Pure Intentions? Chapter 6

Teela knew she had shocked her father and the Princess of Power with her abrupt departure from the courtyard. She was also aware that she owed them an explanation; however, today she just wanted to be left alone. After she had left the Prince in the pool, she had returned to her room to change into her guard uniform. She didn't have a chance to finish dressing and styling her hair, before the alarm rang. Immediately receiving notification of the attack's location on her electronic communicator, Teela knew she didn't have time to waste as the attack was too close to the private residence of the Palace. Running out of her room, she grabbed the first weapon she came across before entering the courtyard.

Initially, she tried controlling her movements but as she waited for back-up and saw that none was coming in a timely fashion, she started taking out her frustrations on the robotic soldiers. She lost all control when she saw He-Man enter the courtyard, jumping down from the Prince's office balcony no less. Teela knew that He-Man didn't reside at the Palace and yet he always seemed to be around. She wondered what type of meeting he was having with Adam resulting for him to jump out from the Prince's balcony window.

Seeing him, ignited such a raw emotion of rage inside of her, she started attacking the robots as if they had his face plastered on them. It felt good, to be the cause of so much destruction. 'How could he just break up with her, like that?', Teela wondered. 'What did he mean, he didn't have anything left to give her?', she replayed his words in her mind. 'I gave him five years of my life', she thought angrily.

Teela had stopped telling him she loved him, because she was tired of never hearing the words repeated back to her. She didn't question his emotions for her, as he was always very tender toward her, holding her and cuddling with her after they were intimate. However, there were times she wanted verbal validation of his emotions. She wondered why he chose to terminate their affair now. However, she didn't think she would get her answer any time soon.

The worst part was that she couldn't even talk to anybody about this, since no one knew they were intimately involved. She missed when she had that type of relationship with the Prince, where she could talk about anything with him. 'Hmmm', she thought to herself, 'I wonder if I can talk to him about it, to get a man's perspective?', she wondered.

Looking at the clock on top of her dresser drawer, Teela stopped her musing as she realized she was late for her training appointment with the man she was sworn to protect. Even though today was his birthday, it didn't change the fact that they still had to train. Quickly, tying her hair into a French twist and placing her tiara on her head she schooled her features hiding her emotions.

Running to the outdoor gymnasium, she noticed that Prince Adam was already there. She was shocked because he was not late. She noticed that he seemed ready to train, dressed in his workout apparel and already holding a weapon. Adam was twirling a double-edged blade high over his head, completing maneuvers she didn't know he possessed. She stood silently at the edge of the gymnasium admiring his form. Suddenly blinking her eyes at the view in front of her, Teela's brain screamed that it was twice in one day that she found herself admiring her buddy's physique. 'What is wrong with me?', she reflected.

Picking up a similar weapon, Teela made her way over to him. As soon as she was within a few feet of him, she also began wielding her sword over her head. Hearing and feeling the air move around him, Prince Adam quickly realized he was no longer alone. Teela watched as he unceremoniously dropped the weapon as if it burned his fingers. Brining her own weapon down she addressed him, "Don't stop now Adam, this was just about to get fun."

"You're late, Teela". "I'm tired!" he responded as a means to hide his actions. He wasn't sure if she had seen him expertly wielding the sword.

"We haven't trained yet, what do you mean you are tired?", she asked, her ire at his laziness becoming evident in her voice.

"I had a long night." "Plus, I practiced while waiting for you", he said with a half-smile.

Teela pirouetted on one leg while twirling her blade high over her head, moving closer to the Prince. She stopped just as the edge of her blade skimmed underneath his chin. "Pick up your weapon, Your Highness." "I could have just decapitated you."

Calmly bringing up a large hand, the Prince grabbed hold of the edge of her sword pushing it down and away from his body. Teela did not fight him, as she knew she took a huge risk in her actions. 'Who pointed a sword at the neck of the Heir Apparent?', she mused as she reigned in her emotions.

Shaking his head at her, he turned to leave. Teela didn't want to be left alone. Running after him, she called his name "Adam, wait." "I wanted to ask you if you are alright from the pool."

Stopping in his track he turned around giving her a dazzling smile, "Jeez Teela, I didn't think you cared."

Catching up with him, she put an arm around his waist in a very sisterly manner as she stated, "I do care." "I care so much, I thought you were turning a new leaf when I saw you practicing on your own." "You've developed knew sword skills, my Prince." "I'm proud of you."

Twice now Teela had complimented him in a matter of 24 hours. 'Maybe being 30 isn't such a bad thing', he mused.

Taking a chance she asked him, "Do you have a minute?"

"I'm not training anymore", he stated.

"No Adam, not to train." "I need a friend and I don't know whom to turn to." "We used to be able to talk about anything, can I depend on you again for this?", she asked.

Flabbergasted the Prince stared at her. This was not the Teela he knew. 'What does she want to talk about?', he contemplated.

"Actually Teela, I have a financial summit to attend in a half hour." "I still need to shower and change." "Why don't you meet me for a private dinner later and we can talk?", he suggested.

"Dinner, you and me alone?", she asked.

"Sure, consider it your birthday present to me", he stated sheepishly.

Several hours later, Teela found herself seated at a small, round intimately set table in the Prince's private dining room. Raising her wine glass to her lips, she took a small sip. As she sipped she hid a small smile behind her glass reminiscing about how she found herself having a private dinner with His Royal Highness on his actual birthday. Adam had chosen to share this evening with just her, forgoing the more lavish dinner which was being held in the main dining room.

About an hour ago, he came knocking on her suite's door. Opening it, she was stunned at the visage that greeted her. He stood at his full height, reminding Teela that he was extremely tall, dressed in semi-formal evening wear of a dark blue silk suit. She had never noticed the astonishing oceanic blue of his eyes, the emotions she read there making her breath catch in her throat.

"Hello Teela", he greeted her. "I thought you would have been ready already."

"I am ready", she responded. She was still dressed in her uniform as it was typical for Teela to wear it even to dinner.

Grabbing her by the hand he walked farther into her apartment stating, "No you are not." "You're having a private dinner with your best friend on his birthday." "You are changing."

His words began a half hour verbal sparring between them, pitting red-headed stubbornness against Royal command. Teela didn't see why it was necessary for her to change. She would have, had they been participating in the formal dinner in the main dining room. This was different. She didn't feel like getting all spruced up again so soon after last night's ball.

When Adam noticed that he couldn't convince her to change verbally, he resorted to a different method. Being so much larger than her, he picked her up over his shoulder and dragged her into her walk-in closet. Grabbing the first item hanging in her closet, he threw it at her commanding "Remember, you are the one that wants to talk to me." "If it was up to me, I'd be joining the others in the dining room, Tee." "Change or else I'm cancelling our plans."

Having no choice, because she really did want to speak with him, she pushed him out of the closet slamming the door behind him so that she could change. Not having enough time to style her hair, she wore it down in soft waves falling over her shoulders. Going into her make-up bag she applied a light coating of lip gloss and some mascara. Lucky for her, Adam had reached into the part of her closet that she had her civilian clothing organized neatly by color. Teela didn't have much in civilian clothing, just a few form fitting dresses, including last night's gown. The one Adam had grabbed was a practical 'little black dress', she wore over and over. Pulling it over her head, she shimmied in place so that the dress traveled down her athletically curvaceous body.

Opening the closet door, she stood defiantly watching him watch her. He was smiling. He had won in their battle against the wills. She had missed this playful side of him, as it had been over 10 years that they acted like this. Walking proudly out of her closet and bedroom, Teela left him in her wake.

Putting her wine glass down, Teela came back to the present. She had no idea how to broach the subject she wanted to discuss with him. Teela thought that now that her 'relationship' with Grayskull's Defender had ended, she could at least tell her closest friend about it.

Adam watched her as she sipped the Merlot he had poured for them. She seemed so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize when the wait staff had put down her order and left the room. Now totally alone, the Prince waited to see if she would bring up what she wanted to talk about. Realizing that she was hesitant to do so, he reached a gentle hand out to grab her clenched one.

"Teela, what is it?" "You seem very troubled", he stated.

"I am." "Oh, Adam I don't know what to do or how to bring this up", she responded.

"Just tell me, we may be older but I'm still me Tee", he prompted.

"You are right, Adam." "I can just tell you, after all we've been friends forever", she said with a smile. "Just promise me you won't judge me."

Not picking up on the fact that she was about to divulge a secret he coaxed her into speaking.

"Very well, your Highness." "I wanted advice on relationships, from a male perspective." "You see, I've been involved in a secret sexual relationship with He-Man and last night he just abruptly ended it", she stated with a straight face.

'Ohhhh, daaamn', Adam thought as he choked on his champagne. 'Why oh why, did she have to go there?', he thought desperately.

Jumping out of her seat, Teela started clapping his back again, hoping to save him. He had turned beet-red in the face. She felt horrible realizing that she didn't temper her words, a bad habit she always engaged in. 'I should have broken it to him more slowly', she thought assuming that he was choking due to being startled by her announcement. Off course she didn't understand the real reason her childhood friend couldn't catch his breath.

'This was a bad idea', Adam thought. He should have waited until Teela got over their break-up before insisting on a private dinner. This served him right forgetting how Teela didn't mince words; however, he had no idea she would be willing to talk to him about 'their affair'. Standing up from his chair, he walked into his privy closing the door behind him, leaving Teela confused at his actions.

Putting his hands on bend knees, the Prince bend over at the waist in order to calm his coughing and intake much needed oxygen. He knew he was probably turning blue. Walking to a faucet, he turned on the cold water and splashed his face with it. Lifting his head, he stared at his wet reflection in the mirror. 'How in Eternia am I supposed to handle this?', he wondered. Knowing he couldn't leave her out there alone for too long, because she was prone to knock down his bathroom door he wiped his face, took a final deep breath, and exited the bathroom.

Walking confidently back to the dining table, he sat down "I'm sorry Teela." "The wine went down the wrong pipe", he lied.

Nodding at him and ensuring that he was now breathing, Teela returned to her own seat. Grabbing a hold of her dinner napkin, Teela placed her hands in her lap wringing the cloth to calm her nerves.

Adam prayed for an interruption. 'Where is Orko, when I need him.' The Prince would give his left foot to have someone, anyone interrupt this awkward silence between them, even Skeletor at this point. Quickly, retracting his wish because if Skeletor attacked he would have to transform which didn't bode well with having Teela in his private rooms, Prince Adam desperately sought a way to change the subject.

After several long minutes, he realized there was nothing he could say to her. Deciding it was best to 'act' like he had no idea about their private dalliance he asked, "So how can I help you?"

"I was thinking you could tell me why?", she asked holding his gaze.

He couldn't believe the position he just put himself in. He didn't dare answer her. Continuing to stare at her, he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation to give her without giving himself away. However, he didn't want to lie to her.

"For five years, we met clandestinely and yesterday he acted all weird with me at your birthday celebration." "It was almost like he was mad at me or something", she continued.

This he could address. "I'm sure He-Man wasn't mad at you."

"He ignored me and then broke my heart", she said with a sob.

"That doesn't mean he was mad at you Teela." "You may ignore people if you are angry with them, but that doesn't sound like He-Man", he responded trying to covertly explain himself to her.

"It hurts Adam, because I love him." "I had so many hopes for the future for us and now it's over so suddenly", she stated dejectedly.

Hearing her state once again that she loved him made his heart burst and then break into a million pieces. He had to fix this and soon.

"Teela, you and I both know that He-Man's duty and purpose is to serve Grayskull and to protect Eternia…",

"So do you think I was preventing him from doing his job?", she interrupted him, quickly believing that was the reason behind their breakup.

Teela interpreted his words wrong. Adam realized if he continued this conversation, he would be digging himself into a very deep hole he may not be able to climb out of, even empowered by Grayskull.

Teela didn't give him a chance to answer her last question because she quickly uttered, "I know I wasn't getting in the way of his duties." "I never went to him, as I have no idea where he lives." "He usually came to me." "Adam, what do you think I should do about it?" "Do I accept that it's over or do you think I should try and win him back?", she asked.

"Ahhhh", Adam thought, 'now this question I can answer to my advantage.' Answering her honestly he stated, "Breakups are hard Teela, as are relationships." "If you want my honest opinion, you should move one." "You are a very beautiful, sweet, independent, intelligent woman who deserves someone that would give you the world, someone who will treat you like his queen, not just some clandestine lover".

"A queen huh, so I should be chasing after you then", she winked at him. "I mean marrying you will surely make me a Queen", she said with a smile, his words having lifted her spirits.

"Maybe you should, Tee." "Maybe you should", he uttered extremely seriously making her wonder whether he was joking. Adam was looking at her intently, almost like he was trying to tell her something without uttering the words. Staring back at him, Teela took in his chiseled jaw, full luscious lips, and long-lashed cobalt eyes. Teela thought, if it wasn't for the difference in their personality and He-Man's slightly darker coloring, the two could easily pass for each other. Suddenly unable to breath, she stood up from the table grabbing hold of its edge to steady herself. She felt like the room was spinning. Her subconscious was telling her something she didn't want to believe. It couldn't be. There was no way.

Why did she just realize the physical similarities between the two? Teela wondered what Adam's body looked like without clothes. She realized that she had not seen him shirtless in so many years. Actually, it was from the time He-Man came into their lives. When He-Man first saved the King, Adam started wearing extremely loose fitting clothes, just like he was wearing now. When she accompanied him to the beach, he never swam shirtless always choosing to wear a long-sleeved undershirt and leggings. Adam had played it off that he was extremely susceptible to sunburns. Now she suspected that there was another reason.

Opening her eyes wide, Teela realized that she had never seen her inamorato around Prince Adam and yet the two seemed to know each other quite well. 'They couldn't be one man, could they?', Teela wondered.

Covering her face, she recalled that both Adam and He-Man seemed upset when she had to go help her old boyfriend Mallek. Why would they both seem jealous over her teenage relationship?

'If Adam is He-Man, then that means I've been secretly sleeping with my best friend, my future King no less?', she stated inwardly. 'It would make sense why He-Man would break up with me, on the same night that the King announced that Adam has to find a wife.' 'I was right, he never loved me.' 'Adam would never want me for a wife, that's why he broke up with me', she deduced.

As quickly as her mind conjured up these thoughts, it also dispelled the ludicrous notion that the cowardly Prince Adam was Eternia's hero. 'It couldn't be true', her mind yelled.

'But what if it was?', her silly heart yelled back. That would explain why Teela was in love with both of them at different points in her lifetime.

'Could Adam be so casually sitting and having dinner with me, after he so coldly broke my heart?', she contemplated. That would be why he was choking earlier. If what she suspected was true, Teela thought it would have been best to let him choke. He didn't deserve to live if he was He-Man. The Bastard.

Adam watched her as she stood swaying slightly from side to side. Teela looked like she was going to collapse. Her face had gone ghostly white, her breathing coming in short laborious spurts. He wondered what could be going through her mind. He didn't think that she was making mindful connections about his alter ego.

Sitting back down, Teela grabbed hold of her wine glass. Gulping down its entire contents, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, forgetting her ladylike table manners. Tilting her head to the side, she lowered her lashes to cover her eyes as she continued studying him. The more attention she paid to him, the more she noticed that the face sitting across from her was the face of her lover.

Abruptly, her demeanor changed making Adam wonder if she was beginning to exhibit the symptoms of a mood disorder. A huge smile grew on her luscious lips. Teela vowed she would go to extreme ends to find out if her suspicions were true. She knew exactly what she had to do.