Hey! Look at this! Got two chapters back from Kathy and outlined two chapters for school today [thanks to Karen and Lisa who were cracking the whip in IRC [even while Lisa was sleeping
]]. Since I got that done, I can write tomorrow. Have a pretty good idea of where it's going, just gotta get it there :p . I really do hope to start posting faster again soon...
Anyway - here tis
.
Last time
Lois drew random patterns on his chest with her fingertips. "I don't want you to do that with anyone else," she finally said.
"I'm not going to. We still haven't decided if I'm even going. And *if* I do, I already have a wife who I'm falling more in love with every day. Besides, we still don't even know for sure Zara and Ching are telling the truth."
They were both startled when a voice behind them spoke.
A man suddenly appeared at the side of their bed. "They're not."
Lois gasped and Clark sat up abruptly, insinuating himself as best he could between Lois and the intruder.
"Who are you?" Clark demanded. "And how did you get in? What are you doing here?"
"I am Lord Nor of the House of Ra."
*~*21*~*Clark desperately wished he had his powers, but to be perfectly honest, he was sort of surprised he'd had as much energy as he had a few minutes before. He was sure Lois was part of his... inspiration at that point, but given how drained he'd been just a short time earlier...
"*You* are Lord Nor?" Lois sat up, the sheet clutched tightly to her chest.
Clark could see her looking him up and down with one eyebrow raised.
"Who designed your body armor? Goodyear or Michelin?" she finally asked.
Lord Nor's brow furrowed. "I do not understand." He bowed slightly from the waist, his eyes continually slightly averted from both of them. "My Lord Kal-El, I have come to warn you."
Clark closed his eyes for a moment. "Then could you, um, leave for a minute and let us get dressed?"
The brown-haired man bowed slightly again. "Yes, milord." He turned with a click of his heels and practically marched into the other room.
Lois flopped back down against the pillow. "You have got to be kidding me," she muttered.
Clark leaned over and kissed her lightly. "Sorry, sweetie," he told her with a sigh. He reached for his clothes, mixed in among the bed sheets, pulling them on as quickly as he could. Lois was doing the same.
He took her hand in his as they walked into the living room.
The man who had identified himself as Lord Nor was standing uncomfortably near the sitting area.
He turned towards them as they approached him. "Milord." He gave another half bow with another click of his heels.
Clark rolled his eyes. "Enough with the bowing crap. Get to your point."
"May we sit, Lord Kal-El?"
Clark closed his eyes and breathed a prayer for patience. "My name is Clark." He led Lois to a seat on the couch. He'd really like to knock this guy into next week – even if Zara and Ching *were* lying and this Nor guy wasn't a despot, he'd obviously been in the apartment while he and Lois had been...
"I did not intend to invade your privacy, milord," the other man said. "However, it is of utmost importance that I speak with you immediately."
Clark's head snapped up.
"Kryptonians are telepathic. You have had no practice in shielding your thoughts from other Kryptonians. They practically... spew out." The other man refused to look at them as he spoke.
If Clark didn't know any better, he'd think the allegedly rapacious Lord Nor was blushing.
"Great," Lois muttered. "So your Krypto-babe can hear everything you think? Even while we're..." She stopped. "Never mind."
"Milord, how long have you been married to the lady?"
Clark glanced at Lois who was staring at the floor before telling the other man the date.
"That is two days before Lady Zara and Lt. Ching arrived on Earth."
"What does it matter that it was before they arrived?" Clark asked him.
"It means that, unless you invalidate your marriage to your lady under whatever terms Earth allows, your marriage to Lady Zara is void."
"I won't do that," Clark said quietly. "I won't divorce Lois."
"Then I fear our world will plunge into civil war." Nor sighed deeply before standing. He turned to face them before bowing slightly again. "My apologies for disturbing your evening, milord. There is no need for you to depart for Krypton. I deeply regret that the plight of Krypton has caused you any distress when there is no need for your involvement, outside of your official abdication. I am aware of your deep internal conflict and it is my deepest wish that you had been spared that." He turned to face Lois, bowing more deeply as he spoke. "Milady, I wish you a long and fruitful life."
Lord Nor turned to go when Clark stood suddenly. "Wait."
Nor turned. "Yes, milord?"
"Why will the world fall into civil war?"
"Lady Zara will not relinquish control so easily, I fear."
"Control to you?" Lois asked, standing next to Clark, arms crossed in front of her. "I guess it's very convenient for you that her marriage to Kal-El is void. If you're telling the truth, of course."
Nor nodded. "Yes. I am next in line to be First Lord of Krypton should Zara's marriage to Kal-El fail before he – and she – officially take over the throne. The line of succession goes through the House of El. If no member of the House of El can take the throne, it currently goes through the House of Ra – as the family of Kal-El's birth marriage. However, Lady Zara cannot ascend to power on her own. She must be wed to you, milord, in order for her to take power."
"Do you have to be married then? Or is this some kind of sexist thing?" Clark asked him. "Where a guy can take power, but she can't?"
"Perhaps it is what you call 'sexist'. The ruling line goes through the male heirs, but once a ruling couple is installed, the First Lady can rule alone under certain circumstances."
"What about your birth wife?" Lois asked quietly. "Did she survive Krypton?"
Nor shook his head. "Sadly, she did not. I remember her when we were young children – I was nearly five Earth years old when she was killed in one of the tremors. The council approved my marriage to a lady from the House of Ver nearly ten years ago. We now have three children – two daughters and a son."
"Do* you* have to be married?" Clark asked again, curiosity getting the better of him. "Or just the women?"
He shook his head. "Men are not *required* to be married, but it is strongly encouraged. It is thought that family – either solely a wife or a wife and children – gives the First Lord much needed perspective and additional incentive to keep our people safe and to keep the peace. It is also believed that wives can often offer much needed advice and support that the First Lord can get nowhere else. In this case, Lady Zara needs you to become First Lady. Unfortunately, I have no doubt that, should you return to Krypton with us, Lord Kal, once you have ascended to the seat of First Lord, you would become expendable and find your dinner laced with poison or some similar fate will befall you – just as befell our father nearly a year ago. Once she has been installed as First Lady of Krypton, she no longer needs to be married. One of the circumstances under which she can rule alone is the death of the First Lord. I doubt your body would be cold before she would formalize her relationship with Lt. Ching."
Lois reached out and gripped Clark's hand as the words sunk in. He covered her hand with his other one, clasping it tightly.
"And if Clark doesn't go with you, you become the top banana?" Lois clarified, giving the other information a minute to sink in before addressing those issues.
Nor's brow furrowed. "I do not know that expression, but I will become First Lord upon Lord Kal-El's official abdication and renouncement of his birth-marriage. Technically, the council has to approve it, but it is a mere formality given the dates you have provided."
"And why are you better than Zara? Why would *you* be a better leader for your people? And you hinted that she killed your father? Why? What proof do you have?" Clark fired questions at him.
Nor shook his head sadly. "Proof? I have none, milord. I have only suspicions and what you would likely call circumstantial evidence at best. Why did she kill him? Because we had finally discovered the likely landing place of the baby Kal-El's spaceship. Until she could find her birth husband, she could not rule. Had you not been found, she would have had no chance to ascend to power. She cannot take the role of First Lady without a First Lord from the House of El and there are no others. Once Lord Kal was found, she knew the council would never approve the journey unless it was *necessary*. My father's untimely – or most fortuitously timed – demise made it necessary. I shall have to live with the regret the rest of my life. I warned him, more than once, of what I feared, but I was not convincing enough and he continued to trust her until his dying breath."
"So what makes you better than your big sister?" Clark asked again.
"My sister is power hungry, driven by greed and determined to subjugate anyone and everyone to her every whim. Now that she is aware of what Kryptonians can do on Earth, I would find it highly probable that your planet is high on her list of takeover plans."
"What?!" Lois and Clark nearly exploded, both at the same time.
Nor nodded somberly. "Consider this: what would the people of Earth do against superpowered invaders?"
Lois sank back into the couch, her hand still in both of Clark's. "Good point," she said softly.
"So either we believe you and Zara wants to take over Earth or we believe her and you will. Either way, Earth is in the cross hairs and there's nothing we can do to prevent it, is there?" Clark asked him.
"Milord, there is something that can be done, but I hesitate to mention it because of the potential consequences."
"What's that?" Lois asked. "Divorce me and marry Zara?"
Nor shook his head. "Fight Ching."
Clark took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I guess I could do that," he said uncertainly.
Nor continued grimly. "A fight to the death."
*****
TBC
