“And as soon as we get rid of the White Ranger,” Zedd continued as he led his wife in a waltz across the Chamber of Command, “I think it’s time to think about a new addition to our family.”

He lowered Rita in a finishing dive, and stared at her dotingly.

“Addition?” Rita asked suspiciously, before she shot to her feet and spun out of his hands, “What kind of addition?”

Zedd looked befuddled, “Why, a baby!” he said, hands held out to his wife.

She jumped back in shock, her face contorting with an irrepressible disgust and discontent; “What?”

“You know,” Zedd went on, seemingly oblivious, “Our own little bundle of evil… one with your incredible looks, and my brains!”

“Excuse me a moment,” Rita chirped, close to hysterical, “I’ll be right back!” She turned and rushed out of the chamber with a horrified screech.

“Sweetheart?” Zedd called after her, watching her disappear out of the door.

Goldar and Scorpina continued to watch from the balcony; Goldar was further disillusioned by this display on his master’s part, and , with a huff, left the room, too, leaving his girlfriend alone with the Emperor.

Scorpina chuckled a little under her breath and walked toward him.

He turned to her as she approached and made a faint shrug, “I don’t know, Scorpina,” he sighed, “Am I being unrealistic?”

She threw him a grin, looking out the way Rita had run, “You’re being sarcastic. To me, at least,“ she simply remarked.

“I know,” he said, his eyes refocusing onto her, “But if I really were under the influence of a love potion, don’t you think I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off her?”

She nodded steadily in agreement.

Zedd stepped round behind her and hissed in her ear, “Our marriage hasn’t been consummated…”

She looked to him, a little startled as he now stood to her other side, “Really?”

He nodded, “It seems that Rita thinks this love potion makes me controllable, and that it also makes me dumb and naïve enough to believe that this ‘wedded bliss’ we have is as good as it gets.”

Scorpina laughed, “She should have thought about that before.”

“Yes,” he concurred, “She should.” He cocked his head a little to one side as he looked hard at her, “Do you think she will, though?”

“Will what?”

“Give me a baby.”

Scorpina blinked, “You were serious…?”

He nodded a little and began to pace away, “Yes.”

Scorpina trotted to his side and accompanied him out of the chamber and into the corridors beyond, “You want a child with her?”

“I want a child, Scorpina - I’m not too bothered about how I get there anymore.”

“But a child is a living thing!”

“You don’t say?”

“Zedd!” she snapped irritably.

He halted and glared at her, “What?”

She sighed and, glancing warily down the corridor, lowered her voice, not wanting to attract unwanted attention; “You have to think of the future of this baby… if you have a child in a loveless marriage...”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this from a woman born into the household of not one, but two fearsome warriors! Did they preach to you about ‘Loveless marriages‘? For crying out lord, girl…”

“I’m not a girl anymore! Why do you always call me that?”

“Because you’re so naïve.”

“I’m not…”

“Then what’s your problem? We - and by that I mean you, I, Goldar, Rita, you name it - we are all children of the wars; we were born into families who were involved in these intergalactic conflicts from the moment we were conceived, and before. We’ve grown up with collateral damage as a household phrase, and we accept it all. I can offer a child so much, whether or not I have the mother’s support - why can’t you see that? I need an heir!”

“You have a child already.”

“Tommy? Hah! You’d expect me to trust my Empire to him?”

“No… but I don’t see why you’re simply playing along with this marriage to get a child…you could have any woman you wanted, so why settle for her?”

“Well, it’s not often women throw themselves so willingly into my grasp - Rita is trapped now and I intend to keep her that way until she has given me an heir.”

“But you don’t love her!”

He put his hand over her mouth; “Silence,” he murmured.

She looked hard at him until he removed his hand from her lips.

“Anyone would think that you were jealous,” he mused.

Her brow furrowed deeply, “Jealous?” she spat.

Zedd seemed to grow warmer in her presence, and he leant against the wall, looking fondly upon her, “Would you give me an heir?”

She shook her head, mouth gaping; “I can’t…”

“I didn’t ask you if you could - I’m asking you if you would.”

She shrugged, trying to find the right way to answer him. After a few moments struggling with this, Zedd put her out her misery and said, with a snigger, “Don’t worry about it - I’m joking.” He rubbed her shoulder, “You really are green.”

Scorpina slumped against the wall and heaved a great sigh as the Emperor turned and went on his way; “I’m not ‘green‘…” she muttered to herself.