Adam let out a heavy sigh as he leaned over the railing of his balcony. He stumbled backwards and let his forehead and arms rest on the cool cement as he sank to his knees. Adam's mind was reeling with the events that had happened less then an hour ago at breakfast. His father had gone over the deep end and if he let his anger get the better of him, he would soon follow. He never realized how his mother kept peace and balance from her throne. It had been nearly a week since she had left and the loss of her presence was affecting him and his father. His father had become more and more agitated each day it seemed. Adam tried to avoid him as much as possible. He had desperately wanted to fix things between their fragile relationship but he feared that one wrong word might be his undoing. He didn't realize how right he was. He wondered if a trip to Grayskull would ease his mind, but he doubted it. He wondered if the Sorceress could have been mistaken about things working out. The scene at breakfast that morning was very fresh in his mind and no matter how hard he tried to push it in to the far corners of his mind, it continued to torture him.
"Good morning everyone." The King said announcing his presence.
"Good morning your majesty." Teela and Orko greeted
"Sire." Duncan said lowering his head.
Adam said nothing and simply nodded at his father as he walked past him. Randor took his seat at the head of the table.
"Anyone interested in a little magic? How about some card tricks?" Orko offered eagerly.
"After breakfast perhaps Orko and when I'm out of the room." Duncan told him. Adam cracked a grin.
"Oh Man-at-arms. Why do you always have to spoil our fun?"
"Who's fun usually gets spoiled? Mine! Every time you start working your magic and I'm in the room things go terribly wrong and I pay the price. Punch bowls on my head and jugs of ice cold water. Blizzards in my work shop. Need I go on?" Orko's ears drooped and he fell slowly toward his seat at the table beside Adam.
"He doesn't mean any harm Duncan." Randor piped in.
"Perhaps not your majesty but I'd prefer if the magic waited until I was out of the room!"
"Very well."
Duncan caught something in the King's dark eyes. "Unless you prefer otherwise your majesty."
"No no, it's all right. It's just I thought perhaps Orko could cheer us up. Things have been quiet and gray lately. Ever since the Queen disappeared." The King fixed his glance on his son. Adam refused to meet his glance and instead lowered his eyes to the table.
"She disappeared?" Teela let out. She was just dying to know where the Queen was but her father had told her to mind her business and not bother the king with the Queen's where abouts. Duncan gave her a hard stare but Teela ignored it and focused on the King. Adam finally looked up and he too glanced in his father's direction.
"She didn't vanish but she might as well have. She's somewhere on Eternia."
"You mean you don't know where?" Teela pressed. Adam shot her a cold stare from across the table. She ignored him.
"That's right Teela. I suppose it would be all right to tell you and Duncan that she is gone and her king and husband does not know where but this conversation does not leave this room" When both Teela and Duncan nodded Randor proceeded. "Marlena left 5 days ago and did not tell me where she was going. Not one word was spoken to me. She just left."
"How terrible! Why would she do such a thing?"
"I do not know Teela."
"You do know father. You can stop trying to push the blame onto mother because you feel guilty and don't want anyone else to know." The voice belonged to the usually calm and cool-headed Prince Adam, but there was fire burning in his eyes.
"I don't recall asking for your opinion, SON."
"I wasn't aware that I needed your permission to speak, FATHER. What mother has chosen to do is none of our business and we should respect her wishes. It's not as if she is never coming back. It isn't very fair of you to announce that she left and you don't know why when you know the reason better then anyone." Duncan and Teela watched as the King's face flushed bright red. Neither of them had ever seen the King so angry or Adam for that matter. He was usually very quiet and shy but now he was speaking out and against his father.
"If I hear one more outburst from you I'll-" He shook his finger angrily at Adam.
"You won't have to do a thing because I am leaving the room." Adam took his napkin off his lap and stood, making his way toward the door. Cringer did not follow him. He only looked up from his nearly empty bowl of food just realizing that something was going on. Teela, Duncan and Orko watched Randor stand. They were all in shock.
"First your cowardliness," Adam spun around on his heel to look at his father. "Then your tardiness, your excuses, your lack of interest in Kingdom affairs and now this damned attitude! I don't know who you think you are young man but I will not have your back talk in my palace. The line has been begging to be drawn and I'm drawing it. I've had more then enough. I will be choosing someone to take your position as the future King of Eternia. I won't let a foolish boy become my successor." Adam's jaw dropped as well as Teela's and Duncan's. Cringer shook under the table and buried his face under his gigantic paws. Orko covered his face with his hands.
Duncan stood after a silence began to develop. "Your majesty, you're upset over the Queen. I beg you not to make any foolish choices. Adam means well, if you'd just give him some time." He pleaded.
"He's had more then enough time." Randor said coldly.
"You may make a decision you regret." Duncan warned.
"The only regrets I have, pertain to my son." He said through grit teeth. Teela gasped and she looked to Adam who was trying to balance his emotions. Anger, fear and hurt played across the prince's handsome features. His anger finally won the battle.
"I know why mother wanted to leave now and I don't blame her. I don't think you ever loved either of us. At least not as much as you love your stupid crown and the authority and power that goes with it." Adam left the room promptly with Cringer running after him as fast as his legs would carry him. The anger remained in his eyes. He refused to let a foolish boy run his kingdom.
"Good morning everyone." The King said announcing his presence.
"Good morning your majesty." Teela and Orko greeted
"Sire." Duncan said lowering his head.
Adam said nothing and simply nodded at his father as he walked past him. Randor took his seat at the head of the table.
"Anyone interested in a little magic? How about some card tricks?" Orko offered eagerly.
"After breakfast perhaps Orko and when I'm out of the room." Duncan told him. Adam cracked a grin.
"Oh Man-at-arms. Why do you always have to spoil our fun?"
"Who's fun usually gets spoiled? Mine! Every time you start working your magic and I'm in the room things go terribly wrong and I pay the price. Punch bowls on my head and jugs of ice cold water. Blizzards in my work shop. Need I go on?" Orko's ears drooped and he fell slowly toward his seat at the table beside Adam.
"He doesn't mean any harm Duncan." Randor piped in.
"Perhaps not your majesty but I'd prefer if the magic waited until I was out of the room!"
"Very well."
Duncan caught something in the King's dark eyes. "Unless you prefer otherwise your majesty."
"No no, it's all right. It's just I thought perhaps Orko could cheer us up. Things have been quiet and gray lately. Ever since the Queen disappeared." The King fixed his glance on his son. Adam refused to meet his glance and instead lowered his eyes to the table.
"She disappeared?" Teela let out. She was just dying to know where the Queen was but her father had told her to mind her business and not bother the king with the Queen's where abouts. Duncan gave her a hard stare but Teela ignored it and focused on the King. Adam finally looked up and he too glanced in his father's direction.
"She didn't vanish but she might as well have. She's somewhere on Eternia."
"You mean you don't know where?" Teela pressed. Adam shot her a cold stare from across the table. She ignored him.
"That's right Teela. I suppose it would be all right to tell you and Duncan that she is gone and her king and husband does not know where but this conversation does not leave this room" When both Teela and Duncan nodded Randor proceeded. "Marlena left 5 days ago and did not tell me where she was going. Not one word was spoken to me. She just left."
"How terrible! Why would she do such a thing?"
"I do not know Teela."
"You do know father. You can stop trying to push the blame onto mother because you feel guilty and don't want anyone else to know." The voice belonged to the usually calm and cool-headed Prince Adam, but there was fire burning in his eyes.
"I don't recall asking for your opinion, SON."
"I wasn't aware that I needed your permission to speak, FATHER. What mother has chosen to do is none of our business and we should respect her wishes. It's not as if she is never coming back. It isn't very fair of you to announce that she left and you don't know why when you know the reason better then anyone." Duncan and Teela watched as the King's face flushed bright red. Neither of them had ever seen the King so angry or Adam for that matter. He was usually very quiet and shy but now he was speaking out and against his father.
"If I hear one more outburst from you I'll-" He shook his finger angrily at Adam.
"You won't have to do a thing because I am leaving the room." Adam took his napkin off his lap and stood, making his way toward the door. Cringer did not follow him. He only looked up from his nearly empty bowl of food just realizing that something was going on. Teela, Duncan and Orko watched Randor stand. They were all in shock.
"First your cowardliness," Adam spun around on his heel to look at his father. "Then your tardiness, your excuses, your lack of interest in Kingdom affairs and now this damned attitude! I don't know who you think you are young man but I will not have your back talk in my palace. The line has been begging to be drawn and I'm drawing it. I've had more then enough. I will be choosing someone to take your position as the future King of Eternia. I won't let a foolish boy become my successor." Adam's jaw dropped as well as Teela's and Duncan's. Cringer shook under the table and buried his face under his gigantic paws. Orko covered his face with his hands.
Duncan stood after a silence began to develop. "Your majesty, you're upset over the Queen. I beg you not to make any foolish choices. Adam means well, if you'd just give him some time." He pleaded.
"He's had more then enough time." Randor said coldly.
"You may make a decision you regret." Duncan warned.
"The only regrets I have, pertain to my son." He said through grit teeth. Teela gasped and she looked to Adam who was trying to balance his emotions. Anger, fear and hurt played across the prince's handsome features. His anger finally won the battle.
"I know why mother wanted to leave now and I don't blame her. I don't think you ever loved either of us. At least not as much as you love your stupid crown and the authority and power that goes with it." Adam left the room promptly with Cringer running after him as fast as his legs would carry him. The anger remained in his eyes. He refused to let a foolish boy run his kingdom.