**Sorry this took so long guys. I got stuck trying to figure out the best
way to go with this and I didn't want to shoot from the hip. Anyway, I hope
the process will go faster now. Thanks everyone for their reviews. Any
input: good or bad, is ALWAYS appreciated! :)
***Disclaimer in One.
CHAPTER 20
Several minutes passed in silence with the exception of the Queen's sobs which were muffled as she cried into the captive's shoulder.
Even the Lieutenant said nothing. She just stared, mouth agape, awestruck by the events that had unfolded in front of her.
The General sat very still and said nothing. His face was completely devoid of reaction or emotion. He just sat there as the Queen of Eternia cried her heart out on his shoulder. As her arms embraced the rest of his upper torso tightly.
After several more minutes, the Queen slowly pulled back and clasped the General's face with both hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes.
The General's eyes were blank but the Queen had the memory of their familiar beauty burned into her mind. Call it maternal instinct or the fact that she saw those eyes every night in her dreams, she knew the eyes of her son.
Her son, the prince.
Her Adam.
She felt her throat start to tighten up again and fought against the warm tears that once again started to well up in her eyes. She stared at the General intently before gently pushing a stray lock of hair away from his eye.
"My son....." she whispered. "My beautiful boy."
Still the General did not move or speak.
Teela wasn't even sure if he was breathing but the intensity of the moment kept her frozen in her place.
Marlena dropped her hands down to the General's shackled wrists and covered his hands with her own. Slowly, she raised Damas' hands to her face and softly rubbed her cheek against them.
The General did not flinch.
"Oh my Adam," the queen choked. "People will fear you. They already do. Your hands are controlled by the Horde."
She looked at him again and squeezed his hands.
"But I KNOW, that you are not lost to us yet," she whispered again, mostly because her throat tightened to avoid the sobs from her diaphragm. "You may have been a pawn to the Horde, but you were NEVER one of them. Not in your soul anyway. And definitely not in your heart."
The General remained silent.
"Do you remember any of it?" the Queen seemed to be pleading more than asking. "You were an infant but do you not remember us.....me?"
She placed one hand on his face again and looked imploringly into his eyes.
"Do you not recognize the touch of your mother? My voice? My embrace?"
The General sat still.
"Do you understand that they STOLE you from us, Adam?" the Queen pushed to break through. "Do you understand that you are NOT a member of the Horde? You are the prince of Eternia. You are Adam, Prince of Eternia. Son of King Randor and Queen Marlena. Twin brother to Adora, Princess of Eternia. Do you hear me? You are a son and a brother and a prince. Your place was here and it was STOLEN from you by the Horde!!!"
The General did not react to the Queen's outburst. After what seemed to be a long pause, she sighed and cupped his chin.
"You may not think you know but in your heart, you do," she said through gritted teeth, gritted because her body was slowly succumbing to the racking sobs in her body. "You know ME, Adam. Your blood is my blood. Your life is my heart. Search within yourself and you will find me. You will find the home that I know in my heart you have been missing for so long."
The Queen gave into her emotions and buried her head in her hands as she sobbed heavily.
Teela stood by, stunned and silent.
Damas stared at the crying Queen. Finally, he blinked and his upper lip twitched. He cocked his head to the side.
The Queen sensed the man's movement and looked up at him with teary, bloodshot eyes.
Several more moments passed as the three people in the room sat, motionless. Damas' mouth continued to twitch as if he were trying to say something. The Queen smiled at him and nodded her head, tears running down her blushed cheeks.
The General finally spit out the word he seemed to be searching for.
".....mah....Mother?"
**********
Outside the mighty doors of the palace room that held the three occupants, a strange, green mist floated low to the ground, working its way around the corners and up the walls.
The five guardsmen stationed in front of the doors didn't know what hit them and within seconds, they were all on the ground unconscious.
*********
This time it was the General who began to cry.
Marlena embraced her son again and held him as they both seemed to be overcome by their emotions.
"Finally!" She thought as she stroked his hair. "Finally, its over. Its all over."
The chains around Damas' wrists rattled as he brought his hands up to his face.
The Queen frowned.
*******
Teela finally snapped to when she realized Marlena had snatched the keychain hanging from her belt and before the Lieutenant could object, the Queen was unlocking the wrist cuffs that restrained her son.
"Your majesty wa...."
Teela didn't get to finish her sentence.
Everything happened in an instant.
The queen unlocked the General's wrist cuffs and ankle cuffs and moved to embrace him again.
But Damas had other plans.
As quick as lightning, the General was up. His eyes burned with fury and cheeks were red. Teela moved to subdue him but he was too fast and too strong. With little effort, he threw the Lieutenant into the Queen and they both went crashing into the wall on the other side of the room.
"The Great Hordak warned me about such tricks!" he spat at the two unconscious women on the floor. "Your son, indeed!"
He spun and reached for the doorknobs.
The doors, however, sprung open before he could even grip the brass.
The General smirked.
"It's about time you decided to make yourself useful," he grunted. "Would have been nice if you could have been here a little sooner."
Shadow Weaver hovered in the air on the other side of the door. A second later, both she and the General vanished.
********
The wind raider touched down as the alarm sirens started to go off. Adora hopped out of the raider and ran towards the palace, both swords traveling in the holster on her back.
No sooner had she turned the corner into the palace doors when a strong hand grabbed her arm and jerked her into a dark corner.
The princess spun and glared at her captor.
It was Calen.
He put a finger to her lips and pulled her farther out of the light. He loosened the grip on her arm as she followed him. When the Captain of the Guard was finally sure they were alone, he pulled the Princess into a strong embrace.
Fairly shocked by his changed disposition towards her, Adora allowed herself to sink into his arms. Forgetting the alarms going off around them, she nestled her face into his neck and breathed in his scent.
For a second, she forgot about the world and gave herself up to her heart.
Calen stroked her long, blonde hair and continued to squeeze her tightly. Finally, Adora giggled and pulled back so she could look her love in the face.
"So I assume this means you're speaking to me again," she joked.
Calen cupped her cheek in his hand, and nodded. She smiled and looked around.
"So, um, what's going on?" she asked. "Why are the alarms sounding?"
Calen took a deep breath and held her arms tightly.
"A Horde Assassin, the one we fear had breached the palace before, tried to kill your father," he said slowly. "We captured him but while they were performing an inquiry, he attacked you mother and Lt. Teela. They weren't hurt badly, but the fiend got away. I'm certain he'll be back."
Adora gasped in shock and jerked away.
"I have to go to them!" she yelped as she pulled back. "I have to make sure they are alright."
With his strength, Calen pulled her back to him and forced her to look at his face.
"Listen to me," he said sternly. "He's still out there. And it appears he's hunting the Royal Family. So as far you are concerned, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Its my duty to protect you."
Adora stiffened and her expression fell serious.
"Your duty?" she retorted. "I am nothing more than your duty?"
She yanked herself from his grip and started to walk away when the Captain grabbed her by the arm and fiercely pulled her back to him. Forcefully, her pulled her waist to his with one hand and grabbed her head with the other. His fingers entwined themselves in her golden locks as he pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was filled with longing and for several minutes, the two people gave into the other's hunger.
When they finally broke apart, Calen embraced Adora and buried his face into her hair.
"Don't you see?" he whispered. "I have to protect you. I love you too much to let anything happen to you."
Adora sighed at Calen's confession. While it made her heart pound, it made her mind race.
"How am I going to do MY duty with him watching me like hawk?" she wondered as she tilted her head to meet his lips once again.
***Disclaimer in One.
CHAPTER 20
Several minutes passed in silence with the exception of the Queen's sobs which were muffled as she cried into the captive's shoulder.
Even the Lieutenant said nothing. She just stared, mouth agape, awestruck by the events that had unfolded in front of her.
The General sat very still and said nothing. His face was completely devoid of reaction or emotion. He just sat there as the Queen of Eternia cried her heart out on his shoulder. As her arms embraced the rest of his upper torso tightly.
After several more minutes, the Queen slowly pulled back and clasped the General's face with both hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes.
The General's eyes were blank but the Queen had the memory of their familiar beauty burned into her mind. Call it maternal instinct or the fact that she saw those eyes every night in her dreams, she knew the eyes of her son.
Her son, the prince.
Her Adam.
She felt her throat start to tighten up again and fought against the warm tears that once again started to well up in her eyes. She stared at the General intently before gently pushing a stray lock of hair away from his eye.
"My son....." she whispered. "My beautiful boy."
Still the General did not move or speak.
Teela wasn't even sure if he was breathing but the intensity of the moment kept her frozen in her place.
Marlena dropped her hands down to the General's shackled wrists and covered his hands with her own. Slowly, she raised Damas' hands to her face and softly rubbed her cheek against them.
The General did not flinch.
"Oh my Adam," the queen choked. "People will fear you. They already do. Your hands are controlled by the Horde."
She looked at him again and squeezed his hands.
"But I KNOW, that you are not lost to us yet," she whispered again, mostly because her throat tightened to avoid the sobs from her diaphragm. "You may have been a pawn to the Horde, but you were NEVER one of them. Not in your soul anyway. And definitely not in your heart."
The General remained silent.
"Do you remember any of it?" the Queen seemed to be pleading more than asking. "You were an infant but do you not remember us.....me?"
She placed one hand on his face again and looked imploringly into his eyes.
"Do you not recognize the touch of your mother? My voice? My embrace?"
The General sat still.
"Do you understand that they STOLE you from us, Adam?" the Queen pushed to break through. "Do you understand that you are NOT a member of the Horde? You are the prince of Eternia. You are Adam, Prince of Eternia. Son of King Randor and Queen Marlena. Twin brother to Adora, Princess of Eternia. Do you hear me? You are a son and a brother and a prince. Your place was here and it was STOLEN from you by the Horde!!!"
The General did not react to the Queen's outburst. After what seemed to be a long pause, she sighed and cupped his chin.
"You may not think you know but in your heart, you do," she said through gritted teeth, gritted because her body was slowly succumbing to the racking sobs in her body. "You know ME, Adam. Your blood is my blood. Your life is my heart. Search within yourself and you will find me. You will find the home that I know in my heart you have been missing for so long."
The Queen gave into her emotions and buried her head in her hands as she sobbed heavily.
Teela stood by, stunned and silent.
Damas stared at the crying Queen. Finally, he blinked and his upper lip twitched. He cocked his head to the side.
The Queen sensed the man's movement and looked up at him with teary, bloodshot eyes.
Several more moments passed as the three people in the room sat, motionless. Damas' mouth continued to twitch as if he were trying to say something. The Queen smiled at him and nodded her head, tears running down her blushed cheeks.
The General finally spit out the word he seemed to be searching for.
".....mah....Mother?"
**********
Outside the mighty doors of the palace room that held the three occupants, a strange, green mist floated low to the ground, working its way around the corners and up the walls.
The five guardsmen stationed in front of the doors didn't know what hit them and within seconds, they were all on the ground unconscious.
*********
This time it was the General who began to cry.
Marlena embraced her son again and held him as they both seemed to be overcome by their emotions.
"Finally!" She thought as she stroked his hair. "Finally, its over. Its all over."
The chains around Damas' wrists rattled as he brought his hands up to his face.
The Queen frowned.
*******
Teela finally snapped to when she realized Marlena had snatched the keychain hanging from her belt and before the Lieutenant could object, the Queen was unlocking the wrist cuffs that restrained her son.
"Your majesty wa...."
Teela didn't get to finish her sentence.
Everything happened in an instant.
The queen unlocked the General's wrist cuffs and ankle cuffs and moved to embrace him again.
But Damas had other plans.
As quick as lightning, the General was up. His eyes burned with fury and cheeks were red. Teela moved to subdue him but he was too fast and too strong. With little effort, he threw the Lieutenant into the Queen and they both went crashing into the wall on the other side of the room.
"The Great Hordak warned me about such tricks!" he spat at the two unconscious women on the floor. "Your son, indeed!"
He spun and reached for the doorknobs.
The doors, however, sprung open before he could even grip the brass.
The General smirked.
"It's about time you decided to make yourself useful," he grunted. "Would have been nice if you could have been here a little sooner."
Shadow Weaver hovered in the air on the other side of the door. A second later, both she and the General vanished.
********
The wind raider touched down as the alarm sirens started to go off. Adora hopped out of the raider and ran towards the palace, both swords traveling in the holster on her back.
No sooner had she turned the corner into the palace doors when a strong hand grabbed her arm and jerked her into a dark corner.
The princess spun and glared at her captor.
It was Calen.
He put a finger to her lips and pulled her farther out of the light. He loosened the grip on her arm as she followed him. When the Captain of the Guard was finally sure they were alone, he pulled the Princess into a strong embrace.
Fairly shocked by his changed disposition towards her, Adora allowed herself to sink into his arms. Forgetting the alarms going off around them, she nestled her face into his neck and breathed in his scent.
For a second, she forgot about the world and gave herself up to her heart.
Calen stroked her long, blonde hair and continued to squeeze her tightly. Finally, Adora giggled and pulled back so she could look her love in the face.
"So I assume this means you're speaking to me again," she joked.
Calen cupped her cheek in his hand, and nodded. She smiled and looked around.
"So, um, what's going on?" she asked. "Why are the alarms sounding?"
Calen took a deep breath and held her arms tightly.
"A Horde Assassin, the one we fear had breached the palace before, tried to kill your father," he said slowly. "We captured him but while they were performing an inquiry, he attacked you mother and Lt. Teela. They weren't hurt badly, but the fiend got away. I'm certain he'll be back."
Adora gasped in shock and jerked away.
"I have to go to them!" she yelped as she pulled back. "I have to make sure they are alright."
With his strength, Calen pulled her back to him and forced her to look at his face.
"Listen to me," he said sternly. "He's still out there. And it appears he's hunting the Royal Family. So as far you are concerned, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Its my duty to protect you."
Adora stiffened and her expression fell serious.
"Your duty?" she retorted. "I am nothing more than your duty?"
She yanked herself from his grip and started to walk away when the Captain grabbed her by the arm and fiercely pulled her back to him. Forcefully, her pulled her waist to his with one hand and grabbed her head with the other. His fingers entwined themselves in her golden locks as he pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was filled with longing and for several minutes, the two people gave into the other's hunger.
When they finally broke apart, Calen embraced Adora and buried his face into her hair.
"Don't you see?" he whispered. "I have to protect you. I love you too much to let anything happen to you."
Adora sighed at Calen's confession. While it made her heart pound, it made her mind race.
"How am I going to do MY duty with him watching me like hawk?" she wondered as she tilted her head to meet his lips once again.