The day would be hot. The fog had settled thickly around his camp. The temperature was already rising. Soon the sun would burn through the thick white mist and the heat would be unbearable. He finished packing what little he had brought with him and with one last look back at the spot he headed toward the Royal Palace in Eternos. About 10 minutes into his walk he heard a noise behind him, the sound of hooves hitting the dirt. He turned and saw a Stridor pulling a wagon with two figures in it. One of them was waving and suddenly he knew who it was.
"Mother!" he called. He dropped his things beside him and waved both hands wildly. The wagon came to a halt just a few feet from him. His mother leapt out of the wagon running toward him as if she were a young girl. He hugged her tightly. She looked very different then when he had last seen her. Her pale skin was tanned from the sun and her nose was covered with freckles. Her blue eyes sparkled with life. She looked very happy. "It's so good to see you again. I've missed you." He told her.
"I've missed you too."
"You look wonderful and so happy."
"It was wonderful to spend time with old friends. It was refreshing."
"You should visit them more often."
"I think I may in the future. My throne has become cold and hard. It's not the soft comfortable chair it once was. Oh where are my manners." Marlena turned toward the wagon she had just leapt from. "Adam this is the daughter of my two closest friends on this world. Her name is Aryanna. Aryanna, this is my son, Adam."
Adam smiled sweetly and gently shook the girl's hand. They both nodded their hellos and nothing more. "Are you finally returning home mother?"
"Yes. I think I'm ready to face your father now. I hope things have been all right while I have been gone. " Adam said nothing and only looked away. "Adam what's happened?"
"I'd prefer to speak with you alone about it." He said gesturing with a glance toward Aryanna. "No offence intended for the lady of course."
"None taken. Why don't you two talk while I take a walk." Aryanna suggested. Marlena opened her mouth to refuse but Aryanna had already leapt from the side of the wagon and was walking away.
"Why did you bring her back with you? A war could break loose within the palace."
"I hope one doesn't break out. She's a sweet girl and her parents wished her to see where they once lived. They are good friends and the very least I could do for them was allow her to see the palace. Perhaps Teela or one of my maidens or the guards could show her around while we sit down as a family and solve everything. Now tell me what has happened while I have been gone."
Adam turned and crossed his arms over his chest and this worried his mother. "Father and I did not get along very well. He treated me as if I was not his son. The way he talked to me was if I was a complete stranger. Two days ago in front of teela, Duncan and Orko he announced that I was not fit to run the kingdom and that he would find someone to replace me." As he said this, the prince's stance sank and his shoulders lowered.
Marlena put her hand on her son's shoulder. "I'll straighten this out."
He turned to face her. "No. If you and father can repair your relationship, then do so. It was I who started this entire thing. You try to fix your relationship with him and I will worry about my own."
"Adam I don't agree with the way your father treats you. I know you and you don't deserve this treatment. If only he would open his eyes!"
"To see what?! That I'm not who I pretend to be? That I waltz around hiding and cowering as Prince Adam to hide things from him and everyone else? He might never be able to open his eyes and see the real me. You weren't even supposed to know. No one can know until Eternia is safe once again and He-man isn't needed."
"So what do you propose to do? Let your father walk all over you? And let someone else rule the kingdom when it should be you sitting on the throne."
"I don't intend to stand idly by, if that is what you think. I've already talked to Duncan. I'm going to attempt to be more interested in kingdom affairs. I've become lazy in father's eyes. I'll show him differently."
"But will changing like this make you happy Adam?"
"Mother as long as I hold the power sword I might never be happy or completely happy. Some part of me will always dread having to lie to everyone about where I am and why I must flee. I'm not happy as I am now. I'm completely miserable. I put on the act too well and look where it's landed me."
"The choice is yours Adam. You are an adult and a very intelligent one."
"I will figure out what must be done. But you and father should try to heal the wounds I've opened."
"Adam those wounds started long ago. There have always been things that have bothered me about your father. I love him deeply but the stubborn side of him that won't let him change his ways and try to see things differently has always created a wall between us."
"I always thought your marriage was so perfect."
"It was for a long time. But long after you could walk, even after you could read and write things changed. Your father broke away from me and dove headfirst into the affairs of the kingdom and he has never returned to me fully. I don't know if he thought I didn't need him as much because I had you to raise. I raised you to the best of my ability and sat by your father like a queen and wife should. Some days were better then others, but I never let on that a piece of me was miserable. I felt like a wild animal in captivity losing the hope of ever seeing freedom again. The anger I recently let loose at your father has been building up for years. I feared if I didn't act now and show him just a little of what I felt that I might lose myself and go crazy. "
"Why didn't you ever tell me any of this or try to talk to father?"
"I've tried to talk to your father Adam. Sometimes talking to that man is like talking to a palace wall. And I didn't want you to know. You had your own worries being Eternia's champion. I could not imagine adding more weight to your shoulders."
"How long have you known that I was He-man? And how did you know?"
"For quite some time. There was a change in you. You started spending a lot more time with Duncan then usual and also at castle grayskull. I was always told that you and Adora were destined for something special. I had no idea that you would become the champions of Eternia and Etheria."
Adam's eyes widened. "You know about Adora too?"
"I've been surprising you a lot lately, haven't I? It wasn't very hard to put 2 and 2 together."
Adam gave a smirk. "It's a really good thing that no one else on this planet thinks as cleverly as you do. Otherwise skeletor would know everything. It must be that earth training"
"I 'd like to think that it's just me being me. I was much like you as a child. Very much into reading and studying. You don't become an astronaut by sitting around. I studied everything I could get my hands on. My hard work paid off. I became an astronaut like I always wanted to be."
"It's a good thing that you were a hard worker and that you became astronaut."
"Yes. You wouldn't be here and neither would He-man and She-ra."
"Mother are you happy on Eternia?"
"For the most part I truly am. This planet is a wonderful place and I have met many special people. Part of me will always miss earth but Eternia has become my home. I've lived here for over 20 years. My planet has probably changed, as much would have happened in 20 years. The fog is starting to burn off. Let's find Aryanna and get to the palace before it gets too hot. We'll talk later."
Adam nodded and together they set off in search of Aryanna. If only his father were not so stubborn. Things would be so much easier. But if there was one thing that he had learned, it was that nothing was ever easy and those that were came with a price. He wondered what the price would be to gain his father's respect.
"Mother!" he called. He dropped his things beside him and waved both hands wildly. The wagon came to a halt just a few feet from him. His mother leapt out of the wagon running toward him as if she were a young girl. He hugged her tightly. She looked very different then when he had last seen her. Her pale skin was tanned from the sun and her nose was covered with freckles. Her blue eyes sparkled with life. She looked very happy. "It's so good to see you again. I've missed you." He told her.
"I've missed you too."
"You look wonderful and so happy."
"It was wonderful to spend time with old friends. It was refreshing."
"You should visit them more often."
"I think I may in the future. My throne has become cold and hard. It's not the soft comfortable chair it once was. Oh where are my manners." Marlena turned toward the wagon she had just leapt from. "Adam this is the daughter of my two closest friends on this world. Her name is Aryanna. Aryanna, this is my son, Adam."
Adam smiled sweetly and gently shook the girl's hand. They both nodded their hellos and nothing more. "Are you finally returning home mother?"
"Yes. I think I'm ready to face your father now. I hope things have been all right while I have been gone. " Adam said nothing and only looked away. "Adam what's happened?"
"I'd prefer to speak with you alone about it." He said gesturing with a glance toward Aryanna. "No offence intended for the lady of course."
"None taken. Why don't you two talk while I take a walk." Aryanna suggested. Marlena opened her mouth to refuse but Aryanna had already leapt from the side of the wagon and was walking away.
"Why did you bring her back with you? A war could break loose within the palace."
"I hope one doesn't break out. She's a sweet girl and her parents wished her to see where they once lived. They are good friends and the very least I could do for them was allow her to see the palace. Perhaps Teela or one of my maidens or the guards could show her around while we sit down as a family and solve everything. Now tell me what has happened while I have been gone."
Adam turned and crossed his arms over his chest and this worried his mother. "Father and I did not get along very well. He treated me as if I was not his son. The way he talked to me was if I was a complete stranger. Two days ago in front of teela, Duncan and Orko he announced that I was not fit to run the kingdom and that he would find someone to replace me." As he said this, the prince's stance sank and his shoulders lowered.
Marlena put her hand on her son's shoulder. "I'll straighten this out."
He turned to face her. "No. If you and father can repair your relationship, then do so. It was I who started this entire thing. You try to fix your relationship with him and I will worry about my own."
"Adam I don't agree with the way your father treats you. I know you and you don't deserve this treatment. If only he would open his eyes!"
"To see what?! That I'm not who I pretend to be? That I waltz around hiding and cowering as Prince Adam to hide things from him and everyone else? He might never be able to open his eyes and see the real me. You weren't even supposed to know. No one can know until Eternia is safe once again and He-man isn't needed."
"So what do you propose to do? Let your father walk all over you? And let someone else rule the kingdom when it should be you sitting on the throne."
"I don't intend to stand idly by, if that is what you think. I've already talked to Duncan. I'm going to attempt to be more interested in kingdom affairs. I've become lazy in father's eyes. I'll show him differently."
"But will changing like this make you happy Adam?"
"Mother as long as I hold the power sword I might never be happy or completely happy. Some part of me will always dread having to lie to everyone about where I am and why I must flee. I'm not happy as I am now. I'm completely miserable. I put on the act too well and look where it's landed me."
"The choice is yours Adam. You are an adult and a very intelligent one."
"I will figure out what must be done. But you and father should try to heal the wounds I've opened."
"Adam those wounds started long ago. There have always been things that have bothered me about your father. I love him deeply but the stubborn side of him that won't let him change his ways and try to see things differently has always created a wall between us."
"I always thought your marriage was so perfect."
"It was for a long time. But long after you could walk, even after you could read and write things changed. Your father broke away from me and dove headfirst into the affairs of the kingdom and he has never returned to me fully. I don't know if he thought I didn't need him as much because I had you to raise. I raised you to the best of my ability and sat by your father like a queen and wife should. Some days were better then others, but I never let on that a piece of me was miserable. I felt like a wild animal in captivity losing the hope of ever seeing freedom again. The anger I recently let loose at your father has been building up for years. I feared if I didn't act now and show him just a little of what I felt that I might lose myself and go crazy. "
"Why didn't you ever tell me any of this or try to talk to father?"
"I've tried to talk to your father Adam. Sometimes talking to that man is like talking to a palace wall. And I didn't want you to know. You had your own worries being Eternia's champion. I could not imagine adding more weight to your shoulders."
"How long have you known that I was He-man? And how did you know?"
"For quite some time. There was a change in you. You started spending a lot more time with Duncan then usual and also at castle grayskull. I was always told that you and Adora were destined for something special. I had no idea that you would become the champions of Eternia and Etheria."
Adam's eyes widened. "You know about Adora too?"
"I've been surprising you a lot lately, haven't I? It wasn't very hard to put 2 and 2 together."
Adam gave a smirk. "It's a really good thing that no one else on this planet thinks as cleverly as you do. Otherwise skeletor would know everything. It must be that earth training"
"I 'd like to think that it's just me being me. I was much like you as a child. Very much into reading and studying. You don't become an astronaut by sitting around. I studied everything I could get my hands on. My hard work paid off. I became an astronaut like I always wanted to be."
"It's a good thing that you were a hard worker and that you became astronaut."
"Yes. You wouldn't be here and neither would He-man and She-ra."
"Mother are you happy on Eternia?"
"For the most part I truly am. This planet is a wonderful place and I have met many special people. Part of me will always miss earth but Eternia has become my home. I've lived here for over 20 years. My planet has probably changed, as much would have happened in 20 years. The fog is starting to burn off. Let's find Aryanna and get to the palace before it gets too hot. We'll talk later."
Adam nodded and together they set off in search of Aryanna. If only his father were not so stubborn. Things would be so much easier. But if there was one thing that he had learned, it was that nothing was ever easy and those that were came with a price. He wondered what the price would be to gain his father's respect.