"Adam!" Cringer charged towards the young prince as he entered the courtyard.
"Cringer no!" Adam tried to block the giant cat but he was no match and he fell to the ground with Cringer on top of him. The cat was licking his face and Adam quickly covered his face with his hands. "Ok Cringer, That's enough." He laughed. Cringer sat beside him as the prince sat up. He gave the big cat an affectionate pat.
"W-wwhere have you been? Everyone was worried."
"I just went for a walk. I'm all right."
"Adam." Came a stern voice. The prince looked up to see his father standing in front of him with his hands on his hips. Adam stood immediately. "Where have you been son?" His gaze upon his son was not one of amusement.
"I..I went for a walk."
"B-but you missed breakfast. And it was so good!" Cringer said licking his lips with his tongue.
The King ignored Cringer and continued. His stern glance softened. "Have you seen your mother? She did not return to bed last night and she did not join us for breakfast this morning. I'm very worried."
"She's all right. I saw her this morning. She just needs some time alone."
"Where is she?"
Cringer had walked to Adam's side and he reached down scratching the green tiger between his ears. "She said she was going to visit friends and that she's safe."
"Visiting friends? I wasn't aware that she had any outside the palace."
"Apparently she does."
"And just who are these friends of hers? I'd like to make sure she is safe for myself."
"I can't tell you father. I'm sorry. It would be against mother's wishes to tell you."
Randor's eyes squinted as his brow's lowered over his eyes. Adam looked to the ground. "I ask you again, Adam, who and where are these friends of hers?"
"I'm sorry father. I can't tell you." The young prince started walking away with Cringer close on his heels.
"I haven't dismissed you yet."
"I'm your son, not one of your attendants." Adam shot back with a hint of anger. "C'mon Cringe." King Randor watched his son leave. He clenched his fists angrily.
Adam sat in the library reading a large leather book. Cringer was fast asleep on the side of the chair. The door creaked open and Adam put the book facedown in his lap.
"There you are." Adam sighed when he realized that it was Teela. Inwardly he groaned. She walked across the room and stood beside his chair with her hands on her hips. "Where have you been? Did you forget about your combat lesson this morning?"
Adam closed his eyes. He really was not in the mood for this. "I'm sorry Teela."
"Sorry doesn't make up the hours of training you have already missed due to your laziness."
Adam slammed his book shut and put it on a table on the other side of his chair. He stood and for once Teela felt intimidated by him. Adam was a tall and very muscular man. His usual gentle nature made her forget this. "I apologize if you think my laziness is to blame. Now if you'll excuse me I have something to do." He quickly turned to the door and Cringer followed.
"Adam!" she called after him. "What is this attitude all about?"
"When you open your eyes and see what's going on around you I'll be sure to discuss it with you."
"Me open my eyes? I hate to tell you that I'm NOT the one living in a fantasy world. I don't know what your problem is-"
"At this moment my problem is you and your constant insults." Before Teela could open her mouth to reply he was gone. She stood alone in the darkened room for a moment. Sometimes she didn't stop to realize that she was hurting Adam's feelings. With a sigh she went in search of her father.
------------
"You stupid-!" Duncan kicked at the Wind Raider he was standing beside.
"Everything ok father?"
"Teela! You startled me. This wind raider is always in constant need of repairs. Every time I fix something, another things breaks down."
"It is getting old. Maybe it's time we salvaged the parts and made a new one."
"Perhaps you're right." He tossed a wrench that was in his hand into a red toolbox. He watched as Teela leaned against the Wind raider. "Is there something on your mind?" he asked.
"Adam." She said simply.
"What about him?" He bent over and began to pick up more tools that he had scattered all over the ground.
She began to pace. "Oooh he just makes me so mad!"
"Oh no. What happened now? He didn't show up for combat lessons again?"
"Yes and worse then that. I went to confront him about it and he gave me such an attitude!"
"Prince Adam? That doesn't sound like him. Are you sure you are not blowing things out of proportion?"
"I am NOT blowing things out of proportion." She stopped when she realized her angry tone of voice. "I'm serious father," she said in a softer, calmer tone.
Duncan finished putting his tools away and he faced his daughter. "Well, maybe he's stressed out."
"Stressed out? About what? Not getting enough sleep or catching enough fish?"
"No Teela. Something has been very wrong with the royal family. Surely you have noticed that they are never together anymore."
"Actually I have noticed that father. And King Randor and Prince Adam have been very tense. So you think they might have gotten into an argument?"
"I don't know."
"And have you seen the Queen? I haven't seen her in a whole day."
Duncan shook his head still gathering tools. "I haven't seen her either. What did Adam say to you?"
"I asked him if he had forgotten his lesson and he apologized. I told him that apologizing didn't make up for the lost hours due to his laziness. He slammed the book he was reading shut, like some spoiled little angry kid and he stood up. He looked really mad. He said he was sorry if I thought his laziness was to blame and he excused himself. He started walking away and I got so angry that I asked what his attitude was for. He said something about when I opened my eyes he would tell me. I told him he lived in a fantasy world and asked him what his problem was. He said his problem was me and my insults and then he just left."
"Oh Teela. You've got to stop picking on him. By Eternia, he's 20 years old and the Prince! He's a capable adult."
"Well he sure doesn't act like one!"
"That's not really your place to say. Your job is to train him to protect himself not to insult him and bring him down. The boy's got enough problems without the Captain of the Guard getting after him."
Teela threw her hands up into the air. "So what should I do then? Just let him fall flat on his royal face?"
"I wouldn't say that, but you could try being a little nicer to him. I thought you two were friends?"
"We are Father."
"He seems to treat you like one and he respects you but you have no respect for him and how can you have friendship without respect? If I were the Prince I think I would be a little upset with you from time to time."
"Why do you take his side for everything?"
"I'm not taking his side, Teela."
"Yes you are."
"I am not going to argue with you. There has been a dark cloud hanging over this palace and I refuse to add to it. I've got a few things to fix. You can either stay and help and we'll drop this conversation or you can leave."
Teela sighed and reached over picking up a tool. "What needs to be fixed?" she asked with a smirk.
Duncan smiled. "You make me very proud to call you my daughter. Come, I'll show you."
"Cringer no!" Adam tried to block the giant cat but he was no match and he fell to the ground with Cringer on top of him. The cat was licking his face and Adam quickly covered his face with his hands. "Ok Cringer, That's enough." He laughed. Cringer sat beside him as the prince sat up. He gave the big cat an affectionate pat.
"W-wwhere have you been? Everyone was worried."
"I just went for a walk. I'm all right."
"Adam." Came a stern voice. The prince looked up to see his father standing in front of him with his hands on his hips. Adam stood immediately. "Where have you been son?" His gaze upon his son was not one of amusement.
"I..I went for a walk."
"B-but you missed breakfast. And it was so good!" Cringer said licking his lips with his tongue.
The King ignored Cringer and continued. His stern glance softened. "Have you seen your mother? She did not return to bed last night and she did not join us for breakfast this morning. I'm very worried."
"She's all right. I saw her this morning. She just needs some time alone."
"Where is she?"
Cringer had walked to Adam's side and he reached down scratching the green tiger between his ears. "She said she was going to visit friends and that she's safe."
"Visiting friends? I wasn't aware that she had any outside the palace."
"Apparently she does."
"And just who are these friends of hers? I'd like to make sure she is safe for myself."
"I can't tell you father. I'm sorry. It would be against mother's wishes to tell you."
Randor's eyes squinted as his brow's lowered over his eyes. Adam looked to the ground. "I ask you again, Adam, who and where are these friends of hers?"
"I'm sorry father. I can't tell you." The young prince started walking away with Cringer close on his heels.
"I haven't dismissed you yet."
"I'm your son, not one of your attendants." Adam shot back with a hint of anger. "C'mon Cringe." King Randor watched his son leave. He clenched his fists angrily.
Adam sat in the library reading a large leather book. Cringer was fast asleep on the side of the chair. The door creaked open and Adam put the book facedown in his lap.
"There you are." Adam sighed when he realized that it was Teela. Inwardly he groaned. She walked across the room and stood beside his chair with her hands on her hips. "Where have you been? Did you forget about your combat lesson this morning?"
Adam closed his eyes. He really was not in the mood for this. "I'm sorry Teela."
"Sorry doesn't make up the hours of training you have already missed due to your laziness."
Adam slammed his book shut and put it on a table on the other side of his chair. He stood and for once Teela felt intimidated by him. Adam was a tall and very muscular man. His usual gentle nature made her forget this. "I apologize if you think my laziness is to blame. Now if you'll excuse me I have something to do." He quickly turned to the door and Cringer followed.
"Adam!" she called after him. "What is this attitude all about?"
"When you open your eyes and see what's going on around you I'll be sure to discuss it with you."
"Me open my eyes? I hate to tell you that I'm NOT the one living in a fantasy world. I don't know what your problem is-"
"At this moment my problem is you and your constant insults." Before Teela could open her mouth to reply he was gone. She stood alone in the darkened room for a moment. Sometimes she didn't stop to realize that she was hurting Adam's feelings. With a sigh she went in search of her father.
------------
"You stupid-!" Duncan kicked at the Wind Raider he was standing beside.
"Everything ok father?"
"Teela! You startled me. This wind raider is always in constant need of repairs. Every time I fix something, another things breaks down."
"It is getting old. Maybe it's time we salvaged the parts and made a new one."
"Perhaps you're right." He tossed a wrench that was in his hand into a red toolbox. He watched as Teela leaned against the Wind raider. "Is there something on your mind?" he asked.
"Adam." She said simply.
"What about him?" He bent over and began to pick up more tools that he had scattered all over the ground.
She began to pace. "Oooh he just makes me so mad!"
"Oh no. What happened now? He didn't show up for combat lessons again?"
"Yes and worse then that. I went to confront him about it and he gave me such an attitude!"
"Prince Adam? That doesn't sound like him. Are you sure you are not blowing things out of proportion?"
"I am NOT blowing things out of proportion." She stopped when she realized her angry tone of voice. "I'm serious father," she said in a softer, calmer tone.
Duncan finished putting his tools away and he faced his daughter. "Well, maybe he's stressed out."
"Stressed out? About what? Not getting enough sleep or catching enough fish?"
"No Teela. Something has been very wrong with the royal family. Surely you have noticed that they are never together anymore."
"Actually I have noticed that father. And King Randor and Prince Adam have been very tense. So you think they might have gotten into an argument?"
"I don't know."
"And have you seen the Queen? I haven't seen her in a whole day."
Duncan shook his head still gathering tools. "I haven't seen her either. What did Adam say to you?"
"I asked him if he had forgotten his lesson and he apologized. I told him that apologizing didn't make up for the lost hours due to his laziness. He slammed the book he was reading shut, like some spoiled little angry kid and he stood up. He looked really mad. He said he was sorry if I thought his laziness was to blame and he excused himself. He started walking away and I got so angry that I asked what his attitude was for. He said something about when I opened my eyes he would tell me. I told him he lived in a fantasy world and asked him what his problem was. He said his problem was me and my insults and then he just left."
"Oh Teela. You've got to stop picking on him. By Eternia, he's 20 years old and the Prince! He's a capable adult."
"Well he sure doesn't act like one!"
"That's not really your place to say. Your job is to train him to protect himself not to insult him and bring him down. The boy's got enough problems without the Captain of the Guard getting after him."
Teela threw her hands up into the air. "So what should I do then? Just let him fall flat on his royal face?"
"I wouldn't say that, but you could try being a little nicer to him. I thought you two were friends?"
"We are Father."
"He seems to treat you like one and he respects you but you have no respect for him and how can you have friendship without respect? If I were the Prince I think I would be a little upset with you from time to time."
"Why do you take his side for everything?"
"I'm not taking his side, Teela."
"Yes you are."
"I am not going to argue with you. There has been a dark cloud hanging over this palace and I refuse to add to it. I've got a few things to fix. You can either stay and help and we'll drop this conversation or you can leave."
Teela sighed and reached over picking up a tool. "What needs to be fixed?" she asked with a smirk.
Duncan smiled. "You make me very proud to call you my daughter. Come, I'll show you."