The Moon Fortress

Chapter 3: No More

Summery: What happened to Mon-El, while Kara was finding her way in life.

Notes: This chapter is in Mon-El's Point of view

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Prince Mon-El was on the balcony again. This time though, he didn't seem as conflicted as that night many years ago. The sky was covered with thick clouds, making the night much darker, just like the clothes he was wearing. He was determined – despite the fear in his heart, Mon-El had made his mind this night. He gripped the railing for a moment and let his mind go back, reminding himself why he was here right now.

The fear of losing all he had in war and the intense empathy he felt for the poor and slaves didn't last that long on Mon-El's mind after that night – he knew well how to distract himself. He let go of the feelings of burden mostly because he had no one to share them with, and also, he had no saying in any matter. Talking about the justice issues of Daxam with his family and with others was forbidden, leaving Mon-El with no choice but to let it all slide.

By the age of nineteen, the handsome prince was most famous for his unforgettable parties and memorable nights with girls. Deep inside though, he still felt unsettled and unhappy no matter what he did. Whenever he was alone, Mon-El loathed himself for his uselessness. He knew in his parents' eyes he was a pawn that they wanted to control. He wasn't supposed to have any opinions of his own, and his only duty was to do exactly as they instructed.

Mon-El's childhood dream of becoming the beloved king Mon-El had long been forgotten, along with his wishes to learn martial arts, which was easily ignored by his mother. She thought a better use of her son's time should involve learning various strategies and political tactics, leaving the action to their trusted royal guards. Mon-El was forced to watch as ship after ship filled with soldiers left Daxam, to locations his mother had chosen. He knew for a fact that his father had decided to keep quiet about it all, since Lar knew he couldn't get through to his wife with words, to put a stop to colonizing and manipulate weaker planets. Even in his distracting life as a playboy, Mon-El heard about the awful condition in some parts of Daxam were subject to, and sometimes when he went for a stroll in the city, he saw the terrible treatment of the slaves – whipping them into obedience, deny them simplest rights such as having a spouse or children, punish them for smallest mistakes and sometimes even killing them for being an annoyance. Mon-El himself could never bring himself to act with such brutality against the poor souls. The slaves and servants in the palace knew Mon-El for his kindness towards them and would do anything for him – something that enraged his mother. He pitied the slaves gravely and never supported men who had a hand in slave smugglings.

It was no wonder then, that the broken system – where the rich only grew wealthier and the poor became weaker by the day – had led to uprisings and small riots among slaves. Unfortunately, they stood against the power of his mother, who could easily silence them with severe punishments, or even public executions. Mon-El feared the future.

Left feeling hopeless, Mon-El thought it would go like this forever. But the night before his twenty first birthday, while he had planned for a huge ceremony, his father surprised him by coming into his room and requested to talk to him. (Something he couldn't remember had ever happening before.) The pair both sat on the expensive sofas in front of the elaborate fireplace in Mon-El's room.

He noticed his father looked troubled and pale, avoided Mon-El's eyes as they sat there quietly for a while. The only sound in the room was the crackling of fire, which kept the room warm in the colder seasons. King Lar Gand laced his fingers together and leaned his elbows on his knees, staring at the fire before turning to look at his son, who was observing him with waiting eyes.