An Ocean of Fire- Supercorp AU

31- A Name of Merit

"Father, I have some concerns."

"Yes Kara, a fact which you have made abundantly clear to me."

She walked beside him, slightly struggling to keep up with his rapid pace as he strode down halls and through doors.

"You just don't seem to be at all worried! Lena is with Thrall right now, what if he-"

"What if he what, Kara?" He arched a stately eyebrow at her and pushed through the swinging door of the palace kitchen. "Are you truly worried that the monarch of an Allied kingdom is going to filet a betrothed Princess on the eve of her wedding?"

Kara stopped dead in her tracks, her frown deepening.

"... well I am now!"

When she received no response, she muttered softly under her breath and stormed after him.

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In hindsight, Lena was convinced she'd made a grave error.

She had been guided to an antechamber off the Great Hall, where she was joined by King Thrall and Queen Ravena. She stood stiffly in the center of the room, silently staring at the stone floor. Queen Ravena had a hip pressed to a dark wooden table in the far corner, her arms crossed, anger clouding her features.

Thrall had taken to quietly circling her, his eyes narrow as they watched her face and the way she clasped her hands in front of her in an unassuming pose.

She felt now as if she was being hunted by a wolf, and the soft fur lining the handsome grey cloak around her neck was beginning to feel a lot heavier on her shoulders.

Pale, intelligent blue eyes struck her with an uncomfortable, knowing look. When he finally ceased pacing, he centered himself on her, his arms akimbo, and his deep voice surprised her - not with its volume, which was low and reasonable, but with its familiarity.

"Why?"

Lena nodded - she had expected this question. It would have been the first she'd ask.

She took a moment to collect herself, before straightening her posture as best she could and softening her tone.

"You are owed something, your highness."

He frowned down at her. "Explain this."

She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, her knees beginning to feel much weaker than they had a few short minutes ago, when she'd called out his name in the Great Hall.

Still - her words were important.

"I understand what has been taken from you, and your family... at the hands of a Luthor." The King's strong face remained unchanged, but a soft, borderline violent sound from Ravena's corner pierced the air. Lena swallowed hard and pressed on.

"I do not have anything else to offer you, but my sincerest expression of sorrow, an acknowledgement of what was lost, and... a deference to your name."

Lena bowed her head and dropped silently to one knee before him, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as her hair curtained around her face.

Another strangled cry from Ravena flew at her, before the sound of harsh footsteps and a slamming door echoed across empty stone.

It seemed as if hours passed in the moments it took the sounds to settle around them, and Lena gripped the cloak at her sides tightly.

A heavy hand settled on her shoulder, before grasping her upper arm and hauling her back up to her feet. When she finally opened her eyes again, Thrall was watching her with a measure of understanding.