Chapter 5
Kal-El had the left the throne room a few minutes earlier and he was frustrated. War and marriage was all the Council and his advisors seemed to talk about and it was driving him crazy. As much as he wanted to stab them during ever session, he was of the House of El not Zod, he was not a tyrant.
Knights and guards kneeled as he walked past them and nobles and servants bowed. Kal-El knocked on the doors of the Duchess of Kent's quarters. He had moved Martha and Henry to Kandor with him after the Battle of Smallville since their home was now under attack every single day.
"Enter…" A female voice said from inside the room.
Kal-El let himself in and Martha's ladies in waiting all bowed before him. "Ladies…" Kal-El bowed his head.
The ladies left the room muttering, "Your Majesty."
Martha was reading a book and she smiled at him. "Another meeting with the Council?" She asked and began reading again. "You should not let them get to you, Clark." Clark sighed and removed his circlet from his head. He set it down on the table and sat down next to her. He placed his right hand over his eyes and she knew that he was stressed. Martha closed her book.
Clark removed his hand from his face and ran both his hands through his hair. "Once again, the Council has brought us the idea of a marriage with Lana Lang."
"I admit that she is a nice girl. But the question is do you want to marry her?" Martha asked sincere.
"Honestly, I do not know. I care deeply for her but I do not know if I love her. I want to be in love with the woman I am going to marry, like you and father…like Jor-El and Lara." Clark said.
Martha lowered her head. "To be honest, your mother despised your father when they were promised to each other."
Clark turned to look at her deeply confused. "You have always told me that my birth parents were deeply in love."
"That did not happen until later. Zor-El wanted to marry Lara Lor-Van but he was second in line to the throne. Your father had never even met your mother and he was not interested in marriage but he was the heir to the throne. Your grandfather, Jor-El I, believed that you mother would be a better match for your father because she was a member of a respected house and he needed to marry to produce an heir so they had an arranged marriage." Martha explained.
Martha placed a comforting hand on top of Clark's and then she continued on. "Jor-El and Lara were both dreading their wedding day. Jor-El was always complaining to Jonathan about it and said that we were fortunate to be in love. Your parents finally met a week before their wedding. Jor-El told us that he instantly fell in love with her and that he even apologized to her for not getting to know one another before their wedding."
"My father apologized?" Clark asked surprised.
"Why is that so surprising to you?" Martha asked.
"Because Zor-El was always saying to me that men of the House of El never have to apologize and that people have to earn our forgiveness." Clark lowered his head and Martha gave his hand a squeeze.
"Zor-El was a flawed man and he was always living in his brother's shadow. He cared for you in his own way I am sure but do not believe every word he said to you." Martha said and Clark nodded.
"So…my father apologized to my mother." He motioned for her to continue.
"Yes and that is when she realized she liked him. They spent the week talking and getting to know one another. The night before their wedding, Jor-El promised Lara that he would try to make her as happy a man can possibly make a woman." Martha smiled. "That night, they shared their first kiss and Lara knew she cared deeply for him as well."
"But when did she know she loved him?" Clark asked.
"Your parents had been married for a few years and Zor-El had just married Allura Im-Ze, and your grandfather died. Jor-El did not have a good relationship with his father and he was so afraid because now he inherited a throne and all the responsibilities that came with it. The night after his first meeting with the Council, Jor-El could not sleep so your mother stayed up with him and she told him she would always be there for him no matter what. He had always considered Lara his equal so he asked her attend Council sessions and help him make decisions."
"What did the Council think of this?" Clark asked.
"They were skeptical at first but then they were greatly impressed with your mother. They were crowned king and queen and they ruled Krypton together. At their coronation ball is when your mother told Jor-El that she did in fact love him." Clark smiled as she told him this. "And Jor-El's love for her is why she remained Queen of Krypton."
"What? I do not understand." Clark was confused again.
"Your mother was a wise and caring queen but for almost ten years your parents tried but they could not have a child. The Council was secretly advising Jor-El to divorce Lara and marry another woman. Jor-El refused constantly. He eventually told Lara about what the Council was recommending and she was furious. It was at the next session of the Council that she made an announcement, she was with child. Jor-El was overjoyed… and terrified." Martha said.
"Terrified? King Jor-El II? The same king who defeated Zod and banished him to the Phantom Zone?"
"Yes, he was terrified. You were his first child. The last thing Jor-El wanted was to become his father, who was strict and absent. I remembered the day they told us. They were afraid to tell us because we had been trying to conceive since our wedding day and I had two miscarriages but we were happy for them." Martha paused for a moment.
"The next year, you were born. The kingdom was ecstatic; there was a massive celebration with free wine, feasts, jousting tournaments, festivals, and fireworks in every city in Krypton. And Jor-El and Lara made Jonathan and I your godparents." Martha smiled as she reflected on this.
"And this was before the war?" Clark asked.
"Yes. William Ross was on the throne and his eldest son, Michael, was expected to obtain the throne. His other children with his wife were Samuel, Mark, and Kathy. I remember that Queen Abigail was with child. And I also remember hearing about a scandal involving the king and numerous mistresses. Abigail was furious; she left court for their summer home and gave birth to Peter there."
"And Lionel Luthor?" Clark asked.
"Lionel Luthor was nothing more than a rich Baron that William knighted years before he overthrew him. He as well had numerous mistresses like the mother of his son, Lucas. His youngest son by his wife, Julian, died when he was baby and that was after he took the throne." She paused.
"I will not lie but William was a king of pleasure. A number of people could have overthrown him, even his own son, but it had to be Lionel Luthor." Martha shook her head. "I met him a few times while he was here at court as William's ambassador. He wanted me to be his mistress." Martha scoffed.
"What happened?" Clark asked.
"Luthor rallied a majority of the nobles and their armies and during one of William's grand parties, he attacked. Then one by one, Luthor murdered every member of the royal family except for Abigail and Peter. Jor-El and Lara were so nervous about Luthor and that was when he had the regency order placed. Your parents left Kandor to help Abigail and Peter escape Argos. But before they could get back past the border…" Martha paused trying to hold back the tears.
This time Clark gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "Luthor and his men attacked my parents' convoy, killing everyone but the soldier who got away with Peter." Clark had heard the story whispered so many times that it was burned in his memory.
"The Council and the kingdom were in chaos. You were only three years old and you could not lead an entire kingdom. That is when Zor-El presented the Council with a forged last will and testament naming him king. And Allura then announced that she was with child… so just as a precaution, Jonathan and I took you back with us to our estate." Martha said.
"You thought my uncle was going to try and kill me?" Clark asked surprised.
"We did not know what he would do. All we cared for was your safety, especially if Allura gave birth to a son. You remember what happened when the wife of the regent of Star City gave birth to a son." Martha said.
Clark has heard the story, the regent hired pirates to attack Oliver's vessel but Oliver escaped and was stranded on an island for almost two years before smugglers found him. When he returned he reclaimed his throne and imprisoned the regent. Everyone was surprised when Olivier granted him mercy.
"But later that year, Allura gave birth to a daughter instead of a son; Zor-El was disappointed because Allura could have no more children. He soon reached out to us wanting to start a relationship with you. I remember I had just given birth to Henry." Martha explained.
"Zor-El then gave himself the titles King of Krypton and Kandor and Protector of Rao… probably to give himself more power and to finally be out of Jor-El's shadow. He had also forged an alliance with Star City and declared war on Luthor's new kingdom of Genesis. Themyscria refused to join the war despite Jor-El and Lara being dear friends, but honestly they just did not approve of Zor-El being on the throne, neither did Gotham." Martha paused.
"Yet we still spent our summers at the Fortress of Solitude with Zor-El and his family. Why would we do that if you did not trust Zor-El?" Clark asked.
"Because we made Kara and Allura always accompanied him because he would not do anything that would jeopardize him losing his family He did truly love them. And at the same time, you grew closer to your cousin." Martha got up and poured two glasses of wine. "Jonathan and I thought everything ahead, especially when you were sent away to your tutors." She placed one goblet before him and she took a sip of wine.
"But then Zor-El died." Clark stated and then taking a sip of wine.
"I remember, the First Battle of Kryptonopolis. Jonathan was commander of the Red Shard at that time. Zor-El had appointed the Red Shard as the king's personal bodyguards after Jor-El and Lara's murders. Zor-El was mortally wounded by falling debris and Jonathan rushed him back to Kandor as fast as they could. It was there on his death bed that Zor-El confessed to him about forging the will and that Jor-El had made him regent until you twenty-first birthday or until his own death as long as you were of age." Martha took another sip of wine.
"So he just confessed?" Clark asked skeptical.
"Jonathan did try to save his life so I assume that at the end of his life, Zor-El felt guilty. He told Jonathan where he could find the regency papers and his last act as king was to name him Regent and Commander of the Royal Forces. He died later that night. The Council was yet again in chaos about Zor-El's dying words but then they made Jonathan King Regent. And you know the rest of the story." Martha said.
"Well I guess that changes my perspective on certain events in my life." Clark gulped down the last of his wine. "I knew that Jor-El and Jonathan met at school and they were each others' best man. But now I know my parents had arranged marriage and you suspected that my uncle would try to assassinate me. And now the Council wants me to marry a woman I care for but do not love. Now my life is even more complicated." Clark tilted his head back in frustration.
"You must not be so hard on yourself. No one, and I mean no one, has the perfect life. I remember my father wanted me to stay away from Jonathan when we were young because he was the Earl of Smallville and his father the Duke of Kent. He thought he would break my heart because I was the daughter of a lawyer. I married Jonathan without my father's permission and he even tried to get the marriage annulled." Martha said.
Clark had just noticed that the sun had gone down and the moon was rising. "Thank you, mother. I really needed to hear all those things." Clark stood and he kissed Martha on the cheek.
He then straightened his slash and put his circlet back on. Now he was Kal-El. He bowed to the Duchess of Kent and left her quarters.