Chapter XXXI: The Final Decision
Teelina and her lover, the Dereskian Queen Lady Moria Vadorian, lay together on the younger woman's bed, fully clothed and just resting against one another. The redheaded woman's head was resting upon Moria's shoulder, and the Ancient Dereskian idly stroked a few of the red locks that had been left uncovered so often in the last two months of their affair.
The Sorceress simply laid resting, her eyes closed as she made the occasional sound of comfort and contentment, nestled in her lover's arms. However, it was fairly obvious that the elder woman did not share in the simple happiness of the redhead. Moria lay stroking Teelina's hair, her eyes open and staring off into space. She had very little time, left, she knew, and the future she had Seen was close to becoming a reality.
She sighed raggedly, a deep, sorrowful sound that contained many centuries of repressed emotions. The Sorceress slowly opened her eyes and looked at her lover questioningly, nuzzling her shoulder gently. "What is it, Moria?" she asked calmly, pressing a tender kiss to the paler woman's cheek. "You seem even more distant than usual, if possible."
Amethyst eyes slowly blinked closed, and then opened again, as their owner broke out of her reverie and sighed deeply before turning towards the redhead. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke, and when she did, it was only to pose a slow, chilling question. "...Do you ever find it hard, knowing what will happen and yet not being able to do anything but merely watch as the events unfold?" Moria's voice was hauntingly emotionless, her eyes as empty as vacant pools of water hidden deep within a cavern.
The Sorceress looked at her with a furrowed brow, her head turned to the side as she regarded her lover. "Occasionally, yes. ...Why do you ask?"
Moria seemed to evade the question, and a third sigh slipped from her lips before she sat up and brought her knees up, resting her hands around them slowly. "Teelina..." she began, a little haltingly. "I... need you to do something for me...and I can almost guarantee that you won't like it...." She broke off, her gaze lowering to where her toes met the bed sheet.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and slowly turned her head to look into the ice blue eyes that reminded her so much of her deceased sister's. "What is it, Moria?" Teelina asked again, this time with a hint of uncertainty to her voice.
The elder woman reached out a hand and absently smoothed a few stray strands of auburn hair away from the younger woman's face before speaking. She let out a small breath she had not been aware she had been holding, and explained. "In about an hour or so, Man-at-Arms and King Randor will come to Castle Grayskull looking for you. They will want to discuss your recent behavior, which Man-at-Arms has been witness to, and what, if anything, your relationship with me is."
Teelina nodded gently. "I had wondered when Duncan would finally express his concerns to the King. Though I had assumed that he would have tried talking to me at least once before."
"Certain recent ideas given to Man-at-Arms have put this scenario in a whole new light," Moria continued, her tone again that of the composed Ancient. "He has convinced the King that I have cast some sort of spell over you, which makes you little more than my mindless drone and doomed to obey my every command." She had to pause for a moment as the Sorceress laughed at the thought of ever being controlled, even by someone as strong as Moria. When Teelina had regained her composure, the elder Dereskian smiled at her gently and continued on. "Which is, of course, a ridiculous idea. However, they will need to come to you and establish just how far into my 'control' you are."
The elder woman's tone was now complete seriousness and she regarded the redhead with her eyes somber and cool. Her next words were still in her earlier tone, but she slowed in her speech to accentuate her meaning. "If what they see of you verifies the uncertainties they have about you, Randor will have no choice but to declare you a traitor." She paused for a long moment, both to let her words sink in and because the next words were difficult for her to say. "...What I need you to do, my dear... is prove their suspicions "
"What?" the redhead stuttered out, her eyes wide in disbelief. "You want me to act as though I'm under your spell?"
Lady Moria shook her head in immediate negation. "No, of course not. I need for you to show that you are under no spell, and that you have joined with me of your own free will. I need for you to prove that I have 'corrupted' you, but that the corruption was begun because you wanted it. Because you asked for it of your own free will." The Sorceress looked to interrupt, but the elder woman raised her hand for her to be patient and completed her thought. "They need to declare that you have betrayed the realm, as well as the code you stood for. That you in actuality have not is not important, only that they think you have."
Teelina nodded slowly, though her eyes spoke of massive confusion. "I understand, Moria, but why is this so important?" she asked, not a little unsurely.
A moment passed before the elder woman answered, her eyes falling away, unable to meet those ice blue eyes she knew so well. "Because if something does not change, the future that awaits us will bring about the end of everything we hold dear... and I cannot allow that to happen, no matter the consequences. The future must change, Teelina." Moria said heatedly, her eyes burning in a black fire as she turned to regard the younger woman. "I will not, I cannot allow what I have Seen to occur. Nor... unfortunately, can I tell you anything else," she added, guessing what the Sorceress was going to ask. "But please, Teelina, I beg of you. Do not let those two men leave your castle thinking that you are still loyal to them, even if you are. Please."
"I... do not understand why this is so important, or how the question of my loyalty allows you to think that you can change the course of the future.... But if you think the situation so dire, Moria, then I will do what I can to help you, even if I don't really know why. Despite everything you have done.... I do know I can trust what you say." The Sorceress smiled at her slowly, sighing deeply and nuzzling the elder woman's hand as it caressed her cheek.
"Thank you, Teelina," Moria said softly, kissing the redhead's cheek gently. "Thank you for believing me. I know I do not always make it easy."
The Sorceress smiled and nuzzled her lover's cheek absently, sighing a little regretfully as she pulled back. "You're going to leave again, aren't you?" she asked sadly, knowing the answer.
Moria nodded and took the younger woman's hand in hers, kissing the palm gently. "It would not do for them to arrive with me still here, te lynïa. Seven hundred and eighty years may have passed, but I do not think I would do well in a room with a direct descendant of Mindor's without a large crowd of innocent people nearby.... But I will be watching, my dear."
Teelina sighed raggedly, not really wanting to have to do this alone but understanding why Moria would not feel comfortable. "I will try not to let you down, Moria..." she said gently, the words inaudible to anyone who did not have excellent hearing.
The elder woman smiled, her eyes soft and gentle as she almost lovingly caressed the redhead's cheek. "That would be impossible, Teelina," she said softly, her lips tenderly brushing over the redhead's in a gentle caress before she slowly vanished from the room, leaving the Sorceress alone to prepare for the onslaught of her visitors.
A little less than an hour later, she became aware of Man-at-Arms outside the castle and demanding the Jawbridge for entry.
Teelina took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for the onslaught she knew was about to occur. It comforted her a little to know that somewhere, Moria was watching, and that if she was needed for any reason, she could step in. Personally, though, the Sorceress hoped that it would not have to come to that.
She idly adjusted her turquoise and gold headdress, reacquainting herself with the recently unworn garment. With the knowledge that it would not do for them to find her here in her bedchambers, Teelina raised her wings and flew off to the throne room, sitting upon her golden dais with her recently unused staff at her side.
As the footsteps of the two men became audible even to someone with ordinary hearing, the Sorceress took one last, slightly ragged breath and then steeled her face in the calm and serene expression she was known for. She was not looking forward to this, but Moria had actually begged her for something, and that was not something the Dereskian Queen did lightly. She would do her best to carry out that request, even if she did not fully understand why.
The doors to her throne room opened, revealing Man-at-Arms and King Randor, just as she had suspected, dressed in all the finery of their usual outfits. Randor stepped forward purposefully, his fur lined coating swinging from his shoulder as Duncan followed behind, his eyes moving over the room to check and see if anyone was there.
"Welcome, your highness," the Sorceress called out from her throne, rising and descending the steep steps to her dais. "Man-at-Arms," she smiled gently, nodding her head at her old friend.
Duncan swallowed a little visibly, and slowly nodded in return. When he spoke, his tone was business like and unfeeling. "Sorceress," he said plainly.
Teelina felt her eyes close for a moment before she opened them again, sighing invisibly and descending the final few steps to floor level. "What can I do for you, your highness?" she asked in her enigmatic, friendly tone, her attention on Randor.
King Randor grumbled slowly, taking a moment before actually replying. "We seek council on how to rid the planet of the Dereskian Queen," he answered in the royal tone he had perfected over the last twenty or so years.
The red haired woman nodded slowly, resting her hand gracefully on her staff. "So Man-at-Arms has asked of me before, your highness. But I have discovered no new information, and I do not really think I'll be able to help you."
Man-at-Arms interjected here, his voice holding stiffness and a bit of pent up resentment towards the Sorceress. "I asked if the Dereskian had any weaknesses, not how to get rid of her," he clarified roughly.
"So you did," The Sorceress answered calmly, her tone soft and understanding. "But I know of no power source that is strong enough to destroy Moria Vadorian." She had to pause as both men cringed at the name, and Teelina had to struggle not to smile. Moria did make a lasting impression, it seemed. "I do not see how you expect me to help you," she admitted after a moment.
Again, it was Duncan who answered. "You told me before that the Dereskian Queen had no weaknesses that you knew of, correct?" he questioned, and the redhead nodded, wondering why she suddenly got the impression that this was an interrogation. Man-at-Arms continued. "And yet it is obvious that the weakness of any mother would be her child. You have such a weakness yourself," he stated, his eyes burning as the Sorceress' eyes widened. She looked as if to interrupt, but Duncan pressed on. "Therefore, you must have known that Evil-Lyn would be her mother's only weakness, as your child is yours. You deliberately lied to me. You lied to Eternia, whose power you are sworn to protect. Why?"
In that moment, the Sorceress wished deeply that Randor was not present, and not only because his glare threatened to pierce directly through her. She knew that she could not mention the Unwritten Law she and Moria had devised with Randor in the room, because that would reveal who that Teela was her child. Lady Moria had asked her to ensure that they thought her a traitor, she recalled. Perhaps it was time to grant that request.
She took a deep breath, and answered. "Because I did not wish for Moria's weakness to be discovered," she said softly. "Because I knew that if you exploited Evil-Lyn, as opposed to giving you access to Moria, she would have gone completely out of control. I knew that if you harmed Evil-Lyn, she would do the same to Adam... and to Teela," she added softly, her eyes locked on Duncan's, shining above the triangular green marks on her cheeks.
For a long moment, no one said anything. When the silence at last was broken, it was Randor who spoke.
"You have lied to us, Sorceress," he said in a soft tone, but his eyes were menacing. "Even under the excuse of fearing for our children, we cannot allow this Dereskian to go unpunished for her many crimes. This is a woman who has destroyed over two thousand Eternian lives single-handedly. Even if her crimes took place seven hundred odd years ago, it is our duty as Eternians to do everything in our power to bring her to justice. You have not done so," Randor finished challengingly, his lips set in an angry frown to match his glare.
The Sorceress raised her chin and did spread her wings wide, her eyes almost glowing gold. "I am not Eternian," she answered simply, her tone cold as ice. "My mother was protector of Grayskull before me, yes. But my father was not an Eternian. He was a Dereskian." Her voice was growing into slightly booming tones, and she paused to let her words sink in, almost enjoying the look of horror on the faces of the two men.
When she continued, her wings folded, and her tone lessened to her usual, more soothing volume. "To say that I have not been completely truthful to you regarding Lady Moria is correct, your highness. But I have many responsibilities, both to Eternia and to the Dereskígía. I have to take care, and do what I think is best for both civilizations. Under Eternian law, Moria has sinned irrevocably. But under Dereskian, her actions were perfectly justified." Both men looked to interrupt, but this time it was the Sorceress who cut them off and continued. "You cannot honestly say that Moria had no reason for killing those people. Think of it from her point of view, your highness," she said, turning to look at Randor. "She has killed some two thousand Eternian people. Those two thousand were responsible for the complete elimination of eight hundred thousand Dereskians. Your people were murdered, yes. But hers, your highness? Hers were obliterated."
A long moment of silence fell over the two Eternians. But whether it was from what Teelina had said of Moria or her own admission of being half Dereskian, she did not know. When next Randor spoke, however, his tone had considerably lessened in severity.
"Sorceress," he began tentatively. "Is there any feasible way that we can bring the Dereskian Queen to the justice of the Eternian court, as she did those two thousand people to the court of Dereskians?" he questioned slowly, not even beginning to think of how Moira Vadorian may have been justified.
"Your highness," the Sorceress replied calmly, trying to placate while still being realistic. "The matter is not in our hands. There is nothing we can do." Her tone was still, as was her demeanor. Though her words were morbid, she said them in such a manner that they did not seem so.
In spite of this, in spite of everything she had said and the doubts in his own mind, something within Man-at-Arms snapped. He bristled and lashed out viperously. "Are you saying that because you honestly think it, or because you're currently sharing your bed with the topic of our discussion?!" he shouted acridly, growling his own conclusions into the suddenly silent air, secretly praying to any god that would listen that what he said was untrue.
The Sorceress' mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came. After admitting being a Dereskian, it was a natural leap to admit having Moria as a lover. Still, she could not allow herself to actually say it. Instead, she closed her mouth and was silent, her gaze lowered, which was all the answer that was needed.
Randor looked as though he were going to be physically ill. The admission of being half Dereskian was enough in its own, but to learn that Moria and the Sorceress were lovers threw any hope of Randor's understanding completely out the window. It was some time before he could bring himself to speak. His face was set as an angry yet businesslike stone. "Sorceress of Grayskull," he said, his voice as comforting as ice, "I hereby revoke you of your mantle as Grayskull's guardian."
Teelina took in a deep breath, gasping in momentary terror, her eyes panicking for a moment, before something Moria had said rang back into her mind. Her face was set, calm and serene as she looked back at him. "That decision is not yours to make, Randor."
The king was unnerved by her glare, and considered his options dismally. He cursed beneath his breath and shook his head before speaking. "That may be so.... However, I do posses the power to have you arrested for high treason against the crown by consulting with the enemy. Duncan?" he asked, turning towards the dumfounded Man-at-Arms.
Before the speechless Eternian could say or do anything, Teelina sighed raggedly. "This is madness!" she exclaimed. "You cannot arrest me simply because I choose to sleep with someone. Who, by the way, has done no wrong to the Eternian populace in the last five centuries!" And it was true, she had to admit. The only thing they could possibly charge Moria for in the past five hundred years was choosing to aid her child. They had no actual proof of her aiding Skeletor or living at Snake Mountain. It was the two centuries that had come before that Randor had any crime of Moria's to accuse her of.
Indeed, Randor did not seem to care about the past five hundred years, only the two before that. "When said person has killed over two thousand Eternian people, yes, Sorceress, we can. Man-At-Arms?" he questioned, turning to his old friend, who had come out of his stupor.
Duncan removed the ever-present set of manacles that hung from his belt, looking apologetically at the Sorceress. He suddenly had a thought, and turned to Randor. "Wait, your majesty," he said, a plot forming. "The Sorceress has a relationship with the Dereskian Queen. That provides us with the edge we need against her, without having to wait for an opportunity to strike at Evil-Lyn. We can use the Sorceress to bring her out of hiding."
Deep within the Sands of Time, watching their every move and listening in on their every word, Moria Vadorian had heard enough. It was time for her to come off of the sidelines and into the game. She closed her eyes and vanished into the floor
"That would be an excellent idea, Man-at-Arms," said an all-too familiar voice from the shadows. The two men turned slowly, disbelievingly, towards the shadowed form of the Dereskian Queen as she rose from the floor. "Of course," Moria continued. "It would be, if I had not just been witness to it, or just made it irrelevant by appearing just now."
The Sorceress looked at her lover, appalled. "Moria!" she exclaimed, more worried for the elder woman than herself.
Both Man-at-Arms and Randor cringed visibly at the name.
Moria smiled widely, walking over and slipping her hand down Teelina's cheek. "Hello, love. You didn't really think I'd miss your being arrested, did you?"
Randor shook off his stupor, and turned to Duncan quickly. "Seize her!" he exclaimed, himself and his Man-at-Arms rushing toward the Ancient Dereskian.
The white-haired woman did not even move. Her eyes flashed wildly, and they bumped into an invisible wall as she created a force field around them. Duncan automatically fired mechanic blasts at the wall with his robotic arm as Randor slashed at it with his sword. Man-at-Arms' actions did nothing, and Randor's only advanced him with a jarred arm.
Moria shook her head at Randor. "Idiot," she said softly. "Like your ancestor." She turned back to the Sorceress and smirked. You didn't really think they would pose a problem?
Teelina shook her head, hiding a smile.
King Randor's jaw dropped, and he opened it and closed it slowly. "Mindor..." he finally exhaled.
Moria turned back towards him slowly. "Ah," she said softly, acidly, narrowing her eyes into twin slits of amethyst fire. "You've heard of him."
Randor pressed against her force field angrily. "You can't blame me for something he did years ago!"
"Oh no?" the Ancient Dereskian countered, stepping close to her force field. "But you can arrest the Sorceress for something that not she was not even involved in, something I alone did an equally long time ago? I fail to see your logic, Randor, son of Miro."
The Sorceress was unable to hold back a mirthless laugh. "It isn't there, Moria," she said, smiling at her lover.
The elder woman smiled back, winking an amethyst eye.
Man-at-Arms was shocked at the transformation that had taken place in the Sorceress. Where once had been a prophetic ally, full of incorruptibility and hidden emotions, there now stood a fiery stranger, like some sort of strange flower that had blossomed under Moria's care.
Randor seemed to agree, turning his gaze from one woman to the other. He growled audibly, throwing himself against the force field, which held, of course. "The Sorceress is not guiltless!" he cried angrily, eyes locked accusingly at the elder woman. "She has committed treason by fraternizing with you. I, on the other hand, have done no wrong!"
"On the contrary," Lady Moria countered, a smirk on her pale face. "Should you go through with this plot to arrest the Sorceress, or myself, for that matter, you are guilty of breaking one of your oldest laws: undermining the right to sanctuary. You cannot, under legality of your own people, arrest someone on protected grounds."
The king of the Eternians seemed dumbstruck. For a few moments, nothing was said. Finally, Randor exclaimed, "How very convenient."
Moria laughed softly, smiling in her enigmatic fashion, moving her finger ever-so-slightly. The walls of the force field began shrinking, pushing Man-at-Arms and Randor further away, towards the closing wall of the other side of the field. "Be gone, your highness," the Dereskian Queen laughed. "You can do nothing of use here, and the dear Sorceress and I have... other plans today." The field stopped shrinking on a sudden whim as the elder woman slid her arms around Teelina, kissing her cheek gently.
Duncan recoiled openly. "You simply expect us to just leave you here?!" he shouted angrily.
The elder woman smiled sweetly at him. "Yes," she said simply, her eyes beginning to pinwheel. "You cannot force either of us to leave, and you cannot arrest the Sorceress while she is in these walls."
Randor seemed to consider this, and cursed inwardly that the Ancient woman was right. He was powerless within Grayskull, in the very walls of the kingdom that was his to govern, bound by his own laws. He lowered his head in defeat, and backed away from the force field, turning towards the Sorceress and looking at her, searching for some hint of the woman who he had known. He found no such sign, and groaned is dismay; finally saying in what he hoped was a threatening tone. "If you ever leave these walls, Sorceress, you will be immediately imprisoned."
Teelina seemed to realize at last what she was doing. She swallowed visibly, but did not look at him, and locked eyes with the other woman, who nodded. "I understand," she said softly, her tone a tad defeated herself but not going back on her decision.
To the elder woman, Randor snarled visibly. "And if you ever are caught outside, your life is forfeit." His eyes sparkled with uncontrolled rage and he looked ready to pounce the Ancient Dereskian, even though he knew such an act would be pointless.
Lady Moria smiled in her fashion, trailing her fingers down her lover's cheek and not even looking at him. "If you ever get me in a position where that situation is applicable, I'll deserve to die."
"You deserve to die anyway," Randor spat back.
Moria's eyes narrowed angrily and they blazed in amethyst fire as she turned away from Teelina to regard the King of Eternia, her lips curled in a snarl. "You go through half of what your people inflicted upon me, and then come back and tell me what I deserve," she growled lowly, eyes burning as Randor took an uncertain step back. Moria turned away from him, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself as she facing Teelina again, waiting a moment for her anger to cool before she lifted her force field.
Unable to find anything to reply to that, Randor stuttered in failed statements before giving up and turning, glancing at Man-at-Arms. With a swirl of his highness' fur cloak, they were gone, with only a last sad look of Duncan's as he wondered what this white haired witch had done with the Sorceress who had been his friend.
After it was evident that they had gone, the Sorceress let out a deep sigh. "That was not the best meeting."
The elder woman smiled softly, wrapping her pale arms around Teelina lovingly. "It could have been worse, my dear. And it did accomplish what needed to be changed, and I thank you for that." She idly ran her tongue over the redhead's neck before continuing. "Besides, it is not as though you leave this castle all that often anyway."
"True," the redhead sighed softly, leaning against her lover and closing her eyes as she rested in Moria's embrace, her head tilting to the side to encourage the elder woman's motions. "But now you can't leave either."
The white-haired woman laughed softly, kissing the Sorceress' neck gently, knowing how much the younger woman loved it when she did so. "Do you really expect that empty threat to hinder me?"
Smiling gently, the redhead murmured softly at Moria's caress on her skin. "Of course not... though it does make a convenient excuse for you never having to leave."
"Mmm...." Moria exhaled gently, trailing kisses down her lover's neck slowly. "Do I really need an excuse, love?"
Teelina sighed in pleasure, the recent conversation vanishing from her mind. "Oh.... Moria.... Mmmm.... No, you don't...."
The day passed pleasurably enough for the both of them, and when Moria felt it necessary to take her leave, she did so quite easily.