Previously on Contractually Bound:
Kal crossed the room and went to his dresser. He opened the top drawer and rummaged for a moment. Finally, he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the small, black velvet box and handed it to Lois. She took it after a moment's hesitation. She opened the lid and sucked in a breath when she saw the multi-rayed star necklace that lay within.
"What? Why?"
Kal shrugged. "I thought that you might like it. I wanted this marriage to start off on a good foot. I hoped that it might help..."
Lois cut him off, her brown eyes flashing with anger. "You thought what? That you'd buy my affections? That you'd make one gesture and I'd fall into your arms? Well, you've got another thing coming. The only reason I am here is that I had no other choice."
"Lois, neither one of us had a choice in this."
Lois nodded. "And just because we've been forced into a marriage doesn't mean that I have to like it. My father might be thrilled with this match, but I'm not. If it were up to me, I'd be off doing my own thing. I'd rather be a working commoner then a princess stuck in a marriage with you. So you can just keep your little gift. I will not be bought!"
She snapped the lid of the box shut and hurled it at Kal. He moved one step to the side a second before it would have crashed into his forehead. His jaw hung slack with disbelief. He'd meant the gift to be a gesture of his good will and his willingness to give this marriage a fighting chance. How had the tables turned on him so quickly? He bent and picked up the box from where it had landed, his heart sinking. He placed the box on the top of his dresser and shook his head. He went to his closet and pulled out an extra blanket and pillow.
"What are you doing?" Lois demanded.
"You can take the bed," Kal said, disgusted by the turn of events. "I'm going to go sleep on the couch. Come, Fasa."
With a meow, the cat followed Kal out of the bedroom and to the living room. Kal lay on the couch on his back. Fasa jumped up and lay on his chest. Hot tears of sadness and frustration pricked at Kal's eyes. He fought them back and stroked the cat's back. Though he was exhausted, Kal found sleep to be elusive for a long while.
***
The Honey-Boom Stage
The next morning, Kal woke early. He followed his usual routine of caring for his cat and getting himself ready for the day. And yet, he felt lost. What was he supposed to do today? There would be no council meetings that he could lose himself in, of that he was certain. He'd seen many of the Elders imbibe a bit too deeply at the wedding feast. He was sure that most of them would be spending the day sleeping off their hangovers. He imagined that the case was the same for Jai; he had still been partying heavily when Kal and Lois had snuck out of the affair.
Kal frowned as his memories surfaced. Last night had not gone well with Lois. In fact, it had been nothing short of a disaster. He'd hoped to have a little of Jai's humor to distract him from the catastrophe that had been his wedding night. His frown deepened when he realized that he'd soon have to face Lois. What was he supposed to say to her? He feared to further fuel her anger with him. It would only make it that much harder to try to fix things between them. Would she allow him to even try to fix things? She had made it quite clear to him the night before that she wasn't in the least bit interested in being married to him.
"I don't really blame her," Kal said aloud, sitting on the couch and scratching Fasa behind the ears. "Neither one of us planned for this marriage. I just wish that I could find a way to make things right. Any ideas, buddy?"
Fasa stared at him and blinked, then yawned widely. Kal smiled at his furry companion.
"Thanks," Kal said, giving the tabby a final pat on the head. "You've been a big help."
Kal began to pace before the large windows of the room. The day was overcast. Huge black clouds hung heavily in the air, threatening a storm. A stiff wind had picked up. Kal could see the trees in the gardens swaying mightily. His stomach growled as he stopped to watch the trees. A thought crossed his mind and he smiled. He strode from the chamber, leaving Lois to sleep. He swiftly made his way through the palace and down to the kitchen. The palace was eerily quiet, even for this early hour of the day. Usually Kal saw or heard at least a few Elders around, or a courier rushing off to deliver a message. But today, there was no one. Kal wondered if he was the only one, aside from the servants, who was awake.
When he reached the kitchen, a pleasant warmth and delicious smells greeted him. He slipped inside, listening to the jangling and clinking of dishes, the bubbling of various pots, and the hiss of meats cooking on the wide stovetops. The cooks bowed to him respectfully and he greeted each of them by name. But there was one in particular that he was looking for. Kal smiled as he finally caught sight of the man that he sought; an older man with graying hair and a drum of a belly.
"Kal!" the man said, smiling when he saw the prince. "My sincerest congratulations to you and your new bride."
"Thanks, Jon," Kal said. "My sincerest compliments on the feast that you and your staff prepared last night. People will be talking about it for years to come."
"Thank you," Jon replied. "Marthe said that the event was something to behold."
Kal nodded absently. "Oh? Was she there? I didn't see her."
Jon nodded. "She wouldn't have missed it for the world, though she didn't stay long. You know that we both love you and your brothers like you were our own."
"If only that could be the case," Kal said, as he ushered Jon to a more private area, where they could speak without being overheard. "I'd trade in all the comforts of my life in a heartbeat for the freedom that comes along with being a commoner."
Jon frowned. His prince had never really spoken like this before. Sure, he'd sometimes vented his frustrations to Jon when he was having a bad day; things that he hadn't felt comfortable discussing with his father. And he knew that Kal often confided in Jon's wife, Marthe. After all, Marthe had been the princes' nursemaid since their births. In fact, Kal had become so close to them both that the Kens felt almost like he was the child that they had never been able to have on their own. But never before had Kal sounded so depressed, so defeated. It worried Jon.
"What's wrong, son?" Jon asked. He'd been calling Kal "son" for years as a sign of his affection for the young prince.
Kal sighed as he slumped against the wall. "Married life is hard."
Jon nodded and smiled, suppressing a chuckle. "It is. But you've not even been married a full twenty-four hours yet."
Kal grimaced. "I know. And already my marriage is a disaster."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not really. But Lois and I haven't started out on a very good foot. I think she hates me."
"I'm sure that's not the case. But it's going to take you both some time to adjust to the situation," Jon assured him.
"I know."
"So what are you doing here then? Hiding out? Trust me, it never works."
Kal smiled a little at Jon's light teasing. "I'd hoped that you could fix me up with some breakfast. I want to bring it to my chambers as a surprise for Lois. Sort of a peace offering, I guess you could call it."
Jon chuckled. "That, I can do. I can send it up to your room, if you'd like."
Kal shook his head. "Thanks, but I'd rather bring it up myself. I don't want Lois to see me as some spoiled little rich boy. I want her to see the person that I really am."
"That's a good idea," Jon said, nodding. "Let's get you a couple of plates, shall we?"
"Thanks, Jon," Kal said, brightening for a second.
Together, the two men planned out a breakfast. Kal loaded a tray with scrambled eggs and bacon, sausage and hash browns, bagels, butter, and various types of jellies. He added a couple of dishes of fresh fruit slices and mixed berries. Coffee he could make in his own small kitchenette within his chambers. He hesitated a moment as he surveyed the breakfast that they had compiled. He felt nervous about returning to his rooms. Would Lois be awake? Would she think that he'd abandoned her in his rooms?
"Go," Jon urged him. "Nothing will get accomplished standing around here all morning. Unless, of course, you want the food to get cold."
Kal smiled gently and laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks again, Jon."
"My pleasure," Jon said, waving Kal back out through the kitchen. "And good luck."
Kal nodded and hefted the tray so that it rested on his shoulder and the palm of his hand. From behind, he would have looked like any one of the servants who worked in the palace. He easily made his way back to his living quarters, as though the tray of food weighed nothing. He slipped quietly back into his rooms when he reached them, then quickly set the table in his dining area. He didn't often get much use out of the dining set, but today he was glad for it.
He poked his head into the bedroom, but Lois was still asleep; only the top of her head was visible beneath the sheets. He didn't want to wake her, so he set the hot food into a food warmer for the time being. Then he settled himself on the couch, lay on it lengthwise, and picked up the book that he was in the middle of reading. He found his place in the book and began to read, with Fasa coming to rest on his legs as he stretched out. About an hour later, Lois entered the living room. Kal was instantly on his feet, shutting the book as he moved.
"Good morning," he said, as cheerfully as he could against his thudding heart.
Lois groaned. "We're still married, aren't we?"
"Yes..." he ventured, hesitantly.
"Then there's nothing good about it."
Kal ignored the remark, though it cut him like a knife. "Hungry? I brought us some breakfast."
He moved to his small kitchenette and took the food out of the warmer, and started the coffeemaker. He set the food out on the table before Lois could answer. She looked warily at it, then to Kal. She seemed to be analyzing the situation and Kal's motives, and her brow crinkled. Kal held his breath, awaiting Lois' reaction. A spark of hope flared in his heart as she eyed the spread, and he allowed himself to feel pleased with what he had done.
"So...what? Am I not good enough to join everyone in the main dining room? Are you that ashamed of being married to me? Just what is it with you? You know, I thought my father was bad, but at least he allowed me to dine with other people. This is just plain insulting! Kept locked out of sight like I'm some sort of animal or something!"
The venom in Lois' voice stung Kal's feelings. His heart sank and the breath was driven from his lungs, as though he'd been physically hit. The hope in his heart came to a sputtering death and he felt absurdly ashamed of the breakfast he'd brought to his rooms. Once again, his gesture had backfired. What was worse, was that he didn't understand how that had happened.
"No!" he sputtered. "I just thought that you might be more comfortable eating here. That it might...take some of the pressure off. Besides, no one else seems to be awake just yet. I think they must have partied too hard last night."
"Oh," Lois said, though her tone was not apologetic. She hesitated for a moment, as though deciding something. "I guess I could eat."
"Great," Kal said, trying to muster up some enthusiasm. He'd lost it all at his wife's outburst. "Please, have a seat."
Lois slowly approached the table, as though it or Kal might bite. Kal let her come at her own pace. He thought that he'd seen wild deer that were more trusting than Lois was, and a lot less skittish. He contented himself to taking his seat and pouring himself a cup of coffee. His mind raced. What could he say to her? He felt certain that if he said anything, he'd inadvertently offend Lois again. To give himself a reason not to say anything at all, he took a sip of his coffee. He winced, added another spoonful of sugar, and took another sip. Lois finally took her seat across from him.
"Can I pour you a cup of coffee?" he asked, doing his best not to let his nervousness show.
Lois nodded. "Please."
With a mental sigh of relief, Kal took Lois' mug and poured her drink for her. He watched as she took the mug and prepared the drink, committing the amounts of sugar and cream to memory. In the future, perhaps he would surprise her by preparing her coffee for her in advance. He kept his silence, but soon the quiet began to grow too uncomfortable for his liking.
"So..." he started to say, groping for words, while swallowing the blackberry he was eating.
"So..." Lois said back, just as lost for words.
"I, uh, thought that maybe you'd like a tour of the palace today. This is your home now, and I want you to feel comfortable here."
Kal mentally kicked himself. That hadn't come out exactly the way that he'd wanted. He waited for Lois to explode. But instead, she only nodded.
"I guess that's probably a good idea," she said, swallowing a piece of bagel. She sounded almost resigned to her immediate fate.
"Great," Kal said, feeling a small smile crossing his lips. "Look, about last night..."
"Forget it," Lois said, cutting him off. "What's done is done. For better or worse, we're stuck together. I don't like it. And I'm sure that you don't like it either. All we have to do is keep up this facade until we can figure out some way of getting out of this thing."
Kal shook his head, his heart sinking once more. "I don't know if that's possible."
"It has to be. You're the prince. Throw some of your authority around. I'm sure that the Elders will race to do your bidding." Some of her earlier venom had crept back into her voice.
"That's not...I don't..."
"Make it happen," Lois said, her eyes narrowing. "I don't intend on living out my days in some loveless marriage."
"Do you think that I find this situation ideal?" Kal asked, the embers of his own anger finally stirring. "I didn't ask for this either. If I could have gotten out of this marriage, I would have done so two weeks ago when I found out about it. I would have saved us both the time and aggravation. But there's nothing that I can do."
He drained the last of his coffee and set the mug back on the table, a little more forcefully than he'd intended. He shifted his eyes to stare at the far wall and took a moment to calm himself again. Getting angry would serve no purpose. And he didn't want to start a fight with Lois. He finally softened and turned his gaze back to her. He was surprised that she hadn't yelled back at him. He'd been more than certain that she would. But she simply sat there, staring at him with a cold look of disgust on her face.
"I'm sorry," he said at last. "I didn't mean...I shouldn't have gotten upset. It's just that this whole situation is stressful...for both of us."
Lois said nothing. She only folded her arms across her chest. Kal was certain that if looks could kill, he'd already be a smoldering pile of ash. He shook his head again. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he could say or do now that might help to smooth things over. His hand raked through his hair. Then he stood and began to clear the dishes from the table. When he was done, he gathered his courage and addressed Lois again.
"Lois?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry. I'm trying. I really am. I just have no idea of what I'm doing here. Please, be patient with me?"
Lois nodded slowly. "Okay."
Kal breathed a sigh of relief. "So, do you still want that tour?" He knew that his voice sounded timid, but he didn't particularly care.
Lois rewarded him with a tiny smile. "Sure."
"And you'll walk by my side?"
"What if someone sees?"
"Let them," Kal said, shrugging. "I'm not exactly known for being a stickler for tradition. Drives the Elders crazy. Besides, no one cares much about that outside of the most formal of occasions."
"Okay," Lois agreed.
Together, they made their way through the palace. Kal showed her every nook and cranny of the place, from the deserted gym in the basement to the Supreme Lord's chambers on the uppermost level. They did not enter every place, but at least Lois would know where the places were located if she ever needed or wanted to go to them. A few times, they came across servants busy at their various jobs. Kal stopped each one and introduced Lois to them by name, greeting them all with warm familiarity. He silently hoped that Lois didn't think he was putting on some kind of act to impress her. They also came across a few Elders, and Kal introduced Lois to them as well. He took a special delight in introducing Lois to Marthe and Jon Ken. Of all of the palace staff, he'd grown extremely close to them both. Lois politely spoke with each person that Kal introduced to her, though by the end of the tour she looked as though her head was spinning.
"These chambers here belong to Ching and Zara," Kal said, gesturing to the doors. "I hope that you and Zara can become friends. She's really great and I think it'll be good for you both to have another woman to talk with. I know that Zara wasn't kidding when she mentioned needing another woman around. She's been saying that for the last few years now." They moved on down to Jai's chambers. Kal pointed them out. "These are Jai's rooms."
"He lives here? In the palace?" Lois asked, genuine surprise in her voice.
"Well, sure. Where else would he live?"
"Well, it's just that...I've always been told that...half-blooded sons and daughters of the noble houses aren't usually afforded the same luxuries as the full-blooded children."
"Jai is my half-brother," Kal said, nodding. "But my father loves him just the same as Ching and myself. I can't speak for the other noble houses. I know that many of the nobles force their concubines to terminate any pregnancies that arise. Others send both mother and child out from their estates in exile. Others might allow the child to remain. I can only speak for my father. And he affords Jai every possible comfort. He can never assume the throne, of course. The law is quite clear on that, though Ching and I disagree with many, if not most, of the laws. But in all other ways, Jai is our equal and his bloodlines make no matter."
They had paused before Jai's doors. They opened unexpectedly and Catira G'rat stumbled out of the chambers, holding her slender heeled shoes in one hand. Jai was right behind her, clad only in a thin pair of pants. He was holding his head and looked quite ill. With his free hand, he was gripping the doorframe as a way to remain standing.
"Morning, Jai," Kal said brightly.
"Sssshhhh!" he slurred. "You're making my head hurt."
"I am not," Kal said, smiling. "But the ridiculous amount of wine that you consumed last night is."
"Well, someone had to party it up," Jai said, squinting against the bright lights of the hall. Behind him, the chambers were dark, the shades drawn tight against the daylight. "Oh heyyyy, sis! How's my big brother treating you?"
"You're still drunk," Kal said, shaking his head. "Go back to sleep."
"I'm not as drunk as...as...as...yeah, I'm still drunk."
Kal gently smiled. "To bed."
"That's where I just came from..." Jai began to protest.
"Okay...go back to bed. Alone."
Jai grimaced and put his hand to his head again. "I guess."
"Sleep well," Kal said, and ushered Lois down the hall before his brother could say anything else.
"Jai is, uh, charming," Lois said coolly.
"Please don't judge him based on what you just saw. He just needs to sleep off the wine. He's not usually like that."
Lois snorted her distaste. "Who was that woman?"
Kal hesitated for a moment. "One of Jai's...luxuries," he said at last.
Lois nodded in understanding. "So it's not enough that he's a concubine's son. He needs to lay with them too. Do you two share the same pool of women? Or does the royal house of El keep enough women on staff so that you each have your own harem?"
Kal gaped. How had he once again become the recipient of Lois' anger? He hadn't done anything wrong! Jai was the one who'd invited a concubine in to share his bed, not Kal. But Lois was taking it out on him anyway.
"I don't have a harem," he said, defending himself.
"Uh-huh."
"I swear! Ching and I don't believe in the practice. He's very devoted to Zara. And I just find the whole idea abhorrent."
"Riiiight."
"I'm telling you the truth!"
"And why should I believe anything that you have to say?"
"Lois, why would I lie to you?"
"To placate me. To make yourself feel better. Look, I don't really care. You could father a child with every woman on Krypton for all that I care. Just stay away from me."
Lois took off down the hall in the direction of Kal's rooms, leaving him standing stunned in the hallway. His fists balled up as he struggled not to scream out his frustration. Everything had finally started to smooth out while he was showing Lois around. And now, the peace had been shattered like a plate of fragile glass. And it had all been because he'd had the bad luck of nearing Jai's chambers as his brother had sent one of the concubines on their way. All hope for getting on Lois' good side vanished from Kal's heart. He turned away from the direction that Lois had gone and strode from the palace, out into the howling wind. He jogged quickly to the rose gardens, collapsed on a bench, and let his pent up tears fall.
To Be Continued...
