed him. She plucked the leaf she'd been fondling from its stem and brought it to her nose, inhaling the unique herbal scent. "He's rather like Anillis in that reguard. I was more referring to the idea of stretching in the mornings." She flashed an amused smile. "He seems to think that if he could just touch his toes, he'll suddenly get an Eternian physique like yours."
The idea of Hec-Tor suddenly acquiring an Eternian physique sounded so ridiculous and Keldor couldn't even imagine it at first. He was just too skinny and frail. Keldor's initial mental image was that of someone wearing one of poorly made and ill-fitting muscle suits used in costuming. It was so ridiculous that he almost laughed. But then he remembered that Hec-Tor was tall.
Keldor imagined someone of Hec-Tor's height with the conventional Eternian build. Broad shoulders, muscular forearms, strong hands, hard chiseled pectorals and abdominals, narrow hips and thick thighs, round calves… Fuck! And on top of all that Hec-Tor's space bat height! If Hec-Tor looked like that Keldor would be absolutelypanting after him. Please, break me in half!
"If only it were that easy." He muttered.
"Either way, it is nice to see him so optimistic about his health." Par-Is crumpled the leaf in her hand and let it drop back into the bed. "Now, about your actual relationship with him. "You cannot invite yourself to look over his work and tell him how to do his job."
"I wasn't-!"
"He will start to resent you if you do and that is the exact opposite of him being happy." Par-Is cut him off. "I want to be absolutely clear, Keldor, in case you misunderstood my intensions from before. I don't give a shit about you. To me, you don't matter. I only care about my brother, my twin brother," Anillis could rot in hell for all she cared, "and he is married to you, and –for whatever reason- he likes you. So you are going to do your damnedest to make him feel liked and appreciated in return. You are not going to belittle him or make him feel lesser or unworthy just because he runs his country from behind a desk instead of on a battlefield like what you're used to."
The two clones that left to fetch a canopy returned. Between them they were carrying what looked like a velvet curtain propped up on four polls. A portable canopy meant to be held up by servants –or in this case, clones.
"Ah, finally." Par-Is readjusted her position on the planter to be more comfortable and began picking stems of salk and gathering them into a bouquet. "Go back to reading, Keldor, we're enjoying the warm afternoon air together."
He looked at her, confused for half a moment.
Then Hec-Tor came striding up to them from around a stand of newly planted bushes and Keldro had to wonder how Par-Is even knew he was coming. Twins, he reminded himself. They were connected in a way that average siblings were not.
"Oh. You're together." He stopped short.
"I was resting while taking a tour of the new gardens and your husband was kind enough to keep me company in the shade." She answered, acting as if she'd been sitting there longer than she had. "He was just telling me about the latest datacard he was reading."
"It's just a history book." Keldor informed them both. "Very boring, really. But your sister was kind enough to feign attention." A pause. "Did you wanna speak to her alone?"
"I…" He seemed unsure.
With a sigh, Keldor tucked his datapad under his arm and stood to leave.
"No, it's fine." Hec-Tor assured him. "I actually, was going to ask her how to tell you- I have to leave Horde World and I don't know how long I'll be gone."
Par-Is tore the stems of the bouquet of salk weed in her hands. "Where's Anillis sending you this time?"
"It's not Anillis, it's me." He assured his sister. "Or, well, actually, Keldor."
She turned to her brother-in-law and Keldor found himself fighting the urge to recoil. How dare he take the brother she liked away from her.
"Me?"
"Yes." Hec-Tor nodded. He assumed another parade rest. Legs slightly parted, arms folded behind his back. Keldor was beginning to recognize it as his 'comfort pose'. The posture he assumed when he was trying to appear collected and in control of a situation. Hec-Tor cleared his throat. "I decided to take your advice. I will be shuffling many of our troops, both clone and Enlisted, across multiple planets. Since this is such a large project, I will be overseeing it personally. So I will be away from Horde World for some time."
Away from Horde World for some time. On a warship with soldiers and warriors. Visiting different worlds and fighting in unique battles. Keldor was determined not to be left behind. He nodded at his husband. "Alright. When do we leave?"
Hec-Tor was confused. "'We', don't. I will be leaving within the next few days."
"But it was my idea!" Keldor argued. "I should be the one to oversee it, or at the very least, help the one who is overseeing it."
"Some of the places I will be going are active pockets of rebellion, and I will not risk a Prince of this Empire in senseless fighting." The space bat argued back.
"Oh, like you've ever seen a real fight." Keldor scoffed, unimpressed. "I'm a soldier! I have fought in battles before! I have shed blood, both my own and my enemies and I've killed warriors more skilled and more seasoned then myself. What do you do? All I've seen you do is just stand there in your military pageant poses and give orders without being knowing how those orders should be carried out!"
He was cut off abruptly when Par-Is grabbed his arm. He looked down at her startled.
The look she was giving him was one of silent warning, and when she tugged on his arm again, he took the cue and shut-up. Even going so far as to sit down. Alienating Hec-Tor was not what either of them wanted.
"I think what Prince Keldor is trying to say, brother, is that he cannot bear to be parted from you so soon after you've just been joined." She announced. Keldor took the hint and tried to look affectionate as well as passionate. "I imagine he probably also fears for your safety. As I understand it, Eternia has been at war with itself since the days of their first King settled on the planet. Keldor has probably seen some horrors in those battles he's shed blood in and does not want those horrors to befall his beloved."
She glanced to the side and Keldor took the signal, muttering something non-committal under his breath.
"I think you should take him with you after all." Par-Is continued. "It will put his heart at ease to see how you run your forces and are in no danger, and it will put my mind at ease knowing you have so devoted a protector by your side."
Hec-Tor stood there. It looked like he was chewing on the inside of his mouth. Keldor married into the Empire. He –technically- held no position aside from just 'spouse'. He was not an officer of the Horde military and had no command or authority other than what might be given to him. Since arriving on Horde World all Keldor had really done was lounge around the various rooms and grounds of the palace reading. Because of this, Hec-Tor had probably filed Keldor into the same category as Par-Is in his mind. Someone that was dear to him, but also delicate that must be cared for. Hec-Tor had to be reminded that Keldor was not a delicate little trophy husband that needed to be kept away from the uglier aspects of maintaining a monarchy. He was a warrior Prince of Eternia and already a veteran of several battles.
Finally, Hec-Tor cleared his throat. "I will let my staff know that you will be joining me on the journey and to make the appropriate accommodations."
"You don't need to go to any trouble." Keldor told him. "I've gotten good at making due."
The stiffness and rigidity returned to Hec-Tor's spine. "You are a Prince of this Empire, you will be accommodated." He repeated. "I'll see to it personally."
Hec-Tor left.
Keldor could barely believe it. He was getting off Horde World! Even for just a little while. Not just out of the palace, but off the Goddess forsaken dustball of a planet. And he might get a fight! 'Active pockets of rebellion', indeed. Fighting for the House of Miro, Keldor got good at squashing rebellions. He stood back up. He would need to make preparations of his own if Hec-Tor intended to leave within the next coming days.
But Par-Is grabbed his arm again.
"You are going to protect him." She announced. It was a question. She wasn't playing the role of the concerned sister only worrying for her brother's safety. And it wasn't command either. She wasn't acting the part of the imperious Empress doling out orders. It simply a clear and simple statement of fact. "I know you don't particularly care for him, but you will keep him safe all the same. Because you want what Hec-Tor can give you. You want to be Emperor one day, and he can't give you that if he's dead."
"I-" Keldor began, but was cut off again.
"No need to swear vows or offer me assurances." Par-Is informed him. "I don't care about your promises. I know everything boils down to your own self-interest. It is in your own self-interest to keep Hec-Tor both happy and safe, and so that is what you will do."
Standing, Par-Is also left. Her four clone guards keeping pase with her, still holding the canopy over her head.
…