Marlena removed her finger from her husband's mouth and glanced at Man-at-Arms who practically flew to the table. She knew he was deathly afraid of what was about to come out of her mouth. Their eyes met, but she quickly turned away and looked back at her husband.

She sighed and stated firmly, "The truth is everything that has happened regarding Adam as of late is my fault."

Randor's brow narrowed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Marlena quickly put a hand up. "Just listen, Randor."

He closed his mouth and took her hands in his to show his compliance. She breathed in deeply once more and explained, "For quite some time now, I've noticed the change in your relationship with Adam…No, let me rephrase that. I have noticed it for several years, ever since Adam came of age to inherit the kingdom."

Marlena paused for some kind of reaction. Randor twitched but remained quiet.

"I must admit it upset me greatly. It saddened me more than anything else because I knew it was upsetting Adam."

Now, Randor couldn't keep quiet. "Our relationship hasn't…"

Marlena glared at him. "Are you actually going to tell me things haven't changed over the years?" she almost yelled.

Randor shook his head a little as if trying to somehow shuffle Marlena's words into some kind of coherent thought. "Well, of course things have changed," he said, softly. "Adam's grown up, and with his growing up, attitudes and actions changed on both our parts.”

Marlena frowned and said, "You act like our son is forty-years-old! He's still a boy. My God! On Earth, he wouldn't even be able to drink alcohol, yet. He'd be in college getting into all kinds of mischief."

Randor looked confused and glanced over at Man-at-Arms who was merely staring at Marlena. He looked back and as soon as his eyes met his wife's, she said, "Attitudes and actions are supposed to change as children get older, but it shouldn't happen over night and not so drastically."

"What the devil are you talking about?" Randor's face flushed hotly. He was starting to get angry because he felt like his wife was attacking him, but he had no idea why.

Marlena stood up and fanned her arms out. "You never spend time with him anymore!"

Randor stood up and replied, "That's not true. I see him everyday."

Marlena turned around and started pacing back and forth. "I hardly call the times you see him as spending time with him. Seeing him in court does not count because you're busy making laws, passing judgments, and everything else a king does. You can hardly count dinner, because the room is filled with people to fight for your attention, much less Orko's magic. Tell me, besides those times, when do you see him? Oh, and besides the times when you seek him out to berate him because he's having too much fun, being late, or you need to lecture him on the importance some Eternian holiday that is coming up."

Randor froze as Marlena stopped pacing and looked at him expectantly. He noticed from the corner of his eye that Man-at-Arms was watching him, as well. He opened his mouth to reply but quickly realized he had nothing to say. He couldn't think of a single thing to defend himself. Instead, he said the only thing he could:

"I love that boy." He said it with a defeated tone. He took the crown off his head and set it on the dinner table. He looked back at his wife and asked, "Surely, you know that?"

Marlena nodded. "Of course, I know that, Randor, but you never show it to him. The last time you showed him any kind of affection was when he brought Adora home from Etheria. I thought then things would change since you noticed what a truly remarkable boy he really is. He did something no one else had been able to do for years:  he found our daughter and brought her home safe and sound. But it didn't last, not even for a day. You told him you were proud and hugged him. By the next day, with the leaving of Adora, things went back to normal. You went back to ignoring him, and he went back to avoiding you."

Randor flinched as he heard these last words. "He doesn't avoid me," he said sharply.

Marlena shook her head and turned away. "I think he does. Lord knows I would. If I'm going to constantly be berated and lectured, I'd try to stay as far away as much as possible."

Randor sat down in a chair at the dinner table and faced his wife. "Why do you tell me these things?" he questioned. "I haven't heard anything of the sort from Adam. And, what does this have to do with the events over the last few days?"

"It has everything to do with it," said Marlena sharply. "Adam would never point these things out to you either from fear of rejection or simply respect. As a child does, he simply accepts your attitude and actions towards him. That's why I…did my best to make sure you took an interest in him again."

"I do have an interest in him," interrupted Randor sharply. "I always have. He's my son and I love him." Then, he paused. "What do you mean you did your best to make me take an interest in him?"

Marlena flew to Randor, squatted to the floor in front of him, and took his hands which were in his lap. "That's why everything is my fault. I knew from the very beginning that Adam was never doing anything we would disapprove of when I pointed out his absences from the palace. I just wanted you to notice him, spend time with him, and ask questions. I thought if I got you to notice him more, you would stop being a king to him and act like his father again. All I managed to do was drive you further apart. I know our accusations, especially your last one, hurt him deeply. I came clean to Adam about what I have done. He took it hard. He couldn't believe I would stir up so much trouble, but that was never my intention, Randor. I love you both so much, and it hurt me that the two people I love the most weren't getting along as they should. I had to do something…and now we both may have lost him."

Randor immediately pushed forward so he could be on the floor with Marlena. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

Man-at-Arms could see Randor's face. He could see the wheels turning—he knew Randor was thinking about everything Marlena had said. The king was now very worried about Adam but for totally new reasons.

Randor slowly pulled back from the embrace after several moments and said, "I need to talk to him.” He stood up and pulled Marlena to her feet. "No, we need to talk to him. We need to set things straight and talk everything out. Like I said before when this all started, I refuse to lose him. I will apologize, if I must, and beg a thousand pardons. If Adam feels as you say, he won't for much longer, Marlena, I promise you that."

=)=)=)

Adam stood before the dimensional gate that led to Etheria.

"Here you are," a voice said behind him.

Adam turned to face the Sorceress.

"I knew you were coming, and quite frankly, I’m surprised you came here first, instead of the throne room."

Adam swallowed quickly and replied, "Honestly, Sorceress, I have nothing to say. I just came so I could get to Etheria and talk with my sister. Things have happened…" he cut himself off. He met her eyes and then whispered, "…I just need to get away for a little while and talk to Adora."

The Sorceress stepped forward and placed a hand on Adam's shoulder. "I know, but there's so much you don't know and need to before you go, if you even decide to at all."

Adam nodded for her to continue. The Sorceress stepped beside him and pushed a little on his shoulder to get him to walk with her away from the gate.

"As we speak," said the Sorceress, "your parents are frantically searching the palace."

She led him into the throne room and waved her arms in front of her mirror.

Adam watched as Randor swung the door open to his bedchambers.

"Adam!" Randor called out.

He turned around to face Marlena who had run up behind him. "He's not here, Marlena. Where would he be at such an early hour?"

As tears slipped down her cheeks, she suggested, "Maybe he's outside."

The king and queen walked as quickly as they could outside to the courtyard. There was still no sign of Adam, but they did find Teela sitting with Cringer on a nearby bench. Marlena quickly walked up to the two and asked, "Where's Adam? Have you seen him? We need to talk to him."

Teela looked up and answered, "You just missed him. He left about ten minutes ago heading to Castle Grayskull."

Marlena drew a sharp breath as Randor asked, "Why would he go there?"

Teela looked at her king and replied, "He said he wanted to go to Etheria to visit Adora."

The king quickly faced his wife and said, "He's running from us! By the Ancients, we need to get to the castle and stop him before he goes! I have so much to say to him!"

The Sorceress waved her arm and the image faded.

Adam's eyes grew wide as he looked down the corridor towards the drawbridge. "Did those things just happen, or is it what happened earlier and they're almost here?"

"They just happened," the Sorceress said, sadly, knowing instinctively instead of telepathically why Adam asked.

Adam visibly relaxed and said, "Good, I have plenty of time to get back to the dimensional gate and…"

"Don't you want to wait to hear what your parents have to say?" questioned the Sorceress.

Adam shook his head and answered, "Honestly, no. To tell you the truth, Sorceress, I have heard quite enough from the both of them this morning. I don't think I could stand to hear anymore."

"It's not what you think."

"Then, tell me," he said.

"I think you should hear it from…"

"No!" Adam cut her off. "I don't ask much from you." He paused, feeling like a heel playing this card but he had to. "All I want is for you to tell me what they want to talk to me about."

The Sorceress sighed but relented. "Queen Marlena told King Randor what she did and why."

Adam's eyes widened. "She told him everything?"

"Everything besides the fact that you're He-Man."

Adam's brow wrinkled as he replied, "I told her not to tell him anything. The king doesn't care about me."

"Adam, you know that's not true," the Sorceress said sharply.

"Maybe so," he agreed angrily, "but I don't want him to start treating me any differently because Mother pointed out how he was treating me! He never took the time to get to know me. All he ever noticed was my cowardliness and laziness. Just because Mother told him she was the one who set this whole thing into motion does not change the fact that he chose to know so little about me and showed it by accusing me of…do you know what he accused me of?"

The Sorceress nodded.

"Then you should understand how I feel."

"I do understand, Adam," said the Sorceress. She placed her hand on his shoulder again and squeezed. "But sometimes, a man needs to have his mistakes pointed out to him, especially with a king and man as stubborn as your father. He didn't know how he was treating you. He loves you."

Adam nodded and said, "I know he loves me because I'm his son, but that's the only reason. I know that he cares about me because I influence people's opinions of him with my being his son. The only time he shows me any type of affection is when I do something truly grand for him that is something worth bragging about."

"Like bringing Adora home?" the Sorceress asked, reading his mind.

"Precisely!" exclaimed Adam. "He was so happy and proud, but that didn't make us any closer. He didn't treat me any differently. He didn't even stop to question me on how I got Adora away from the Horde. As far as he knows, He-Man had nothing to do with it. He never bothered to ask because he didn't care. All that mattered was that he got Adora back and that he finally had a little something to brag about."

"If he wanted to brag, he would have wanted to hear the story," the Sorceress started.

Adam cut her off, "But hearing the story would require him to talk and spend time with me. We both know that wouldn't happen."

The Sorceress scolded, "Adam, you're angry and being unreasonable right now. If you just calmed down and took the time to think…"

"Which is precisely why I want to go to Etheria to see my sister!" he yelled.

As soon as the words left his mouth and Adam heard his harsh tone, he closed his eyes.

When he reopened them, the Sorceress was glaring at him. "Right now, you are very much reminding me of your father," she said sharply.

Adam sucked in a breath and opened his mouth to speak when he heard a voice outside. It was his father's.

"ADAM! ARE YOU IN THERE? PLEASE, DON'T GO!"

The Sorceress stared at Adam and said, "Well, I told you what I feel you should do, but it's your decision. Are you going to Etheria now, or will you listen to your parents?"

Adam turned to go back to the dimensional gate but then stopped. His shoulders slumped as he said, "Let them in."