After dinner, which they all used to eat together, king and queen retired to their closet. Randor had been very quiet all evening and had watched his son carefully. Marlena hadn't missed this.

"Randor, something is on your mind. What's wrong?" she asked.

At first her husband didn't respond and just stared silently into space. Just when Marlena wanted to leave it at that and put a soothing hand on his shoulder, Randor slowly started to talk.

"It's about Adam," he began.

Marlena had already thought so.

"It wouldn't hurt if he showed a little more sense of responsibility, don't you think so?" he went on. "He lives for the day, does only what he thinks is fun, he is late all the time, lazes about, loves flirting with the young ladies-".

With every word he became more agitated, which made Marlena cut him short: "And what are you getting at?" she asked.

"I'm fed up with it now. Adam has to learn that he must take on responsibility, for himself and for others. After all he is to be king one day." He paused for a moment. "I wonder what's wrong with him. He used to be different... more... interested in things."

"Please believe me when I tell you this – you underestimate him. There's more to him than you think," Marlena defended her son.

"Then why by the ancients doesn't he show it? Trips to the wilderness with Duncan or Teela everytime he feels like it are not my idea of greatness."

Marlena rolled her eyes. She knew those tirades all too well; her husband had often complained about one or the other thing concerning Adam in the past, but he had never seemed as serious as he was now.

"So what?"

He echoed: "So what? I have to make him get used to the idea of responsibility."

Marlena raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Randor took a deep breath. "He will get married."

The queen was speechless for a few seconds; she would have expected much, but not that.

"I suppose you haven't broken those happy news to Adam yet? Did you think of anybody in particular for Adam's future spouse?" she said in a sarcastic tone of voice.

"No, that's not the point. It's not my intention to make him unhappy. Far from it. I simply think that marriage will be good for him; if he knows that somebody relies on him it will surely make him calmer. He would concentrate on the important things in life." Randor hesitated for a moment, looking for the right words. Impatiently he concluded: "Everybody knows that it's a fact that a married man doesn't behave like a bachelor!".

Marlena was still far from being convinced that Randor's idea was wise. She had always let her son do what he thought was right – and he had never disappointed her. She was deeply reluctant to force her son to do something, especially if the matter was something of so much importance for his life, like, for example, marriage. It seemed absurd to her; however, she knew her husband well enough to see that it was practically impossible to change his mind this time.

"Well, then it would surely be best if you told him of your decision soon," she said dryly.

Randor frowned in astonishment. He was surprised that his wife didn't try to talk him out of it. Marlena hadn't grown up with the ways of the court, so it was always she who stood on her ground in anything concerning Adam and who always defended him. And in most cases she had her way.

"Oh, well, um, then this is settled," he stuttered. For him it really was, he didn't think about it any longer.

Marlena's mind, however, was still occupied with it. She did have her reasons why she had seemingly given up without a fight. She had been suspecting for quite some time that Adam was honestly interested in one woman; that woman, however, was still completely ignorant of it. She sincerely hoped his father's decision would make Adam act upon it.

If he really was to get married, then he should get married to the woman he loved.

Although Adam regularly came late for training, this didn't mean that he didn't enjoy it. This was partly – mainly – because of his trainer.

"You spin around like this... and the you hit the target." She hit a wooden pillar with her sword, leaving deep marks on it. "Got it? Good, your turn."

Although Teela's standards were high Adam didn't really have problems to live up to them. And so he mastered the last of that day's exercises.

Just when the lesson was over Duncan entered the room. "Have you finished? Adam, your father would like to talk to you."

"Oh, I'm on my way." He smiled at Teela. "See you later."

On the way to his father's study Adam's thoughts wandered back to Teela. The training had flown by in no time again; in his opinion he didn't spend by far enough time with the busy Captain of the Royal Guard.

When he knocked at the door of the study he wondered what was so important that it couldn't wait until dinner.

"Come in," the king called.

Adam entered. "You had me come, father?"

"Son, I have to talk to you," Randor began. Adam waited for his father to continue.

Randor got up and went over to the window. For a moment he looked at the capital of his kingdom.

"I was thinking, and I have made a decision," the king said in a grave tone of voice. "You are 23 years old now, and you should become aware of the fact that you'll be king of Eternia one day. I think that it is time for you now to get married."

For a moment Adam was dumbfounded. The prince knew only too well that his father was everything but satisfied with him. He would love to correct the image of the prince free from worries. He had been suffering from it for long enough already – actually since the day he had received the Sword of Power. But he would never have thought that his father would take such a measure.

Adam swallowed. Hard. With disbelief in his voice he asked: "And do you already have any concrete ideas whom I am to get married to?"

Randor shook his head. "No, I haven't. Of course I'm not going to force a woman on you. The choice is yours... and you know one or the other young lady, don't you."

Adam winced at that, as the veiled reproach was only too obvious to him. Randor hesitated, but then he went on: "Well, there's one possible candidate I would like to suggest: Lord Merkon's daughter, Lady Gwendolyn. She's about your age and she's said to be very pretty. He's going to visit us next month to sign a trade agreement."

Adam looked to the ground, depressed. "Is there anything else you want to tell me, father?"

Now Randor looked directly at his son. "This is a serious matter, I mean it. I hope this is clear to you?"

"Yes, father. I take it very seriously," Adam responded bitterly.

"Good, son, think carefully about it," the king said, trying to be reconciling. "I see you at dinner."

Adam was already about to turn around and now left the study. He didn't know yet what to think of the conversation that had just taken place.