A Secret Revealed

‘Teela, have you seen Elfia anywhere?’ asked Adam looking worried. ‘She’s gone.’ There was a touch of smugness in her tone. ‘Where? What do you mean gone?’ ‘To stay with her cousins. She said that she would be back in a while.’ ‘Her cousins?’ he asked confused. ‘Yes. She said she had no family except two cousins who she loved very much and she was going to visit them.’ ‘But… Oh Teela, why? What did you say to upset her?’ ‘Nothing. You would think it was my fault. I thought now, perhaps we could spend some time together, now she is gone.’ ‘Oh. Yes.’ He looked suddenly shy. ‘Shall we go for a ride tomorrow?’ ‘I would like that. See you tomorrow then.’ And she turned and walked away. Adam sighed. ‘I hope Elfia knows what she is doing. ’ He went back to his chamber and sent out his thoughts to the Sorceress, far away in Castle Grayskull ‘Sorceress’, he called. ‘Adam, she is safe, you knew that she was safe.’ The thoughts came back to him through telepathy. ‘But I want to be with her, what if she stays with Adora for a long time.’ ‘She will not be long. You know why she left, Fulfil her wishes, so that when she comes back you can stay with her, without suspicion, without losing Teela. ‘ and the voice faded away although the words remained branded in Adams mind. ‘The Sorceress wants me to marry Teela too!’ he exclaimed. ‘Everybody wishes it- I wish it. Oh! Why can’t I just tell her, I always make myself look foolish.’ He sat and mused about the coming outing with Teela. ‘Tomorrow I will tell her, tomorrow everything will go right and then when my cousin returns we will be as good as engaged; but,’ he began to have doubts, ‘What if she refuses me? I have taken her for granted and I have ignored her recently. Oh Teela, please say yes, say you love me! How can I prove to you that I do love you, will you believe the lies that everyone else believes, about me and Elfia,’ he blushed and sighed, ‘Only fate can decide if you will accept me, but be it so!’’ They set off without a hitch and without realising it rode straight towards the canyon where Adam had spent the previous day. Adam thought Teela looked more beautiful than ever and he somehow just didn’t know what to say to her. She saw him looking at her and just smiled and looked ahead again. ‘Teela, ‘ Adam began, ‘I never…, I mean that… Elfia and me, she never, y’know, ‘ his voice trailed away feebly as he saw how tense Teela got at the mention of her name. ‘I don’t want to hear about her,’ she said with tight lips. He looked at her, her straight back, riding in front of him, why had he never seen just how beautifully proud she was, before now. Then he knew he had always thought it, but just never allowed himself to confess it. He took a deep breath. ‘Teela, I want you to know…’ but there was suddenly a shaking in the earth around them and Adam watched in horror as the scree in front of them began to pour down the narrow sides of the canyon, ‘Teela, get back!’ he shouted in warning, and her horse reared up in alarm, she fell with a surprised cry and lay in a crumpled heap on the ground. The stricken horse galloped off the way it had come. ‘Teela!’ Adam exclaimed in horror, ‘Quickly get up! The canyon is collapsing around us,’ ‘I can’t,’ she whispered in pain, ‘My ankle. It hurts so much.’ Adam dismounted and hurried to her side, to his horror he saw the other end of the narrow canyon begin to shake, shards of rock filling the way they had just come. They would soon be trapped. ‘Hurry,’ whispered through clenched teeth. ‘Go while you still can. Get help. Come back for me.’ ‘No. I’m not going to leave you. We will manage together, somehow.’ ‘Always so foolish,’ she smiled weakly. The fallen rocks blocked their way, and everything was still again. ‘This was no ordinary rockfall, Adam said grimly. ‘Look at how those rocks have just fallen in those two places.’ ‘You’re right!’ came an evil cackle from above. ‘It wasn’t a normal rockfall, but one created especially by me!’ ‘Skeletor,’ Adam groaned. ‘And, now I have caught my prize you will wait here until King Randor pays a high ransom for your return , a very high ransom - He-man!’ ‘Skeletor, you had best let Teela go. She is not part of this and needs her ankle looked to.’ ‘Never. You, Prince Adam and your good friend Teela will stay here under my force field until Tomorrow. If He-man has not been delivered to me after that time then you will both be transported to another world, one from which noone has ever returned from.’ There was a whir and a clank and a force field generator hovered above them, there was one last evil laugh from skeletor as he left them.’ ‘Goodbye Prince Adam, Enjoy your stay in my canyon, I must go and wait for my ransom.’ He withdrew and the force field was activated; Adam drew his sword, ‘What are you doing?’ asked teela exasperated, ‘Even He-man couldn’t hit that force field so there is no way you will be able to; we are stuck here!’ ‘It’s my duty to try. ‘ said Adam stubbornly and threw his sword. It did not reach half the height of the generator. ‘ He-man could reach this easily he thought to himself, we have to get out of here. There was only one thing he could do. ‘Teela look at that,’ he pointed ahead of him and she turned with her back to him. With a great deal of regret he raised his sword, preparing to strike her on the head and for a short time knock her unconscious. Suddenly the sword began to glow. He heard the sorceress’ voice clear as crystal, loud as if she was standing next to him, ‘No Adam, The time has come. The moment is upon us at last. Show Teela who you really are.’ ‘What?’ asked Teela turning around, ‘What am I looking at?’ ‘Go on. ‘ urged the voice of the sorceress. ‘This!’ cried Adam and held his sword up straight, ‘BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL! I HAVE THE POWER!’ Teela’s jaw dropped. She stood there open mouthed as He-man threw his sword straight up, smashing the force field generator and releasing them from their prison. He mounted his horse and offered his hand with perfect gallentry, ‘May I help you up my lady. I think your mount is fled.’ Teela took his hand without a word, she was obviously completely stunned. She put her hands on his shoulders and clung on as the galloped away. They had been riding a while before it hit her. ‘Stop!’ she exclaimed. ‘What are you doing, let me down!’ he slowed down without a word. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? ‘ she exclaimed, ‘all this time, and you never told me! Did you enjoy making me feel like an idiot or something?!’ she began pummeling his arm in anger. He-man did not react or try to stop her blows. ‘Listen to me Teela,’ ‘Why should I? All you have ever been is a lie!’ ‘Teela, If Skeletor knew my true identity, can you imagine what would have happened to my family and friends. He would have targeted you all in order to get at me. I wanted to tell you,’ he sighed, ‘Oh so many times, but every time I stopped myself just in time. It just seems right that you should know now.’ ‘But Adam was thought of as a coward, you made yourself look like a coward to protect the rest of us?’ she asked puzzled ‘Yes. I hated my father thinking such things about me. And when he was so proud of Adora I felt sick. But there was nothing I could do. Adam still had to vanish every time there was trouble. ‘ ‘Sorry. ‘ She got back onto the mount. ‘You deserve better after what you have done for all of us, -for me.’ ‘Do you remember that time when you said the only man you could love was a mixture of both of us. ‘ ‘Oh!,’ she blushed, ‘I remember.’ ‘Well, I almost told you then. I really wanted you to know.’ ‘And now it is too late.’ She said a little bitterly. ‘Is it? Why?’ ‘Because you have Elfia now. I have lost both He-man and Adam. Was she the black haired beauty you were seen with.’ ‘No. I really shouldn’t tell you but I suppose you have to know, Elfia is my cousin. She is the daughter of Randor’s sister Adela. She is like me, she becomes Sil-va when times require it. ‘ ‘I see, how did you both get it and not Adora?’ Adam smiled. ‘Oh. She is She-ra isn’t she. I guess I’m left out then aren’t I!’ said Teela realising the truth at last. ‘Well you wouldn’t want the power.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because that would mean you were a relation of mine.’ ‘And… that would be terrible because…’ ‘If you were my relation then we couldn’t be married could we?’ Teela blanched. ‘Married?’ ‘Well yes. Unless you don’t want to? I thought you said you did.’ ‘When?’ ‘When you said you could only love a mixture of us.’ Oh no, I mean yes, I mean, ‘ Teela flailed and then looked cross that she was losing control of the conversation. ‘I do want to be married to you.’ ‘I’m glad.’ And he leant over a kissed her on her lips. ‘Lets get home.’ She felt the conversation had escaped her at the end and berated herself for letting Adam so firmly take control. But was that really important, she was to be married to adam, to he-man, she had wanted this for ever, nothing else mattered. She locked her arms around him smiling in sweet contentment. Adam heard the Sorceress voice through his daydreams, ‘Congratulations Prince Adam! Take care of her.’ He smiled at what his father would say to them when they broke the news. It would probably be the first thing Randor would think he had ever done, that was right.