The Queen of Eternia very rarely ventured from the palace walls. But her sense of navigation was still intact from her days as a space pilot and she had no trouble finding the village of Noteran. Many of the villagers watched her with curiosity as she rode her giant metal horse through the dirt streets. She stopped the horse in front of a small tavern. The day was rapidly becoming hot and she was desperate for a cold drink and a good meal. As she jumped down from the giant metal horse someone called her name.
"Marlena? Queen Marlena?" She spun around to face a man and a woman that appeared to be her age.
"Tolamey? Morylyn?" The man was tall and well built with dark hair that was just beginning to gray. The woman was tall but a little plump with dark brown hair.
The woman rushed to her. "Your highness. It's quite a shock to see you outside the palace and to see you none the less!"
"Please old friends. Call me Marlena. The woman you see before you is not the Queen of Eternia."
"Not the Queen? Well then who is sits by the King's side, surely he has not remarried and cast you away from the palace?" The man said lowering his left brow over his eye.
"No, it's nothing like that Tolamey. I am taking a leave of absence from the palace that's all."
"What brings you to Noteran, Marlena?' Morylyn asked.
"I'm here to visit old friends that I should have come to see long ago."
"Hush, you had a son to raise as I hear it. How could you leave the palace and him unattended? Fathers don't always make the best caretakers." Morylyn said jabbing her husband in the ribs.
Marlena laughed. "I'm lucky to have such understanding friends."
"We had many good times together Marlena. The birth of a child and duty of a queen is a no reason for us to give up our friendship. We are equally to blame. We should have come to see you." Tolamey told her.
"You had your own family to raise as you've told me in your letters."
"That we did. The little baby girl we left the palace with and her younger brother was born here in Noteran. You looked as if you were going to grab a bite to eat at the Tavern. You must come home with us and I will fix you a good meal." Morylyn offered.
"I thank you both."
"You can tie your metal horse up to the back of our wagon. Our farm is a little way from the village." Marlena nodded and smiled.
She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard. The Queen of Eternia sat with her friends at their table reminiscing about the old days. It had been a long time ago that Marlena had been with Tolamey and Morylyn but now it felt as if it were only yesterday.
"What's going on in here?" came a voice.
"Aryanna dear, come in!" The door opened fully and a young woman entered. She was tall and thin with long dark hair. Marlena noted that she couldn't be much older then her son. "Aryanna you were just a baby when we left the palace but I'm sure you remember me telling you about my friend Marlena."
The woman smiled. "Of course I do mother. She's the Queen of Eternia. She married King Randor."
"That's right. Please do come meet her."
Aryanna dropped the basket full of vegetables that she had been carrying when she saw Marlena sitting at the table. "Your highness." She said bowing.
"Please, call me Marlena. My how you have grown and into such a beautiful young woman. You must be very proud." She said looking at Tolamey and Morylyn.
"We are."
"I remember when you were just a baby. You were probably only a year or two old when your family left the palace." Aryanna smiled. Morylyn invited her daughter to come and sit at the table.
Tolamey suddenly began to laugh. "What's so funny dear?" his wife asked.
"I was just thinking about that time when the 3 of us went on a trip to the mountains to ski. Spring was coming and the snow was melting. I remember Marlena got into a patch of snow that had melted at the bottom and she fell and landed in a big pile of mud! I'll never forget the look on Randor's face when we came back for dinner that night and he saw her."
Marlena laughed. "I had forgotten about that! Randor was horrified! His new girlfriend covered in mud. I don't think it went over very well with the visiting diplomats!"
Morylyn laughed and turned to her daughter. "Your father and I were so afraid that Randor wasn't going to ask Marlena to marry him because of us. We were a bit wild in our youth and we sure did some stupid things. We often dragged Marlena with us."
"Oh nonsense. You didn't drag me anywhere. I enjoyed being with you both. We had fun didn't we? No one ever got hurt. Randor maybe had his pride wounded that his girlfriend was off having fun while he was stuck at the palace, but he got over it just fine."
"How is Randor? Still straight and stiff as a board and can't take a joke? He never did come with us on our trips."
"He thought we were too immature. And maybe we were." Tolamey let out.
Marlena lowered her head. "We weren't immature. I think Randor was a little jealous but he got over it. He's become much better then he was back then. We married and we had two beautiful children."
"Two? I thought you only had one."
Marlena shook her head with a smile. "Not many people know it, but I had twins. A son named Adam and a daughter named Adora. Adora was kidnapped when the Horde showed up the summer after they were born. Adora was kidnapped and it was only 2 years ago that she returned to our lives. We have our son Adam to thank for that. He makes me very proud."
"Such a tragic thing to happen Marlena. I'm glad that your daughter has been found."
"Me too." Marlena said with tears in her eyes. "And what about your children. Aryanna is just beautiful."
"Beautiful but stubborn as a mule."
"Daddy!"
"It's true." He told her.
"Aryanna is 22 and she is not the least bit interested in finding herself a husband. She's an intelligent young girl with a lot to offer a young man but she'd rather spend her day out in nature or reading."
"There is nothing wrong with that. I myself did not marry until I was 25. Don't let your father push you."
"Thank you Marlena."
"I don't push her, I've always said that I want her to be happy."
"I am happy Papa."
"If Marlena wouldn't mind perhaps you can travel back with her and see where your father and I used to live."
"I would like that"
"When I return you will be welcomed company. What of your son?"
"Dorian? He's off and married. His first born is due at the end of the spring."
"How wonderful!"
"Yes. We are very proud of him. Dorian was a bit of a troublemaker most of his life but he met a young woman, fell in love and he has grown up a lot. They married just last year and they have a small farm together on the other side of the village."
"Good for him. You all seem to be living so happily."
"We are and what about you Marlena? How is life in the palace these days?"
"I'm afraid that not much changes. I see the same scenery over and over. We are attacked by Skeletor more each week it seems, but He-man protects us."
"He-man? Have you met him? I hear that he is quite a hero." Aryanna said.
Marlena smiled deeply. "That he is. He protects the people of Eternia from harm. I have met him many times and he is a kind, good natured man."
"Will you tell us about him at dinner? I must go and finish my chores."
"Of course." Marlena smiled warmly. She watched the young woman leave and turned to her friends. She didn't realize how much she had missed them all these years.
"Marlena? Queen Marlena?" She spun around to face a man and a woman that appeared to be her age.
"Tolamey? Morylyn?" The man was tall and well built with dark hair that was just beginning to gray. The woman was tall but a little plump with dark brown hair.
The woman rushed to her. "Your highness. It's quite a shock to see you outside the palace and to see you none the less!"
"Please old friends. Call me Marlena. The woman you see before you is not the Queen of Eternia."
"Not the Queen? Well then who is sits by the King's side, surely he has not remarried and cast you away from the palace?" The man said lowering his left brow over his eye.
"No, it's nothing like that Tolamey. I am taking a leave of absence from the palace that's all."
"What brings you to Noteran, Marlena?' Morylyn asked.
"I'm here to visit old friends that I should have come to see long ago."
"Hush, you had a son to raise as I hear it. How could you leave the palace and him unattended? Fathers don't always make the best caretakers." Morylyn said jabbing her husband in the ribs.
Marlena laughed. "I'm lucky to have such understanding friends."
"We had many good times together Marlena. The birth of a child and duty of a queen is a no reason for us to give up our friendship. We are equally to blame. We should have come to see you." Tolamey told her.
"You had your own family to raise as you've told me in your letters."
"That we did. The little baby girl we left the palace with and her younger brother was born here in Noteran. You looked as if you were going to grab a bite to eat at the Tavern. You must come home with us and I will fix you a good meal." Morylyn offered.
"I thank you both."
"You can tie your metal horse up to the back of our wagon. Our farm is a little way from the village." Marlena nodded and smiled.
She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard. The Queen of Eternia sat with her friends at their table reminiscing about the old days. It had been a long time ago that Marlena had been with Tolamey and Morylyn but now it felt as if it were only yesterday.
"What's going on in here?" came a voice.
"Aryanna dear, come in!" The door opened fully and a young woman entered. She was tall and thin with long dark hair. Marlena noted that she couldn't be much older then her son. "Aryanna you were just a baby when we left the palace but I'm sure you remember me telling you about my friend Marlena."
The woman smiled. "Of course I do mother. She's the Queen of Eternia. She married King Randor."
"That's right. Please do come meet her."
Aryanna dropped the basket full of vegetables that she had been carrying when she saw Marlena sitting at the table. "Your highness." She said bowing.
"Please, call me Marlena. My how you have grown and into such a beautiful young woman. You must be very proud." She said looking at Tolamey and Morylyn.
"We are."
"I remember when you were just a baby. You were probably only a year or two old when your family left the palace." Aryanna smiled. Morylyn invited her daughter to come and sit at the table.
Tolamey suddenly began to laugh. "What's so funny dear?" his wife asked.
"I was just thinking about that time when the 3 of us went on a trip to the mountains to ski. Spring was coming and the snow was melting. I remember Marlena got into a patch of snow that had melted at the bottom and she fell and landed in a big pile of mud! I'll never forget the look on Randor's face when we came back for dinner that night and he saw her."
Marlena laughed. "I had forgotten about that! Randor was horrified! His new girlfriend covered in mud. I don't think it went over very well with the visiting diplomats!"
Morylyn laughed and turned to her daughter. "Your father and I were so afraid that Randor wasn't going to ask Marlena to marry him because of us. We were a bit wild in our youth and we sure did some stupid things. We often dragged Marlena with us."
"Oh nonsense. You didn't drag me anywhere. I enjoyed being with you both. We had fun didn't we? No one ever got hurt. Randor maybe had his pride wounded that his girlfriend was off having fun while he was stuck at the palace, but he got over it just fine."
"How is Randor? Still straight and stiff as a board and can't take a joke? He never did come with us on our trips."
"He thought we were too immature. And maybe we were." Tolamey let out.
Marlena lowered her head. "We weren't immature. I think Randor was a little jealous but he got over it. He's become much better then he was back then. We married and we had two beautiful children."
"Two? I thought you only had one."
Marlena shook her head with a smile. "Not many people know it, but I had twins. A son named Adam and a daughter named Adora. Adora was kidnapped when the Horde showed up the summer after they were born. Adora was kidnapped and it was only 2 years ago that she returned to our lives. We have our son Adam to thank for that. He makes me very proud."
"Such a tragic thing to happen Marlena. I'm glad that your daughter has been found."
"Me too." Marlena said with tears in her eyes. "And what about your children. Aryanna is just beautiful."
"Beautiful but stubborn as a mule."
"Daddy!"
"It's true." He told her.
"Aryanna is 22 and she is not the least bit interested in finding herself a husband. She's an intelligent young girl with a lot to offer a young man but she'd rather spend her day out in nature or reading."
"There is nothing wrong with that. I myself did not marry until I was 25. Don't let your father push you."
"Thank you Marlena."
"I don't push her, I've always said that I want her to be happy."
"I am happy Papa."
"If Marlena wouldn't mind perhaps you can travel back with her and see where your father and I used to live."
"I would like that"
"When I return you will be welcomed company. What of your son?"
"Dorian? He's off and married. His first born is due at the end of the spring."
"How wonderful!"
"Yes. We are very proud of him. Dorian was a bit of a troublemaker most of his life but he met a young woman, fell in love and he has grown up a lot. They married just last year and they have a small farm together on the other side of the village."
"Good for him. You all seem to be living so happily."
"We are and what about you Marlena? How is life in the palace these days?"
"I'm afraid that not much changes. I see the same scenery over and over. We are attacked by Skeletor more each week it seems, but He-man protects us."
"He-man? Have you met him? I hear that he is quite a hero." Aryanna said.
Marlena smiled deeply. "That he is. He protects the people of Eternia from harm. I have met him many times and he is a kind, good natured man."
"Will you tell us about him at dinner? I must go and finish my chores."
"Of course." Marlena smiled warmly. She watched the young woman leave and turned to her friends. She didn't realize how much she had missed them all these years.