Chapter 6: Temptation Part 1 Tension is building up

A soft beam of light glittered from the opened balcony and it entered into Starfire's room. The sunlight was warm and sizzled with dust and sparkling dots. Birds were chirping outside, along with strange howls and cawing of unfamiliar creatures that lurked throughout the land.

The sky was brushed in milky pink, lighter than during sunset. Sunrise had just passed only hours ago and the sun was already about fourty-five degrees from the horizon, the morning still young and fresh with blossoming flowers and sweet scent of freshly grown fruits that grew in the gardens.

Inside Starfire's room, it seemed completely plain and empty. Her bed was long and wide, but it didn't take much space of the room, it was like a hotel suite, perfectly and purposely made for a princess. The sheets were in different shades of pink, including the pillows. Some were even lavender.

But the bed was perfectly made and dust bunnies started forming above because of the many years this bed hasn't been used. And it wasn't used last night.

However, when you come to the other side of the bed that is further from the door, but closer to the balcony, you see a much of red and black there almost like a ladybug. As you come to this side, there kneeling against the bed cuddling close together were Robin and Starfire, soundly asleep.

Starfire had her arms around Robin, her head resting on his chest. Robin had wrapped his cape around her and at the same time, probably had pulled her close against him to keep them both warm during the cool night. His head was on top of hers, breathing lightly on her hair, making some strands fall to her closed eyes.

The birds were chirping loudly now. Some landed their feet on the banister outside in the balcony. Their round black eyes looked at the young couple. Their heads tilted to the side, watching them for a second before a head started rising up. They flapped their long wings and flew away just as Robin had woken up.

He opened his eyes and with his free hand he rubbed his right eye, his mouth stretching in a yawn. He stretched his legs, straining and burning for a moment. He rubbed his neck as he glanced down at Starfire, who was still fast asleep in his arms.

He smiled at her and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Starfire shirred, her body shivering up, ready to wake. She slowly opened her green eyes, his pupils dilating to adjust to the bright light that flashed in front of her face. But to him, it just made her even more beautiful.

"G'morning." He greeted her. Starfire looked up with her sleepy eyes, but she still placed a smile to that perfect face of hers. "Good morning, Robin."

"How did you sleep?" Starfire smiled and cuddled her head against him. "Good...But I didn't want to wake up..."

"Sorry...Do you want me to leave so you can rest?"
"No, stay here with me."
"Alright."

Robin moved his body a little to make himself a little comfortable and for Starfire. Starfire rested her head on his shoulder and both just looked out at the beautiful scenery before them, the sky bright pink and the birds singing to them.

Starfire looked down, her mind drifting to other things instead of the morning wonders that were brought out to her. She tried to think about other things, but her mind kept sneaking back to her near-future, on what was waiting for her outside her bedroom doors. A boy-no-a man was waiting for her outside of those doors, waiting for her to be his bride.

But she didn't want to, no matter how handsome she was. She would rather eat Beast Boy's tofu for the rest of her life than to be with someone she hardly knew and would never want to be with.

She looked up, only moving her eyes toward the teenage boy who was with her, who had his arm and cape around her to keep her warm. That is what Robin has always done. He had kept her warm. He had kept her safe. He had kept her happy, the happiest person she can or any girl can ever be.

Starfire wanted to cry with all of the reasons why she didn't want to be anywhere else but in his arms, in his warmth. She didn't want to be anywhere else but with Robin and the Teen Titans. That's where she belonged. With them, on Earth.

Starfire's eyes softened for the moment in thought. If she made this decision, she would never have a chance to be with her family again. Her little brother, her loving mother, and her strong father would be all gone from her life.

Her emerald eyes then narrowed, her heart has guided her well all of her life, so this decision would be the greatest and to her, the first she would make...without anyone's help.

"Robin, I'm going to tell him." "Tell him what?" Robin asked her confusingly. When he met her eyes, he could see that there was some strong determination in them. But he didn't know why. Starfire continued to stare at him, her face didn't change.

"I'm going to talk with my father and tell him that I don't want to marry." "But..." Robin looked at her in disbelief. "Wouldn't your father not approve?"

Starfire nodded in reply, her eyes shifted away and looked out at the sky. It was so much different than the sky from Earth. The Earth sky was milky, light blue and this sky, her home sky, was pink during the day and dark pink during the night. Nothing could compare to the Earth's beauty, but neither can that of Tamaran.

"Knowing my father, he wouldn't. On this planet, if you fail to follow his command, you would be either sent to prison or be banished." Robin looked at Starfire, his masked eyes wide in shock, surprised to see that there wasn't any fear in her eyes. "But Star...don't you want to be with your family?"

Starfire nodded, her eyes softened a little, but they didn't lose her spirit she had to make this offer. She thought of the times when she was small that she would play with her older sister and her younger brother. All of them were happy together, along with their parents. All with happy smiles, but she stopped living that good life when she was nothing but six or seven years old.

"All of my life...I've never been allowed to make my own decisions, assuming that they were for my own good. But they weren't. But I have learned from them and have grown. It has been almost nine years since I have seen my family...they do not the person I have become and with talking to my father, I will show him how much I've changed..."

Starfire touched his cheek tightly, her fingers caressing his skin warmly. Her emerald eyes stared at him deeply and a small grin came on her lips. "And how much I've gained...with being with you, Robin." Robin looked at her with a smile, pleasing and yet with surprise that she was willing to do this for him, just to go back to Earth with him.

But as they cuddled close together, someone was watching them from the dark corner of the room, flickering in gold like the sun and quickly it was gone and the figure was gone.

Robin and Starfire walked hand in hand toward her father's quarters, both of them taking deep breaths for what was about to happen. But Starfire gripped Robin's hand tight to show that she was still determined. He squeezed her hand back, showing her that he will stick by her.

But as they turned the corner, a hand came from the darkness and grasped Starfire's arm tightly, pulling her away from Robin. Starfire let out a scream and Robin turned around to see who it was.

"What's wrong, Kori? You don't like it that your little k'oriel wants to see you?" Redfire giggled from the look on Starfire's face when she looked down. Starfire suddenly brought a smile on her face and she pushed him away. She said something to him in the Tamaranean language that Robin wouldn't obviously understand.

Starfire looked at her little brother. "Don't scare me like that ever again, Ryand'r." Robin chuckled and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, you better be careful next time, Redfire. I would have hit you if you were someone else." Redfire chuckled. "But I'm me, so you won't have to worry."

Starfire held her brother by the shoulder, looking at him, who was almost to her height, but only short by a few inches. "What is it, little k'oriel that made you scare me?"

Redfire looked at her, his eyes widened with a sudden remembrance. "Oh! Father wanted to see you, Kori." Starfire glanced at Robin for the moment and then back to her little brother. "We were just about to go to see him. Why does he want to see me?"

Redfire nudged his shoulders. "I don't know. Father only told me to get you to him. I went into your room, but you were already gone. And you weren't with the others and they didn't know where you were either, so here I am, standing in front of you. Go to father before he gets impatient."

Starfire nodded and bowed her head to the young prince. "Thank you, Ryand'r." Starfire turned to Robin and grabbed his hand again. "Let's go, Robin!" She said and levitated from the ground. Robin shouted out as he floated little over the ground, gripping to Starfire's hand with his life as the wind rushed loudly and strongly passed his face.

"Is this necessary?" He shouted, but his voice came out faintly in her ear. Starfire nodded. "Father's quarters is quite far and I must be there to see what he wants and besides..." She turned around and looked at him, her red hair blowing around her face as her speed started so slow down. "I have something very important to tell him." Robin smiled at her as she finally slowed and she helped Robin land to the ground.

Robin and Starfire looked at each other as they stood in front of a large and tall pair of doors that led to Starfire's parents' quarters. Robin held Starfire's hand for support and she looked at him with a light smile.

They approached the door and together they swung their hands against the cold wood and with their combined strengths, they pushed the door forward and light showered on them as they walked together into the room.

Myand'r was already standing there, waiting for their arrival. And standing right beside him was Karras, his amber filled eyes looked up right when the doors were opened. His eyes met hers and with that stare alone. Strands of his dark brown hair fell to his eyes. Starfire froze in place. She tried to act with poise, but her legs were trembling too much and she couldn't find anything good to say. "Hai Father. Hai Karras."

Robin felt her hand trembling and he relieved his hand from hers, waking her up from Karras' stare. Robin placed his hands behind his back and didn't look at either Myand'r or Karras, his masked eyes instead looked around the room which glittered in gold against the walls.

Starfire blinked and instead turned to her father. "You wanted to see me, father?" Myand'r shifted his dark eyes from Robin, who he gave a cold stare. "What is he doing here?" He asked, his voice almost wanting to roar in rage. Starfire looked at Robin and then at her father, her mind scrambling for ideas for a lie.

"Uh...I was-we were-I was giving Robin a tour of the palace! Yes, I was showing him the palace? Isn't that right, Robin?" Robin quickly nodded, his eyes moving from other places except into Myand'r suspesious eyes, but with his mask on, none of them could tell. "Yes, Your Highness. The archiecture here is very different than from Earth, but still very impressive." "I see." Myand'r replied, but he still had that look for maybe two minutes, making sweat beat down his forehead.

Myand'r shook his head back to business. His hands were behind his neck. It was then that Robin realized that he was actually wearing a crown over his head, sparkling in gems he had never seen before. Myand'r looked at his young daughter and the expression on his face immediately changed. "Yes daughter, I wanted to speak with you."

Starfire nodded. "Yes Father, so have I. You see I don-" But before she was able to finish, Myand'r interrupted. He pointed his arm to Karras who stood patienty beside him. "Karras has informed me of some information that I've found quite important and useful."

Both Starfire and Robin's bodies shot up, but they didn't leave the ground. Their faces turned beat red, nervous. Starfire looked at Karras from the corner of her eye and she saw this glare in his perfect eyes that told her he knew. And for that, her face turned even redder, her body boiling with heat and anxiety.

"A-A-And what would that be, Father?" She said softly, her teeth slanted.

Myand'r smiled at her, as if he didn't notice anything from what she was obviously showing. "Karras doesn't exactly feel welcomed here in our palace. He has been here for quite a while, but there's something that would make his stay enjoyable."

"I want you, Princess Koriand'r to be my guide." Karras said for the King as he came forward and approached Starfire. Robin looked at the way he was looking at her. Behind his back, his hands tightened into fists, his knuckles cracking. Karras looked at Starfire with a smile, with his dimples on each side of his cheeks.

"A sort of escort, so to speak. This would be a great opportunity for me to learn more about this region of the planet and..." He reached out his hand and touched her cheek tenderly. His face came close to hers and her eyes were just spellbound and her cheeks were pink.

Robin gritted his teeth in anger, but everything else didn't show, not even the fact that his hands were turning purple and his nails were as white as his eyes.

"And for us to get to know each other." Karras said in her ear, his breath flowing in her ear, making her body cold. Karras smiled at her, but from the corner of his eye, he gave Robin a sort of seductive and evil look, like he had won something. Robin wanted to jump him and probably kill him, but he restrained himself from cracking his neck all around his head.

"Isn't this wonderful, my little kori'al?" Myand'r shouted with a bright and warm smile. Starfire looked at him and noticed this smile and her heart sank. "Uh...it is glorious, Father. Very glorious." Starfire said softly, her head nodding in defeat once again.

"This is wonderful! Daughter, start showing this young prince around the palace, since you're so good at making people feel welcomed." Myand'r said loudly, his eyes glaring back at Robin who turned away and looked out at the window and the little light that came from it of the late morning sky.

Starfire bowed her head to him. "Yes Father."

Karras grabbed Starfire's hand and then placed his other around her shoulder, revealing that same smile as he guided her out of the room. But before she was gone, her eyes went back to Robin, who stood there sadly when she left his side.

Robin looked down at the ground as Myand'r came in front of him, his dark green eyes cold and hard. Robin looked up at Myand'r and stared at him the same way, although he was melting away in fear and also with the fear of losing her again.

"You better not get in the way of this marriage, boy. We have worked too hard for this arrangement for peace and I won't have some lowly Earthling come here and ruin everything." Robin looked at him and crossed his arms, not intimitated by his stare this time, instead he was angry, because this was the person, according to Starfire, who had sent Starfire away for almost nine years without a proper goodbye or reason why.

"Funny you should say that, Sire. It looks like that the only person who will ruin this is you." Myand'r glared at him, his face close to Robin's. "What do you mean?" "You are the one who's making the bad decision, not me. And some...don't even have that freedom to speak."

Robin turned around and walked away from him, his eyes narrowed in anger of this seemingly ruler of this planet. Robin held the door in his green gloved hand, his eyes moving to the King who had his fists tightened and ready to destroy anything.

"Even if that voice was their own daughter." Robin said and left, slamming the door hard at a very confused king.