Chapter 14
Lois was awaken by the sound of a heartbeat and breathing that was not her own. She could feel a hand stroking the bare skin of her left arm and she smiled. She opened her eyes to see Clark staring at her grinning. Her head rested on his chest and she felt it rise and fall as he breathed. "Good morning." He whispered.
"Good morning." She whispered back. For a few minutes, they just stared at each other. Their moment was interrupted by a knock at the door.
The two groaned and Clark threw back the blanket. Lois admired his naked body as he picked up his pants from the floor. He put them on and walked to his closet to grab a shirt. Lois pulled the blanket over her nude body and Clark smiled as he put on his shirt. He held his index finger to his lips as he opened the door a crack.
"Yes?" Kal-El asked. It was Captain Ak-Var.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but it appears that Captain Lane has escaped. The Red Shard are preparing to search the fortress as we speak." Ak-Var said hurriedly.
"Do not bother. Captain Lane is sleeping in another bed chamber, that is all but do not worry my friend, she is secure. She did not escape." Kal-El said and Lois smiled in the background, suppressing a laugh.
"It would have been nice to be informed of the change, Kal-El. The archers are ready to shoot her on sight." Ak-Var was obviously frustrated.
Kal-El placed a hand on his shoulder. "It will not happen again. I will inform you the next time I move Captain Lane. Now go tell the men to end the search." Kal-El said.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Ak-Var bowed and walked away. "I had all the bedchambers searched." Ak-Var muttered to himself as he walked away.
Clark closed the door and he noticed Lois was hiding underneath the blanket. He pulled the blanket back to reveal Lois laughing. Clark started laughing to and lay down next to her. They cuddled and stopped laughing. "You do realize that last night was a mistake." Lois said.
"A mistake that I do not regret, no matter how much I want to. Do you regret last night?" Clark whispered in her ear.
"No, I do not." Lois answered. They looked at each other and he leaned in to kiss her gently.
Kara read the parchment that Nox-Van had given her. They were in her private sitting room. She looked up from the report. "Is this genuine?" She asked.
"Yes, Your Highness. Prince Alexander has overthrown Thanagar and half his army is now marching onto Smallville." He said
"How? Thanagar has some of the best warriors in the world." Kara said.
"Alexander attacked their camp in the dead of night. He had skilled assassins kill the sentries and then his soldiers quietly snuck into the camp. They began to kill all the soldiers in their sleep but one awoke and warned the army. The rest of their army awoke but too late. They were outnumbers and caught off guard." Nox-Van explained.
Kara rubbed her eyes. "This is not good. Thanagar conquered in a matter of weeks... What of the royal family?"
Nox-Van handed her another sealed parchment. "This is from His Majesty, King Carter."
Kara removed the seal and began reading. "It says that he and his family and most of the people escaped to Atlantis but Queen Shiera was gravely wounded in the battle. They will remain in Atlantis under the king and queen's protection until his wife has healed. Atlantis has assembled their fleet to protect their city against attack." Kara placed the letter down onto the table.
"Alexander's troops will greatly outnumber ours at Kent Castle. I would advise that we either evacuate them to Kryptonopolis or we send more troops." Nox-Van said.
Kara stroked her temple in thought. "We both know that reinforcements may not get to them in time." Kara said and stood. She walked to the window and look out to the city. She ran her index finger over her upper lip, deep in thought. "We are under orders from His Majesty to defend that castle and we will follow orders."
"Do you want me to send more reinforcements to Smallville?" Nox-Van asked.
"There are more than enough troops at Smallville. One Kryptonian soldier can fight ten Genesis soldiers. We are a race of warriors and scholars. We fear no army and no army can break our will to protect our home. Have the troops at Kryptonopolis on alert and inform me when Alexander is has passed through Argo City, General. I will write to His Majesty about this." Kara said.
Nox-Van bowed and exited her sitting room. She quickly grabbed a piece of parchment and began writing frantically to Kal-El.
Clark watched Lois admire Christopher's wooden dagger and he smiled from the doorway. "Do you know how to fight?" Christopher asked.
"Yes, I learned from my father. He taught me with wooden swords much like your dagger." Lois said and presented him with his dagger. "When I came of age, my father gave me my own sword."
"Papa says he will teach me how to fight when I get older." Christopher said somber.
Lois caressed his cheek. "It is good to wait. There are more important things than learning how to fight. Knowing how to fight has saved my life many times but I have regrets and you are far too young to fight." Lois said.
Christopher pouted. "If you say so, Countess."
Lois giggled. "You may call me Lois." Christopher smiled.
"Papa!" Christopher had just noticed Clark and ran into his arms. Clark laughed as he hugged Christopher.
"Are you enjoying Lois's company?" He asked and Christopher nodded with a large smile. Clark was smiling and then Captain Ak-Var knocked on the door.
His smiled disappeared and he put Christopher down. "An urgent letter from Her Royal Highness." Ak-Var whispered and handed him the red pouch. He shot Kal-El a look when he saw Lois playing with Christopher.
Kal-El grabbed the pouch and nodded to Ak-Var. He then turned to look at Christopher and Lois, who had somber looks. He ruffled Christopher's hair. "I will see you later, my little knight… Countess Lane." He said and bowed to her. She bowed her head in return and he turned and left the room.
"Kal-El, is it wise to leave her alone with Christopher?" Ak-Var asked as they were walking.
"I appreciate your concern, Ak-Var, but she may be a soldier but she has morals. She would never hurt a child. I can see it in her eyes and she is harmless unless provoked." Kal-El said.
"You have learned a great deal about her… but as you learn more about her, she may learn more about you. That could be dangerous if you do turn her." Ak-Var cautioned. Then Kal-El gave him a quick wink. "You did?" Ak-Var asked in a whispered. Kal-El grinned and walked off.
The pouch contained two letters; the seal has been replaced on the second one. Kal-El ripped off the seal on his way back to his private quarters. He read it while walking but then he stopped dead in his tracks when he read the news of the fall of Thanagar. Kara was requesting permission to take a small group of Red Shard knights with her to ambush Prince Alexander and hopefully capture him.
Kal-El entered his private sitting room and sat down. He ripped off the seal of the second letter, it was from Carter. He dropped it down onto the table when he finished reading. He watched the sun set out of the window behind him. He then lit a candle for light.
He then grabbed several rolls of parchment. He gave her permission to carry out her mission and that he would return to Kandor after questioning Captain Lane one last time.
Kal-El then wrote a second letter to King Oliver saying that he now needed more troops to prepare for the incoming army. And he then wrote a third letter to King Carter saying that he and his family were welcome to seek refuge in Krypton, and he hoped Rao would heal Shiera swiftly. He gave the letters to a knight, who left immediately.
There was a knock on the door but Kal-El remained silent hoping whoever it was would just leave. Then Lois entered his sitting room. "You know I can have you arrested for entering without my consent." Kal-El said.
Lois looked at him with a stubborn expression on her face. She then sat down next to him. He stroked his chin obviously troubled. "What is bothering you?" Lois placed a comforting hand on top of his.
Clark removed the hand covering his mouth. "Thanagar has fallen and now Alexander marches onto Smallville."
Lois was shocked to hear this. "Thanagar has fallen? I thought Alexander was a fool to march onto that city because the warrior king and queen would skin him alive."
"Well my old mentors underestimated Lex's ruthlessness and his intellect but most importantly, they underestimated his lust for power. He wants to leave a greater mark than his father." Clark said. He closed his eyes as he felt Lois's warm hand caressing his left hand.
"Why do you hate each other so?" Lois asked.
"My uncle hated his father and his father hated my uncle so we always assumed that we should hate each other. At the age of eight, I was sent to Thanagar to train under King Carter and Queen Shiera. Lex attended school not far from the city. One afternoon, he was riding his horse and something frightened the horse. He was thrown off a bridge and into a lake. I saw it happen so… I jumped in." Kal-El said and paused. He rubbed his eyes and he felt Lois rubbing his arm to comfort him.
"I saved his life and we developed a strong bond of friendship and a sense of brotherhood. He once said to me that our friendship would become legend for our plan was that when we both ascended our thrones, we would end the war through peace and be friends until death. He actually wanted me to be his best man but that was impossible." Clark grinned but then it disappeared.
"Then Lucas Luthor was killed in battle. I was serving with a regiment under the name of Clark Kent because I just wanted to be normal and treated thus. My regiment was defending the border and… I saw Lucas die with my own eyes. Lex ran to him and held him. Then he looked at me with such anger… such hatred and since that moment he has blamed me for his death. He said that he was now and forever shall be my mortal enemy. I tried to reason with him but now I know the man I once called my friend is gone and only the monster he has become remains."
"How could you know that?" Lois asked.
"I saw it in his eyes when we fought. They were filled only with his ruthlessness and lust for power. I could have slain him right there but I did not. A decision that I have come to question more and more each day." He rubbed his temple.
"Do not question yourself. As a king, you are a symbol for your people. Murder is not in your nature and it would have haunted you for the rest of your life." Lois said and he grinned.
"There are times when I believe no one in this world knows me at all but now I believe you know me better than anyone. Are you trying to save what is left of my soul?" Clark asked.
"It may be what I am here for, Smallville. To put your soul back together one save at a time." Lois said and grinned.
He looked at her tenderly and began to caress her face. They stared deep into each others' eyes and they held each other's hand. "I must return to Kandor." He said softly and somberly.
"I know." She forced a grin. "You have other priorities besides me. You should have returned weeks ago." She replied.
"Lois…" He whispered and caressed her face once more. "I do not want to leave."
"You are the King and you must return to your people. I am not important." Lois said.
"You are important to me." Clark said. "When I am with you, I feel like an ordinary man and I have wanted to feel this way my whole life. I do not want to lose this feeling but… I am a slave to my crown." Clark sat down on the floor and rested his head against the arm rest of her chair.
Lois stroked his hair and he closed his eyes. "Clark, we must end whatever this is."
Clark immediately opened his eyes and looked up at her. "What?" He whispered.
"You are to be married and I will soon return to Metropolis. There is a little hope we will ever see each other again." Lois said somberly.
Clark immediately stood. "I do not believe that." He placed both his hands on the edge of the table as if to support himself.
"We are from different worlds. You know we cannot be together. We should just forget that we ever met." Lois said and stood. "Good-bye Cl-… Kal-El." She whispered and turned to leave the room.
Clark grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him. "Do not take away my hope that we will one day be together again. Hope has always been my greatest strength but since I have obtained my crown it has felt like a weakness. Lois, I have learned how to hope once more now that I met you. So please, do not take it away from me."
Lois's eyes began to fill with tears and she caressed his face. He closed his eyes as her thumb rubbed his cheek. Then she pulled his head down closer to her and their lips met. They kissed tenderly and broke apart.
She then took his hand and led him to his bedchamber. If she cannot say what she felt, then her body would.