Bonds of Love
By KittyLynne
Disclaimers: Voltron and all associated characters are owned and copyrighted by WEP. Original/new characters belong to the author.
Rating: M for language and adult situations.
Author's summary and warnings: This is an updated version of my very first fanfiction effort, a story I wrote and posted several years ago on the KAEX mailing list. It revolves around developing the relationship between Keith and Princess Allura, and exploring the origin of the psychic connection between them, their teammates, and the lions that make up Voltron. This fanfiction was written and posted before the existence of Voltron: The Third Dimension, and does not tie in with that series in regards to plot or characterizations.
Disclaimer: Voltron and its characters are the property of World Events Productions. I am not writing this story for profit. The original characters, prose and plots created for this fiction are my creative property and should not be reproduced in any form without my written permission.
Originally Published 1999-2001 - Revised 2014 - 2017
Rating: M for language and adult situations.
Author's summary and warnings: This is an updated version of my very first fanfiction effort, a story I wrote and posted several years ago on the KAEX mailing list. It revolves around developing the relationship between Keith and Princess Allura, and exploring the origin of the psychic connection between them, their teammates, and the lions that make up Voltron. This fanfiction was written and posted before the existence of Voltron: The Third Dimension, and does not tie in with that series in regards to plot or characterizations.
Disclaimer: Voltron and its characters are the property of World Events Productions. I am not writing this story for profit. The original characters, prose and plots created for this fiction are my creative property and should not be reproduced in any form without my written permission.
Originally Published 1999-2001 - Revised 2014 - 2017
Click on the following links to move along to that chapter.
A Bond is Forged
The first gathering was held at the Tree of Life, the branches of which stretched high and wide over the largest rainforest found on the world known as Arus.
The guardians of the planet- five huge lions, with heads held regally erect and the wisdom of the ages lurking in their countenances- presided over a close-knit group of humans that stood in a half circle at the foot of the tree's gnarled, massive trunk. The sun shone down through the leafy bower, highlighting the lions' glossy coats of black, blue, green, red and yellow, and the jungle-shadowed contours of their superb feline musculatures. The expression on each of the humans' upturned faces reflected awe and reverence at the impressive sight.
The largest of the five was the Black Lion, who sat in front of the others as befitted his place as leader of the pride. Though his face was set in stern lines, his golden gaze was kindly as it rested upon the clan that the Lions had nurtured, instructed and loved as if they had been their own children.
The Guardians had been there when men had first appeared on Arus; their presence dated at least as far back as Arusians had been recording their history. The Five Great Ones had presided over the evolution of the ancestors and their descendants, guiding and enabling them to succeed in their efforts to colonize the planet. In turn, the humans had offered the lions their abject devotion, constant companionship, and times filled with laughter, innocence, discovery, enlightenment and joy. It was considered a more than even exchange by all, and one that had maintained the peace on Arus for hundreds of years.
But those tranquil times had now gone. An insidious evil had risen and darkened the door to paradise. The children of Arus were in danger of being exterminated from the ranks of the universe, and thus were in dire need of the strongest protection their noble Guardians could provide for them. It was time to forge the final and deepest bond, a connection that would ensure the survival of the Arusian race and that the secrets of Arus were kept well out of the grasp of malevolent and vicious beings.
At Black Lion's nod, five of the humans stepped forth from the crowd and dropped to their knees. The four men were of noble bearing, and the lone woman was clearly of noble birth; the jeweled circlet she wore proclaimed her royal status even though she humbly knelt in the grass with the others.
One by one, and with solemn ceremony, the Lions bestowed amulets representing the protectors of Arus and their elements- Air, Water, Life, Fire and Earth- upon the five humans.
Arielle, the Arusian queen, bowed her head as her sapphire amulet was placed around her neck. Her throat felt swelled with emotion, but she swallowed fiercely and blinked away the tears stinging her eyes. This was a time for showing hope and resolve for the future, not sorrow for what was lost to the past. She would lead her people to victory by embracing this precious gift and all that it offered with every part of her mind, body and soul.
Black magic and betrayal had put an end to an idyllic reign, had torn the fabric of Arusian society asunder and driven the clans of Wolf, Tiger and Hawk to seek refuge on other worlds. The Lion clan was all that remained on the planet, the last bastion of defense against a takeover by those who reveled in unadulterated evil. If the world known as Arus was going to survive, they must unite and fight this enemy as one.
Touching her amulet, the Queen studied the faces of each guardian, seeing the great goodness that dwelt within them. But there was more to them, so much more, and she could feel it! Her hand closed around the stone as warmth flowed outward from her heart to her every extremity, flooding her entire being with the joy and power of abiding love. In response, her amulet gave off a laser blue sunburst of light, the rays enveloping her in an aura that gave her the sensation of floating in the midst of a refreshingly cool and calm lake.
A quick glance around told her that her companions' amulets were also aglow, each with a hue to match the lion who had given it. She wondered if they were feeling the sensation of the patron elements of each stone, but was diverted from the thought as a gasp went through the assembled clan.
The outlines of the lions' corporeal forms had begun to flicker and fade as they dissolved into the beams of light. The rays brightened and spread outward, bathing the gathered humans in a myriad of colors as the lions concentrated on breaching the gap between two species of beings. At the psychic urging of their protectors, each person present allowed his or her mind to expand and encompass the connection.
As the merging increased the humans' innate power, the essences of the Lions were slowly absorbed by their chosen human vessels. There was no sadness in this act, for the elding enabled the Lions to learn all that they had previously not known about the struggles and emotions that were so wondrously unique to humanity. As the knowledge was passed on, and with it understanding, the bond between lion and warrior was permanently sealed.
Since the beginnings of this world, the Guardians had known that they would one day willingly make this sacrifice to keep their people safe and secure. It wasn't a decision that had been made in haste, for along with the sacrifice came a conundrum- what would become of the humans after the transformation? There was no guarantee, no possible way to ascertain if the Arusians would be able to band together and use their new knowledge to defeat the enemies that were clawing at the fabric of their lives. If that power was withheld or lost to those present for any reason, it was certain that the children of Arus would not prevail.
Weapons, technology, battle skills and courage were going to be needed, but were not enough to protect those that they most loved. So far, the mystical energy supplied by the individual Lions had been enough to keep the planet from falling to chaos and oblivion, but that barrier would not hold up against the one who hunted for enslavement or worse. Joining with the humans now was to give them the best chance to save this world. And so the ceremony now taking place had been conceived, a rite of passage that would be destined to become a sacred ritual for a lifetime and beyond.
The power of the elements and the Lions' great spirits would continue to live on within these five human warriors, and in future generations of lion warriors to come.
Several decades later...
Death and destruction rained down upon the ruins of the Castle of Lions. The King and Queen were dead and gone, leaving their only child huddled within the confines of the bombed out structure. The Princess of Arus clung tightly to the only semblance of family that remained to her; her appointed guardian and faithful advisor, Coran. The older man had just valiantly fought off a couple of enemy paratroopers to ensure his Princess' survival, even though the heartbreaking sounds of the people being carried away or massacred outside made them both wonder if there would be any subjects left for her to govern.
Optimism had sustained them in the month since the communication from Galaxy Alliance had arrived, offering highly trained pilots to find and fly Arus' famed and mighty secret weapon. Their building hopes were subsequently dashed to pieces when a second transmission came in from Command Central, stating the group of pilots that had been sent had radioed in a distress call and disappeared without a trace. A scouting report had come in after that, saying an Alliance ship had been shot down, and spotted in the midst of crash landing on the planet. Unfortunately, he and the Princess were forced to vacate the briefing room before it had been determined if the crash had any survivors.
Though it caused him anguish to relinquish the few remaining soldiers that they had to their probable demises, Coran had not hesitated to leave them behind to provide cover fire for their leader. He knew that every single one of those men understood the symbolism of Allura's position, and that as long as their beloved Princess was still alive, so were the chances that their world could survive too. They had willingly taken vows to make the ultimate sacrifice so that she could continue to bring hope to others still hiding in the connecting caves leading to outside Arusia. This was of paramount importance now, especially in the face of no forthcoming help from the Alliance.
Falling debris caused by another round of attacks had forced him and his charge to take cover in a place just outside the relative security of the castle's main control room. They had squeezed together under a massive stone bench, praying for a miracle. The prayer had been answered in the form of a sudden and inexplicable cease fire...but the deafening silence was of no comfort, for they had no way of knowing whether the skull ships had left or if the robot troops they contained were making preparations to raid the castle on foot.
The sounds of heavy doors banging shut and the loud echo of footsteps in the castle entry made Coran get to his feet as quickly as he could. Leaning heavily on his cane, he stood at the ready, listening to the echoing of human voices drawing near, remaining wary of the intruders. After all, Zarkon had been known to employ humanoid mercenaries...
Thankfully, it soon became clear to him that wasn't to be the case. The accents of the unknown visitors were distinctly Terran, and he could sense no evil intent in their demeanors. If anything, they sounded shocked and angered by the devastation of their surroundings, and concerned by the lack of an Arusian presence in the castle.
Hope welled once more in the Royal Advisor's battered but undaunted heart. Bidding the young Princess to keep herself hidden, he crept out of hiding and limped to the shadowed back of a large stone pillar to investigate without being seen.
He peered cautiously down upon the men standing in the entry chamber. There were five, and their garments and appearances, along with the words that they exchanged, completely convinced him that these were the missing pilots sent by the Alliance. After offering a swift, silent prayer of thanks that they had escaped the enemy and landed in one piece, he took a second look at them.
Closer inspection had him amending his designation of 'men'. Four that were probably in their mid to late teens, plus one small, bespectacled boy who appeared to be of ten or twelve years of age. How could that little one have had any experience in dealing with endless sieges and tyranny? Coran sighed in disappointment, then reminded himself that age and size was of no consequence in finding the secret of Voltron. What mattered was courage, compassion and the strength of one's heart. The fact that these pilots had survived a direct attack from a Skull ship in such good condition boded well for future successes. Now that they were here, Arus still had a chance.
After straightening his greatcoat and raking back the flop of his hair from his face, Coran descended the stairway to welcome the newcomers.
The first gathering was held at the Tree of Life, the branches of which stretched high and wide over the largest rainforest found on the world known as Arus.
The guardians of the planet- five huge lions, with heads held regally erect and the wisdom of the ages lurking in their countenances- presided over a close-knit group of humans that stood in a half circle at the foot of the tree's gnarled, massive trunk. The sun shone down through the leafy bower, highlighting the lions' glossy coats of black, blue, green, red and yellow, and the jungle-shadowed contours of their superb feline musculatures. The expression on each of the humans' upturned faces reflected awe and reverence at the impressive sight.
The largest of the five was the Black Lion, who sat in front of the others as befitted his place as leader of the pride. Though his face was set in stern lines, his golden gaze was kindly as it rested upon the clan that the Lions had nurtured, instructed and loved as if they had been their own children.
The Guardians had been there when men had first appeared on Arus; their presence dated at least as far back as Arusians had been recording their history. The Five Great Ones had presided over the evolution of the ancestors and their descendants, guiding and enabling them to succeed in their efforts to colonize the planet. In turn, the humans had offered the lions their abject devotion, constant companionship, and times filled with laughter, innocence, discovery, enlightenment and joy. It was considered a more than even exchange by all, and one that had maintained the peace on Arus for hundreds of years.
But those tranquil times had now gone. An insidious evil had risen and darkened the door to paradise. The children of Arus were in danger of being exterminated from the ranks of the universe, and thus were in dire need of the strongest protection their noble Guardians could provide for them. It was time to forge the final and deepest bond, a connection that would ensure the survival of the Arusian race and that the secrets of Arus were kept well out of the grasp of malevolent and vicious beings.
At Black Lion's nod, five of the humans stepped forth from the crowd and dropped to their knees. The four men were of noble bearing, and the lone woman was clearly of noble birth; the jeweled circlet she wore proclaimed her royal status even though she humbly knelt in the grass with the others.
One by one, and with solemn ceremony, the Lions bestowed amulets representing the protectors of Arus and their elements- Air, Water, Life, Fire and Earth- upon the five humans.
Arielle, the Arusian queen, bowed her head as her sapphire amulet was placed around her neck. Her throat felt swelled with emotion, but she swallowed fiercely and blinked away the tears stinging her eyes. This was a time for showing hope and resolve for the future, not sorrow for what was lost to the past. She would lead her people to victory by embracing this precious gift and all that it offered with every part of her mind, body and soul.
Black magic and betrayal had put an end to an idyllic reign, had torn the fabric of Arusian society asunder and driven the clans of Wolf, Tiger and Hawk to seek refuge on other worlds. The Lion clan was all that remained on the planet, the last bastion of defense against a takeover by those who reveled in unadulterated evil. If the world known as Arus was going to survive, they must unite and fight this enemy as one.
Touching her amulet, the Queen studied the faces of each guardian, seeing the great goodness that dwelt within them. But there was more to them, so much more, and she could feel it! Her hand closed around the stone as warmth flowed outward from her heart to her every extremity, flooding her entire being with the joy and power of abiding love. In response, her amulet gave off a laser blue sunburst of light, the rays enveloping her in an aura that gave her the sensation of floating in the midst of a refreshingly cool and calm lake.
A quick glance around told her that her companions' amulets were also aglow, each with a hue to match the lion who had given it. She wondered if they were feeling the sensation of the patron elements of each stone, but was diverted from the thought as a gasp went through the assembled clan.
The outlines of the lions' corporeal forms had begun to flicker and fade as they dissolved into the beams of light. The rays brightened and spread outward, bathing the gathered humans in a myriad of colors as the lions concentrated on breaching the gap between two species of beings. At the psychic urging of their protectors, each person present allowed his or her mind to expand and encompass the connection.
As the merging increased the humans' innate power, the essences of the Lions were slowly absorbed by their chosen human vessels. There was no sadness in this act, for the elding enabled the Lions to learn all that they had previously not known about the struggles and emotions that were so wondrously unique to humanity. As the knowledge was passed on, and with it understanding, the bond between lion and warrior was permanently sealed.
Since the beginnings of this world, the Guardians had known that they would one day willingly make this sacrifice to keep their people safe and secure. It wasn't a decision that had been made in haste, for along with the sacrifice came a conundrum- what would become of the humans after the transformation? There was no guarantee, no possible way to ascertain if the Arusians would be able to band together and use their new knowledge to defeat the enemies that were clawing at the fabric of their lives. If that power was withheld or lost to those present for any reason, it was certain that the children of Arus would not prevail.
Weapons, technology, battle skills and courage were going to be needed, but were not enough to protect those that they most loved. So far, the mystical energy supplied by the individual Lions had been enough to keep the planet from falling to chaos and oblivion, but that barrier would not hold up against the one who hunted for enslavement or worse. Joining with the humans now was to give them the best chance to save this world. And so the ceremony now taking place had been conceived, a rite of passage that would be destined to become a sacred ritual for a lifetime and beyond.
The power of the elements and the Lions' great spirits would continue to live on within these five human warriors, and in future generations of lion warriors to come.
Several decades later...
Death and destruction rained down upon the ruins of the Castle of Lions. The King and Queen were dead and gone, leaving their only child huddled within the confines of the bombed out structure. The Princess of Arus clung tightly to the only semblance of family that remained to her; her appointed guardian and faithful advisor, Coran. The older man had just valiantly fought off a couple of enemy paratroopers to ensure his Princess' survival, even though the heartbreaking sounds of the people being carried away or massacred outside made them both wonder if there would be any subjects left for her to govern.
Optimism had sustained them in the month since the communication from Galaxy Alliance had arrived, offering highly trained pilots to find and fly Arus' famed and mighty secret weapon. Their building hopes were subsequently dashed to pieces when a second transmission came in from Command Central, stating the group of pilots that had been sent had radioed in a distress call and disappeared without a trace. A scouting report had come in after that, saying an Alliance ship had been shot down, and spotted in the midst of crash landing on the planet. Unfortunately, he and the Princess were forced to vacate the briefing room before it had been determined if the crash had any survivors.
Though it caused him anguish to relinquish the few remaining soldiers that they had to their probable demises, Coran had not hesitated to leave them behind to provide cover fire for their leader. He knew that every single one of those men understood the symbolism of Allura's position, and that as long as their beloved Princess was still alive, so were the chances that their world could survive too. They had willingly taken vows to make the ultimate sacrifice so that she could continue to bring hope to others still hiding in the connecting caves leading to outside Arusia. This was of paramount importance now, especially in the face of no forthcoming help from the Alliance.
Falling debris caused by another round of attacks had forced him and his charge to take cover in a place just outside the relative security of the castle's main control room. They had squeezed together under a massive stone bench, praying for a miracle. The prayer had been answered in the form of a sudden and inexplicable cease fire...but the deafening silence was of no comfort, for they had no way of knowing whether the skull ships had left or if the robot troops they contained were making preparations to raid the castle on foot.
The sounds of heavy doors banging shut and the loud echo of footsteps in the castle entry made Coran get to his feet as quickly as he could. Leaning heavily on his cane, he stood at the ready, listening to the echoing of human voices drawing near, remaining wary of the intruders. After all, Zarkon had been known to employ humanoid mercenaries...
Thankfully, it soon became clear to him that wasn't to be the case. The accents of the unknown visitors were distinctly Terran, and he could sense no evil intent in their demeanors. If anything, they sounded shocked and angered by the devastation of their surroundings, and concerned by the lack of an Arusian presence in the castle.
Hope welled once more in the Royal Advisor's battered but undaunted heart. Bidding the young Princess to keep herself hidden, he crept out of hiding and limped to the shadowed back of a large stone pillar to investigate without being seen.
He peered cautiously down upon the men standing in the entry chamber. There were five, and their garments and appearances, along with the words that they exchanged, completely convinced him that these were the missing pilots sent by the Alliance. After offering a swift, silent prayer of thanks that they had escaped the enemy and landed in one piece, he took a second look at them.
Closer inspection had him amending his designation of 'men'. Four that were probably in their mid to late teens, plus one small, bespectacled boy who appeared to be of ten or twelve years of age. How could that little one have had any experience in dealing with endless sieges and tyranny? Coran sighed in disappointment, then reminded himself that age and size was of no consequence in finding the secret of Voltron. What mattered was courage, compassion and the strength of one's heart. The fact that these pilots had survived a direct attack from a Skull ship in such good condition boded well for future successes. Now that they were here, Arus still had a chance.
After straightening his greatcoat and raking back the flop of his hair from his face, Coran descended the stairway to welcome the newcomers.
Crown Princess Allura was filled with impatience and curiosity at hearing the barely repressed excitement in her guardian's voice as he greeted their visitors. It had been a long, long time since he'd sounded like that. She started forward, but a sudden fit of shyness made her falter. Concealing herself behind the pillar Coran had just left behind, she carefully observed the group gathered at the bottom of the steep staircase.
Four young men and one boy, all with spears in hand, were standing at attention in front of her guardian. They had obviously been through an ordeal, but maintained the ramrod straight bearing of trained military men. A torch held aloft by Coran revealed strong and good looking faces lurking beneath smudges of dirt and what looked like dried blood.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Allura smiled. Even from here, she could sense their kindness and good intentions. There was no doubt in her mind that these must be the missing pilots from the Alliance.
Her guardian was calling for her, confirming that belief. She stepped out of the shadows, now most eager to greet those whom she hoped would turn out to be the saviors of what remained of her terrorized people and their poor planet.
Four young men and one boy, all with spears in hand, were standing at attention in front of her guardian. They had obviously been through an ordeal, but maintained the ramrod straight bearing of trained military men. A torch held aloft by Coran revealed strong and good looking faces lurking beneath smudges of dirt and what looked like dried blood.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Allura smiled. Even from here, she could sense their kindness and good intentions. There was no doubt in her mind that these must be the missing pilots from the Alliance.
Her guardian was calling for her, confirming that belief. She stepped out of the shadows, now most eager to greet those whom she hoped would turn out to be the saviors of what remained of her terrorized people and their poor planet.
Captain Keith Powell was elated to have found the Princess of Arus and her Royal Advisor alive. As long as some semblance of order and government could be maintained, they would have a good starting point to be going on with. He turned a confident smile to Sven, his comrade and best friend, but the stunned look on the Norweigian's upturned face and the sharp, indrawn breaths of the others had him quickly looking around to see what had them so enthralled.
The vision of unsurpassed beauty poised at the top of the staircase caused his own jaw to drop. A formally dressed young woman of about seventeen years of age stood in the flickering torchlight, which revealed the lines of a breathtaking figure, the luxuriant golden hair tumbling about smooth shoulders, and a warm and friendly expression.
Keith swallowed convulsively as a fathomless blue-eyed gaze made contact with his. As she made a graceful descent of the staircase, he pressed his lips together and tried to regain his scattered composure, but found it to be an impossible feat. He couldn't look away from her or resist returning the smile that reached like an outstretched hand to him as she introduced herself.
He listened intently as she spoke of her peoples' suffering and long ordeal at the hands of Planet Doom. Her tears, when they came, cut him to the quick. It was clear that she was trying hard to keep them from escaping, but a few slipped free to run down her pale cheeks nonetheless. Her expression was sad but determined as she spoke fervently of her wish to find the secret of Voltron and help defend her planet. It was clear to Keith that this was no helpless and pampered royal. This amazing young woman had been to hell and back, had defied the enemy and kept going in a situation where many men would have surrendered. She was a fighter.
In that moment, he resolved that he would do anything and everything in his power to help Princess Allura and her subjects.
Heart pounding a mile a minute, he laid aside his weapon and went down on one knee before her. She shyly offered her hand and he took it in his, kissing it and vowing fealty to her and her planet without hesitancy or any reservation in his mind.
Allura looked deeply into dark brown eyes before the handsome young pilot averted his head to kiss her hand. The absolute determination and certainty she saw in them sent a thrill zinging through her, even as the strength of the hand gripping hers and the feather-light touch of his lips raised goose bumps of pleasure on her arms.
In that moment she realized she trusted and liked this young man very much.
"What is your name, please?" She asked, surprised that she could sound so calm when her heart was doing cartwheels and back flips.
Keith found himself loath to let go of the Princess' hand as her voice swirled over and around him like sun-warmed honey.
"I'm Keith, and I'm the Commander." He replied, a bit huskily. Somehow, the formality of giving a surname didn't seem important while he was looking into those large and sparkling baby blues. "My life in your service, Your Highness."
Her smile was like a beam of sunshine in the dark, cold room. "On behalf of the citizens of this planet, I thank you and welcome you to Arus, Keith."
She nodded at him as he stood, and then at the other pilots, who then came forward one by one to kneel and kiss her hand.
As they did so, Keith moved to the background to observe the ritual and the beautiful, courageous woman that he was sure-although he didn't know how or why - that he had been born to meet and protect.
~I won't leave you, Princess.~ He swore silently. ~You can count on me.~
The vision of unsurpassed beauty poised at the top of the staircase caused his own jaw to drop. A formally dressed young woman of about seventeen years of age stood in the flickering torchlight, which revealed the lines of a breathtaking figure, the luxuriant golden hair tumbling about smooth shoulders, and a warm and friendly expression.
Keith swallowed convulsively as a fathomless blue-eyed gaze made contact with his. As she made a graceful descent of the staircase, he pressed his lips together and tried to regain his scattered composure, but found it to be an impossible feat. He couldn't look away from her or resist returning the smile that reached like an outstretched hand to him as she introduced herself.
He listened intently as she spoke of her peoples' suffering and long ordeal at the hands of Planet Doom. Her tears, when they came, cut him to the quick. It was clear that she was trying hard to keep them from escaping, but a few slipped free to run down her pale cheeks nonetheless. Her expression was sad but determined as she spoke fervently of her wish to find the secret of Voltron and help defend her planet. It was clear to Keith that this was no helpless and pampered royal. This amazing young woman had been to hell and back, had defied the enemy and kept going in a situation where many men would have surrendered. She was a fighter.
In that moment, he resolved that he would do anything and everything in his power to help Princess Allura and her subjects.
Heart pounding a mile a minute, he laid aside his weapon and went down on one knee before her. She shyly offered her hand and he took it in his, kissing it and vowing fealty to her and her planet without hesitancy or any reservation in his mind.
Allura looked deeply into dark brown eyes before the handsome young pilot averted his head to kiss her hand. The absolute determination and certainty she saw in them sent a thrill zinging through her, even as the strength of the hand gripping hers and the feather-light touch of his lips raised goose bumps of pleasure on her arms.
In that moment she realized she trusted and liked this young man very much.
"What is your name, please?" She asked, surprised that she could sound so calm when her heart was doing cartwheels and back flips.
Keith found himself loath to let go of the Princess' hand as her voice swirled over and around him like sun-warmed honey.
"I'm Keith, and I'm the Commander." He replied, a bit huskily. Somehow, the formality of giving a surname didn't seem important while he was looking into those large and sparkling baby blues. "My life in your service, Your Highness."
Her smile was like a beam of sunshine in the dark, cold room. "On behalf of the citizens of this planet, I thank you and welcome you to Arus, Keith."
She nodded at him as he stood, and then at the other pilots, who then came forward one by one to kneel and kiss her hand.
As they did so, Keith moved to the background to observe the ritual and the beautiful, courageous woman that he was sure-although he didn't know how or why - that he had been born to meet and protect.
~I won't leave you, Princess.~ He swore silently. ~You can count on me.~
Morning Has Broken
It was the brightness of the sun streaming through the heavily fortified windows in her bedchambers that awakened Crown Princess Allura of Arus. Long, thick eyelashes slowly parted to reveal azure hued irises hazed with the last vestiges of sleep. As full awareness returned to her, she basked in the glorious light that bathed her reclining form. This quiet, peaceful warmth was something to savor...and definitely something she'd never, ever take for granted.
Ever since the New Galaxy Alliance had negotiated a cease-of- hostilities treaty with the loathsome despot of Planet Doom, the skies above her planet and others in the Diamond Galaxy had remained free and clear of enemy spacecraft. Zarkon the Warlord (she refused to think of him as a king) had been forced to surrender to the Alliance and to sign the truce. He had no other recourse, having decimated his stock of lazon-fueled Robeasts and the powers of his witch Hagar in his battles with Voltron, a mighty robotic creation of her father's that had come to be known as 'the Defender of the Universe'.
There was no question that these last two months had been joyous and prosperous ones for Planet Arus, thanks to the peoples' brave efforts and the help of the Voltron Force. However, as happy as Allura had been to sign the treaty, she had no illusions. Its permanence was questionable at best. The mysterious disappearance of Zarkon's evil son and heir to the throne, Prince Lotor, the man who had desired and mercilessly stalked her for almost two years, was disturbing to say the least. As the Princess, she refused to let speculation about his whereabouts overshadow the happy times following this victory over tyranny. This hard sought time of peace, no matter how fleeting it might be, had brought about a planet-wide renaissance and a sense of well being to her besieged people. No matter what the personal dangers of having Lotor on the loose might be, she wasn't going to let them keep her from moving forward.
Pushing back masses of golden hair away from her face, Allura sat up to gaze out into the cloudless blue sea of Arusian sky. After a moment of prayerful thanks, she let her gaze wander around the large, comfortably furnished room that had been both a refuge and a prison, depending on the circumstances surrounding her. The decor was functional, metallic and monochromatic, but her dear Nanny, in one of many acts as the Princess' surrogate mother, had tried hard to bring a homelike touch to the room with dashes of color and things that were a reflection of her charge's gentle persona.
Pictures, fresh flowers, a multitude of pictures and books, along with a comfortable reading chair resided in one corner of the room, and a large triple-mirrored vanity that would make any young maiden's eyes glow with delight resided in another. A large, well-appointed dressing room that doubled as a bath opened off the main room just to the right of the over-sized bed. There was even a spot designated for her beloved Space Mice to sleep and play, although the Governess had initially grumbled about permitting 'those pesky rodents' in the Royal bedroom.
The Princess' gaze alighted on the old fashioned photograph kept on her bedside table; after a moment, she reached over to pick it up. A happy looking couple gazed back at her from inside the gilded frame, their formal poses and regal robes at odds with the wide grins on their faces. Allura leaned her forehead against them, seeking out the strong sense of love and comfort that emanated from the couple, closing her eyes as it surrounded her like a warm embrace.
She had known since she was old enough to walk and talk that she was Arusian in the fullest sense, which meant that her bloodline carried an affinity for the spirit world, telepathic talents and a general psychic awareness. It was a genetic gift that was both comforting and slightly disturbing, and one that enabled the young Princess and her subjects to stay together in the worst of times. It had been of paramount importance in keeping Allura from despair since the untimely deaths of her parents, King Alfor and Queen Alana of Arus, by assuring her that even death could not entirely sever her bond with her loved ones.
Allura's eyes now glistened with unshed tears as opened them and carefully replaced the frame on the table. Her parents may have been cruelly torn away from her, but their bond with their only child had not been broken. After her first encounter with her late father, she always made sure to offer a heartfelt, daily thank you to the unknown Being who allowed her to have her Father's counsel in the moments when she needed it most.
As wonderful as it was to have contact with her father, Allura couldn't help wondering about her mother. Queen Alana's life essence was near, she could feel it. The link she had had with her mother was as unmistakable, powerful and unbreakable as the one with her father, and yet there had been no sighting of her. When asked, her father hadn't had an answer- or maybe he just wasn't permitted to tell.
The Princess frowned at this thought, and then silently chided herself for having entertained it. The afterlife had to have its own set of protocols that must be followed for the natural order of things to be maintained. It was highly probable that she'd never discover the answers to her questions until the day she joined her parents, so there was no use in getting upset over something that was beyond her mortal comprehension.
With that, she determinedly turned her mind to more pleasant matters, and smiled when the Blue Lion instantly sprang to the forefront of her thoughts.
Until recently, it had never occurred to her to investigate why the same type of psychic connection she shared with her father also seemed to exist between herself and her lion ship. However, she was positive this link was what sustained her through harrowing times when she first became a member of the Voltron Force, and was what had helped her correct the novice miscalculations she'd inflicted on her teammates when not a part of the Super Robot's right leg.
And then there was the quiet euphoria that welled within her whenever she flew in Blue Lion. After a brief 'getting to know you' period, it seemed to her as if her 'Blue Kitty' was no longer something that merely functioned under her command. It had become like a real friend and ally to her, as well as a fierce and devoted protector.
She was aware, of course, that her teammates were secretly amused by her fanciful notions regarding Blue Lion; they often joked about them when they thought she was out of earshot. Only their no-nonsense commander had not scoffed or laughed. He never offered comments on it either, but she had been gratified to overhear him telling the others in stern tones that any good pilot worth his or her salt should have that kind of affinity with their spacecraft. That statement had put an abrupt end to the joking- at least until the next time she said something to provoke it.
Allura sighed. Her teammates would defend her no matter what their personal beliefs were, but she found herself wishing she could fully explain herself to them and help them understand all of the feelings she had experienced in Blue Lion, and the questions and theories she had as to their origin. But right now, that would prove an impossible task. When she had begun her training in the lion ship, they had made it perfectly clear that they weren't comfortable with the subject of psychic connections. Even the appearance of King Alfor hadn't changed their minds. To them, he was a spectre with no substance; a hologram, or a computer program set to kick in when the need was there.
A wall clock was striking the hour, prompting Allura to wonder why her governess hadn't called on the comm or rousted her out of bed as was her morning custom. Could it be that Nanny was actually letting her sleep in a little? If so, she intended to enjoy the unusual reprieve to the fullest!
With a delighted smile, the Princess fell backwards into her pillows. Her hair splayed out around her; she picked up a strand and idly toyed with it while she allowed her thoughts to stray to a subject that came up more and more frequently as of late: her love life. Or rather, her distinct lack of a love life. The only men that she had any significant social contact with inside the Castle of Lions were her teammates, and so she'd taken to contemplating them as suitors- a harmless little game that she enjoyed playing when she was relaxed and alone.
It was regrettable that the Green Lion pilot was too young for her. Lieutenant Paulos Renner Trewold, fondly known as 'Pidge', had the skills, maturity and outlook of someone far beyond his years, but in his social development he still was definitely a fifteen year old boy.
Pidge had endeared himself to her on many occasions by being able to talk to and understand her little pets the Space Mice almost as well as she could herself. He was a sensitive and caring soul, and she was so thankful that he had forgiven her the initial, grievous error she and her advisor had made regarding not sending help to defend his home world, Balto, when Zarkon had attacked it. Ever since the horrible day they had sat crying in Voltron, helplessly watching as his planet exploded, she had tried hard to make it up to him. She'd appointed him an honorary citizen of Arus, and unofficially adopted him as the younger brother she wanted but never had.
An entertaining and loyal companion, he was the only member of the team that was allowed to visit with her in her quarters without a chaperone. He was attentive, absolutely brilliant, full of courage and an adorable breath of fresh air. She was also aware that he had a crush on her, something that she found very sweet, even though it made things a bit awkward at times.
Thinking of Pidge made her think of his best friend; the strongest and most big hearted man she had ever met. His friends had dubbed the Yellow Lion pilot, Lieutenant Haloran Titus Jones the Third, with the nickname 'Hunk', and it suited him well. He was a lovable teddy bear of a man, large in physical stature, and steadfast in his advocacy of children.
It was easy to dismiss the plainspoken Hunk as a simpleton who only cared about food, fixing things and flying, but Allura had soon found out that a tender nature and keen intellect lurked beneath the blustering manner and bulging muscles of her teammate. He was totally dependable and could fix just about anything. His strong, rugged features and physique, though constant sources of angst for him, were manly and very attractive to her. It was true that Hunk was quick tempered, headstrong and even a bit coarse at times, but his cheerfulness and quiet good deeds far outweighed his bad points. His loyalty to her was unquestioning; she knew without a doubt that he would volunteer to take on all of Planet Doom for her and Arus if trouble arose.
But Hunk acted as more of a protective big brother and friend to her these days than a potential suitor. She knew he had sworn off women and buried himself in his other interests since the tragic end of his love affair with the spy, Twyla. It would take a very special woman to reach and draw him out of that self-imposed cocoon, and Allura was sure that she was not the one who could. As much as he reveled in his job and adventures as a member of the Voltron Force, Hunk truly abhorred the limelight that came with being in the company of royalty. He was a down-to-earth, free spirited guy who would be downright miserable living in the fishbowl of royal life.
There had been some sparks of romantic interest with Lieutenant Lance Thomas Hartwell, pilot of Red Lion, who was far from intimidated by her royal status. He was very good-looking, with his collar-length wavy brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and strong jaw line. His broad-shouldered physique, emphasized by his favorite leather bomber jacket, had female eyes following him wherever he happened to be, something of which he was all too aware. He could be tactless and combative, and had the disconcerting habit of teasing his teammates unmercifully whenever he found a chink in their armor, but in spite of that, she enjoyed Lance's company, and found him to be intelligent, intuitive and appealing. His amazing courage, his loyalty and his unquenchable spirit made any flaws extremely easy to overlook.
Lance was also a man of contrasts. As worldly as he was, she was surprised, amused and flattered by the way he always seemed to be thrown by any expression of affection or gratitude that was bestowed upon him. The kisses on the cheek she'd given him weren't the kind of reward he should have had for all he'd done for Arus and for her, but he always blushed and generally acted as if they were the best things that ever happened to him. There was no doubt in her mind that his reaction was genuine.
He's the only one who dares to flirt and have fun with me without worrying about what people will say. It's too bad that he alienated Nanny at first, though. Now we can't get away with anything.
Yes, she could always count on the Red Lion pilot to defend her at all costs, and to make her feel good about simply being alive. Beneath the cynicism and cheeky bravado lay a very tender heart that she was sure would remain locked away for the one very lucky woman who was patient and persistent enough to win it.
It was her misfortune that her deep liking for Lance couldn't make her forget the feelings she had for his best friend.
Allura swallowed convulsively, feeling the familiar burgeoning of the fluttery sensation in her abdomen that seemed to appear whenever she thought about the last man on her mental checklist. They had first locked gazes two years ago across a crumbling, candle-lit room where his dark eyes had lit the embers of hope within her, and kindled the fires of something else she wasn't able to name. Or possibly...was afraid to name, she admitted to herself.
Commander Keith William Powell was compelling and fierce in battle, yet charming and restrained in his demeanor at official functions. He was intelligent, efficient, thoughtful and modest, and his only obvious quirk was an obsession with routines and protocol. His integrity and his compassion for others were unsurpassed.
He was far from perfect, though. Brashness, arrogance and irreverence had asserted themselves from time to time, especially in the company of one Prince Lotor. Whenever Lotor appeared, Keith never bothered to restrain the emotions churning beneath his normally stoic surface; when it came to the Denubian prince, the vein of his hatred ran deep.
Despite all that, he was probably the most enigmatic man she'd ever met when it come to her. It was rare for the Voltron Captain to share his personal feelings regarding anything involving her these days. It was something she found distressing and frustrating.
Prior to her induction to the Voltron Force, there had been a few unguarded moments where his expression showed he was as conscious as she was of the strong attraction between them, but for reasons of his own he had refused to acknowledge it. Ever since she had joined the Voltron Force, he had kept a definite distance. Even though it would be a betrayal of trust, she found herself sorely tempted to use her gift to probe what lay beyond the brooding brown eyes, just so she could find the reasons why he kept his emotions so tightly leashed.
He was fascinating and complex. He was her Captain, her teacher, her mentor, her protector and a true champion. He had been and was so many things to her, but she couldn't label him a friend because the heart pounding desire she experienced whenever he was near was far from a feeling of friendship.
Even now, her face burned as she recalled how she'd been caught by Lance as she watched their Captain running through his daily workout.
Keith had begun with the graceful, sweeping gestures of a Terran exercise she knew was called Tai Chi, and followed that with other exercises that displayed the prowess that had served him well in their battles with Doom. The primal sport of weightlifting was last on his regimen. While watching him making maximum use of the latest Space Age equipment, she discovered exactly how he had developed such a powerful body. Parts of his anatomy had tensed and released in ways that had made her innards quiver with delight. The fact that he had been bare-chested added greatly to her enjoyment. She had crouched low in her hiding spot, feeling like the naughtiest of voyeurs as she stared at him, completely captivated by his raw masculinity and the response it instilled in her.
She thought she had done a fairly good job of concealing herself behind the wall of overgrown potted plants. Unfortunately for her, Lance had chosen to come in for an unusually early morning workout himself, and with his uncanny sixth sense and sharp eyes, had spotted her hiding place right away.
Cringing with embarrassment, she had waited for the axe to fall, but to her surprise Lance hadn't given her presence away to Keith. His only acknowledgment was sending a nod and a wink in her direction, then starting his own workout to music to cover the noise of her escape.
It had been a brief reprieve.
"Princesses do NOT ogle!" She haughtily informed him after breakfast when they had a moment alone. "We observe!"
"Whatever you say, Your Highness." The Red Lion pilot had replied, while handing her a computer printout. "Here's his workout schedule for the rest of the month, and a list of some better hiding spots. Purely for educational purposes, of course. " He winked. "Enjoy!"
She had stared at him, trying hard but unable to come up with the blistering put down he deserved. He had laughed at her, and gave her an impudent chuck under the chin before striding away down the hallway that was busy enough to keep her from chasing after him.
She had fumed all the way to team practice and taken out her ire in target shooting. The impressive results prompted warm words of praise from her Captain and provoked more sly innuendos from Lance during the morning meal. She had maintained a blushing silence, while everyone else wondered what was going on between them. Keith had seemed especially concerned and was pressing the point when Nanny mercifully chose that moment to enter and start delivering a lecture to Hunk about his diet.
As luck would have it, she later arrived at judo practice to find she had been partnered up with Lance. He had grinned at her disgruntled expression and then continued to tease, annoy and embarrass her under his breath as they sparred. Totally unnerved, she had ended up throwing him with extreme and unnecessary force.
Keith had immediately run over to stare down at the winded Lance, who was lying flat on his back. Then, with one eyebrow quirked, he looked back up at her, wordlessly questioning her uncharacteristic brutality. Her response had been to smile and ask him sweetly if she had done the throw properly.
"What the hell is she saying?" Lance had groaned, before Keith could answer. "She just kicked my ass!"
Of course her tormentor had been sternly reprimanded by the Captain for his foul use of language and been made to apologize to her once he'd picked himself up. Lance had done so sincerely, but with a calculating gleam in his eyes that told her she hadn't heard the end of the subject of ogling their leader.
After practice, Keith had pulled her aside while the others headed for their lockers.
"So what did he do, Princess?" He had asked, looking both exasperated and amused.
"I…I don't know what you mean." She had avoided the warm brown gaze, fiddling with the gear she held as an excuse not to look at him.
"For you to flip him that hard means he must have done something!" He insisted, probably because he could see that she was blushing.
"It's nothing! I just have a lot of pent up energy after having to study so much, and Nanny has been so grouchy lately and..." She had been horrified to hear herself babbling like ...now what was that Earth word again? Oh yes... an 'air-head'.
"There's nothing to worry about." She had concluded brightly, her gaze resting somewhere in the vicinity of her feet.
She knew she hadn't been convincing when she felt strong fingers grasp her chin and tip it upwards. Heart hammering in her throat, she had stared into eyes that had gone hard with intent.
"Are you absolutely sure there isn't anything you want to tell me or that I should know about the two of you?" Keith had asked, in a tone that was unusually harsh, now that she thought about it.
"Yes, Keith, I'm sure. Please excuse me, Nanny is expecting me for some protocol lessons and I still have to change."
With that fib, she had turned and literally run away from the frowning Captain. As she sped through the workout area on her way to the locker room, a mocking voice called out to her from behind the same potted plants she had used to conceal herself that morning.
She had skidded to a stop, mad at herself for being so unobservant. If she hadn't been so intent on avoiding Keith's penetrating stare, she'd have noticed the lurking Red Lion pilot had stuck around and she would have been able to avoid the encounter.
With a sigh of resignation, she had answered the call. "What is it now, Lance?"
"Why so glum, Princess? Wouldn't Keith flex his 'buns of titanium' for you?"
By the Lions, that man could be annoying! As annoying as the incessant buzzing filling the air...
With a start, Allura glanced at the bedside clock that had broken into her reverie, startled to see that a half hour had passed by with no call from the excruciatingly punctual Nanny. Slightly worried, she sat up, turned off the alarm and then started to reach for the communicator button on the headboard's control panel just as a familiar summons sounded. At Allura's relieved command, the door to her bedroom slid open to reveal the matronly figure and smiling features of her Royal Governess.
"Time to rise and shine, my Princess! It's a new day!"
It was the brightness of the sun streaming through the heavily fortified windows in her bedchambers that awakened Crown Princess Allura of Arus. Long, thick eyelashes slowly parted to reveal azure hued irises hazed with the last vestiges of sleep. As full awareness returned to her, she basked in the glorious light that bathed her reclining form. This quiet, peaceful warmth was something to savor...and definitely something she'd never, ever take for granted.
Ever since the New Galaxy Alliance had negotiated a cease-of- hostilities treaty with the loathsome despot of Planet Doom, the skies above her planet and others in the Diamond Galaxy had remained free and clear of enemy spacecraft. Zarkon the Warlord (she refused to think of him as a king) had been forced to surrender to the Alliance and to sign the truce. He had no other recourse, having decimated his stock of lazon-fueled Robeasts and the powers of his witch Hagar in his battles with Voltron, a mighty robotic creation of her father's that had come to be known as 'the Defender of the Universe'.
There was no question that these last two months had been joyous and prosperous ones for Planet Arus, thanks to the peoples' brave efforts and the help of the Voltron Force. However, as happy as Allura had been to sign the treaty, she had no illusions. Its permanence was questionable at best. The mysterious disappearance of Zarkon's evil son and heir to the throne, Prince Lotor, the man who had desired and mercilessly stalked her for almost two years, was disturbing to say the least. As the Princess, she refused to let speculation about his whereabouts overshadow the happy times following this victory over tyranny. This hard sought time of peace, no matter how fleeting it might be, had brought about a planet-wide renaissance and a sense of well being to her besieged people. No matter what the personal dangers of having Lotor on the loose might be, she wasn't going to let them keep her from moving forward.
Pushing back masses of golden hair away from her face, Allura sat up to gaze out into the cloudless blue sea of Arusian sky. After a moment of prayerful thanks, she let her gaze wander around the large, comfortably furnished room that had been both a refuge and a prison, depending on the circumstances surrounding her. The decor was functional, metallic and monochromatic, but her dear Nanny, in one of many acts as the Princess' surrogate mother, had tried hard to bring a homelike touch to the room with dashes of color and things that were a reflection of her charge's gentle persona.
Pictures, fresh flowers, a multitude of pictures and books, along with a comfortable reading chair resided in one corner of the room, and a large triple-mirrored vanity that would make any young maiden's eyes glow with delight resided in another. A large, well-appointed dressing room that doubled as a bath opened off the main room just to the right of the over-sized bed. There was even a spot designated for her beloved Space Mice to sleep and play, although the Governess had initially grumbled about permitting 'those pesky rodents' in the Royal bedroom.
The Princess' gaze alighted on the old fashioned photograph kept on her bedside table; after a moment, she reached over to pick it up. A happy looking couple gazed back at her from inside the gilded frame, their formal poses and regal robes at odds with the wide grins on their faces. Allura leaned her forehead against them, seeking out the strong sense of love and comfort that emanated from the couple, closing her eyes as it surrounded her like a warm embrace.
She had known since she was old enough to walk and talk that she was Arusian in the fullest sense, which meant that her bloodline carried an affinity for the spirit world, telepathic talents and a general psychic awareness. It was a genetic gift that was both comforting and slightly disturbing, and one that enabled the young Princess and her subjects to stay together in the worst of times. It had been of paramount importance in keeping Allura from despair since the untimely deaths of her parents, King Alfor and Queen Alana of Arus, by assuring her that even death could not entirely sever her bond with her loved ones.
Allura's eyes now glistened with unshed tears as opened them and carefully replaced the frame on the table. Her parents may have been cruelly torn away from her, but their bond with their only child had not been broken. After her first encounter with her late father, she always made sure to offer a heartfelt, daily thank you to the unknown Being who allowed her to have her Father's counsel in the moments when she needed it most.
As wonderful as it was to have contact with her father, Allura couldn't help wondering about her mother. Queen Alana's life essence was near, she could feel it. The link she had had with her mother was as unmistakable, powerful and unbreakable as the one with her father, and yet there had been no sighting of her. When asked, her father hadn't had an answer- or maybe he just wasn't permitted to tell.
The Princess frowned at this thought, and then silently chided herself for having entertained it. The afterlife had to have its own set of protocols that must be followed for the natural order of things to be maintained. It was highly probable that she'd never discover the answers to her questions until the day she joined her parents, so there was no use in getting upset over something that was beyond her mortal comprehension.
With that, she determinedly turned her mind to more pleasant matters, and smiled when the Blue Lion instantly sprang to the forefront of her thoughts.
Until recently, it had never occurred to her to investigate why the same type of psychic connection she shared with her father also seemed to exist between herself and her lion ship. However, she was positive this link was what sustained her through harrowing times when she first became a member of the Voltron Force, and was what had helped her correct the novice miscalculations she'd inflicted on her teammates when not a part of the Super Robot's right leg.
And then there was the quiet euphoria that welled within her whenever she flew in Blue Lion. After a brief 'getting to know you' period, it seemed to her as if her 'Blue Kitty' was no longer something that merely functioned under her command. It had become like a real friend and ally to her, as well as a fierce and devoted protector.
She was aware, of course, that her teammates were secretly amused by her fanciful notions regarding Blue Lion; they often joked about them when they thought she was out of earshot. Only their no-nonsense commander had not scoffed or laughed. He never offered comments on it either, but she had been gratified to overhear him telling the others in stern tones that any good pilot worth his or her salt should have that kind of affinity with their spacecraft. That statement had put an abrupt end to the joking- at least until the next time she said something to provoke it.
Allura sighed. Her teammates would defend her no matter what their personal beliefs were, but she found herself wishing she could fully explain herself to them and help them understand all of the feelings she had experienced in Blue Lion, and the questions and theories she had as to their origin. But right now, that would prove an impossible task. When she had begun her training in the lion ship, they had made it perfectly clear that they weren't comfortable with the subject of psychic connections. Even the appearance of King Alfor hadn't changed their minds. To them, he was a spectre with no substance; a hologram, or a computer program set to kick in when the need was there.
A wall clock was striking the hour, prompting Allura to wonder why her governess hadn't called on the comm or rousted her out of bed as was her morning custom. Could it be that Nanny was actually letting her sleep in a little? If so, she intended to enjoy the unusual reprieve to the fullest!
With a delighted smile, the Princess fell backwards into her pillows. Her hair splayed out around her; she picked up a strand and idly toyed with it while she allowed her thoughts to stray to a subject that came up more and more frequently as of late: her love life. Or rather, her distinct lack of a love life. The only men that she had any significant social contact with inside the Castle of Lions were her teammates, and so she'd taken to contemplating them as suitors- a harmless little game that she enjoyed playing when she was relaxed and alone.
It was regrettable that the Green Lion pilot was too young for her. Lieutenant Paulos Renner Trewold, fondly known as 'Pidge', had the skills, maturity and outlook of someone far beyond his years, but in his social development he still was definitely a fifteen year old boy.
Pidge had endeared himself to her on many occasions by being able to talk to and understand her little pets the Space Mice almost as well as she could herself. He was a sensitive and caring soul, and she was so thankful that he had forgiven her the initial, grievous error she and her advisor had made regarding not sending help to defend his home world, Balto, when Zarkon had attacked it. Ever since the horrible day they had sat crying in Voltron, helplessly watching as his planet exploded, she had tried hard to make it up to him. She'd appointed him an honorary citizen of Arus, and unofficially adopted him as the younger brother she wanted but never had.
An entertaining and loyal companion, he was the only member of the team that was allowed to visit with her in her quarters without a chaperone. He was attentive, absolutely brilliant, full of courage and an adorable breath of fresh air. She was also aware that he had a crush on her, something that she found very sweet, even though it made things a bit awkward at times.
Thinking of Pidge made her think of his best friend; the strongest and most big hearted man she had ever met. His friends had dubbed the Yellow Lion pilot, Lieutenant Haloran Titus Jones the Third, with the nickname 'Hunk', and it suited him well. He was a lovable teddy bear of a man, large in physical stature, and steadfast in his advocacy of children.
It was easy to dismiss the plainspoken Hunk as a simpleton who only cared about food, fixing things and flying, but Allura had soon found out that a tender nature and keen intellect lurked beneath the blustering manner and bulging muscles of her teammate. He was totally dependable and could fix just about anything. His strong, rugged features and physique, though constant sources of angst for him, were manly and very attractive to her. It was true that Hunk was quick tempered, headstrong and even a bit coarse at times, but his cheerfulness and quiet good deeds far outweighed his bad points. His loyalty to her was unquestioning; she knew without a doubt that he would volunteer to take on all of Planet Doom for her and Arus if trouble arose.
But Hunk acted as more of a protective big brother and friend to her these days than a potential suitor. She knew he had sworn off women and buried himself in his other interests since the tragic end of his love affair with the spy, Twyla. It would take a very special woman to reach and draw him out of that self-imposed cocoon, and Allura was sure that she was not the one who could. As much as he reveled in his job and adventures as a member of the Voltron Force, Hunk truly abhorred the limelight that came with being in the company of royalty. He was a down-to-earth, free spirited guy who would be downright miserable living in the fishbowl of royal life.
There had been some sparks of romantic interest with Lieutenant Lance Thomas Hartwell, pilot of Red Lion, who was far from intimidated by her royal status. He was very good-looking, with his collar-length wavy brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and strong jaw line. His broad-shouldered physique, emphasized by his favorite leather bomber jacket, had female eyes following him wherever he happened to be, something of which he was all too aware. He could be tactless and combative, and had the disconcerting habit of teasing his teammates unmercifully whenever he found a chink in their armor, but in spite of that, she enjoyed Lance's company, and found him to be intelligent, intuitive and appealing. His amazing courage, his loyalty and his unquenchable spirit made any flaws extremely easy to overlook.
Lance was also a man of contrasts. As worldly as he was, she was surprised, amused and flattered by the way he always seemed to be thrown by any expression of affection or gratitude that was bestowed upon him. The kisses on the cheek she'd given him weren't the kind of reward he should have had for all he'd done for Arus and for her, but he always blushed and generally acted as if they were the best things that ever happened to him. There was no doubt in her mind that his reaction was genuine.
He's the only one who dares to flirt and have fun with me without worrying about what people will say. It's too bad that he alienated Nanny at first, though. Now we can't get away with anything.
Yes, she could always count on the Red Lion pilot to defend her at all costs, and to make her feel good about simply being alive. Beneath the cynicism and cheeky bravado lay a very tender heart that she was sure would remain locked away for the one very lucky woman who was patient and persistent enough to win it.
It was her misfortune that her deep liking for Lance couldn't make her forget the feelings she had for his best friend.
Allura swallowed convulsively, feeling the familiar burgeoning of the fluttery sensation in her abdomen that seemed to appear whenever she thought about the last man on her mental checklist. They had first locked gazes two years ago across a crumbling, candle-lit room where his dark eyes had lit the embers of hope within her, and kindled the fires of something else she wasn't able to name. Or possibly...was afraid to name, she admitted to herself.
Commander Keith William Powell was compelling and fierce in battle, yet charming and restrained in his demeanor at official functions. He was intelligent, efficient, thoughtful and modest, and his only obvious quirk was an obsession with routines and protocol. His integrity and his compassion for others were unsurpassed.
He was far from perfect, though. Brashness, arrogance and irreverence had asserted themselves from time to time, especially in the company of one Prince Lotor. Whenever Lotor appeared, Keith never bothered to restrain the emotions churning beneath his normally stoic surface; when it came to the Denubian prince, the vein of his hatred ran deep.
Despite all that, he was probably the most enigmatic man she'd ever met when it come to her. It was rare for the Voltron Captain to share his personal feelings regarding anything involving her these days. It was something she found distressing and frustrating.
Prior to her induction to the Voltron Force, there had been a few unguarded moments where his expression showed he was as conscious as she was of the strong attraction between them, but for reasons of his own he had refused to acknowledge it. Ever since she had joined the Voltron Force, he had kept a definite distance. Even though it would be a betrayal of trust, she found herself sorely tempted to use her gift to probe what lay beyond the brooding brown eyes, just so she could find the reasons why he kept his emotions so tightly leashed.
He was fascinating and complex. He was her Captain, her teacher, her mentor, her protector and a true champion. He had been and was so many things to her, but she couldn't label him a friend because the heart pounding desire she experienced whenever he was near was far from a feeling of friendship.
Even now, her face burned as she recalled how she'd been caught by Lance as she watched their Captain running through his daily workout.
Keith had begun with the graceful, sweeping gestures of a Terran exercise she knew was called Tai Chi, and followed that with other exercises that displayed the prowess that had served him well in their battles with Doom. The primal sport of weightlifting was last on his regimen. While watching him making maximum use of the latest Space Age equipment, she discovered exactly how he had developed such a powerful body. Parts of his anatomy had tensed and released in ways that had made her innards quiver with delight. The fact that he had been bare-chested added greatly to her enjoyment. She had crouched low in her hiding spot, feeling like the naughtiest of voyeurs as she stared at him, completely captivated by his raw masculinity and the response it instilled in her.
She thought she had done a fairly good job of concealing herself behind the wall of overgrown potted plants. Unfortunately for her, Lance had chosen to come in for an unusually early morning workout himself, and with his uncanny sixth sense and sharp eyes, had spotted her hiding place right away.
Cringing with embarrassment, she had waited for the axe to fall, but to her surprise Lance hadn't given her presence away to Keith. His only acknowledgment was sending a nod and a wink in her direction, then starting his own workout to music to cover the noise of her escape.
It had been a brief reprieve.
"Princesses do NOT ogle!" She haughtily informed him after breakfast when they had a moment alone. "We observe!"
"Whatever you say, Your Highness." The Red Lion pilot had replied, while handing her a computer printout. "Here's his workout schedule for the rest of the month, and a list of some better hiding spots. Purely for educational purposes, of course. " He winked. "Enjoy!"
She had stared at him, trying hard but unable to come up with the blistering put down he deserved. He had laughed at her, and gave her an impudent chuck under the chin before striding away down the hallway that was busy enough to keep her from chasing after him.
She had fumed all the way to team practice and taken out her ire in target shooting. The impressive results prompted warm words of praise from her Captain and provoked more sly innuendos from Lance during the morning meal. She had maintained a blushing silence, while everyone else wondered what was going on between them. Keith had seemed especially concerned and was pressing the point when Nanny mercifully chose that moment to enter and start delivering a lecture to Hunk about his diet.
As luck would have it, she later arrived at judo practice to find she had been partnered up with Lance. He had grinned at her disgruntled expression and then continued to tease, annoy and embarrass her under his breath as they sparred. Totally unnerved, she had ended up throwing him with extreme and unnecessary force.
Keith had immediately run over to stare down at the winded Lance, who was lying flat on his back. Then, with one eyebrow quirked, he looked back up at her, wordlessly questioning her uncharacteristic brutality. Her response had been to smile and ask him sweetly if she had done the throw properly.
"What the hell is she saying?" Lance had groaned, before Keith could answer. "She just kicked my ass!"
Of course her tormentor had been sternly reprimanded by the Captain for his foul use of language and been made to apologize to her once he'd picked himself up. Lance had done so sincerely, but with a calculating gleam in his eyes that told her she hadn't heard the end of the subject of ogling their leader.
After practice, Keith had pulled her aside while the others headed for their lockers.
"So what did he do, Princess?" He had asked, looking both exasperated and amused.
"I…I don't know what you mean." She had avoided the warm brown gaze, fiddling with the gear she held as an excuse not to look at him.
"For you to flip him that hard means he must have done something!" He insisted, probably because he could see that she was blushing.
"It's nothing! I just have a lot of pent up energy after having to study so much, and Nanny has been so grouchy lately and..." She had been horrified to hear herself babbling like ...now what was that Earth word again? Oh yes... an 'air-head'.
"There's nothing to worry about." She had concluded brightly, her gaze resting somewhere in the vicinity of her feet.
She knew she hadn't been convincing when she felt strong fingers grasp her chin and tip it upwards. Heart hammering in her throat, she had stared into eyes that had gone hard with intent.
"Are you absolutely sure there isn't anything you want to tell me or that I should know about the two of you?" Keith had asked, in a tone that was unusually harsh, now that she thought about it.
"Yes, Keith, I'm sure. Please excuse me, Nanny is expecting me for some protocol lessons and I still have to change."
With that fib, she had turned and literally run away from the frowning Captain. As she sped through the workout area on her way to the locker room, a mocking voice called out to her from behind the same potted plants she had used to conceal herself that morning.
She had skidded to a stop, mad at herself for being so unobservant. If she hadn't been so intent on avoiding Keith's penetrating stare, she'd have noticed the lurking Red Lion pilot had stuck around and she would have been able to avoid the encounter.
With a sigh of resignation, she had answered the call. "What is it now, Lance?"
"Why so glum, Princess? Wouldn't Keith flex his 'buns of titanium' for you?"
By the Lions, that man could be annoying! As annoying as the incessant buzzing filling the air...
With a start, Allura glanced at the bedside clock that had broken into her reverie, startled to see that a half hour had passed by with no call from the excruciatingly punctual Nanny. Slightly worried, she sat up, turned off the alarm and then started to reach for the communicator button on the headboard's control panel just as a familiar summons sounded. At Allura's relieved command, the door to her bedroom slid open to reveal the matronly figure and smiling features of her Royal Governess.
"Time to rise and shine, my Princess! It's a new day!"
Changing of the Guard
Captain Keith William Powell sat at his desk attending to one of the more tedious aspects of his job; finishing up his weekly report to Galaxy Garrison. It was habitual to get it over and done with before his morning officially started so that he could turn his attention to the usual, more important things, like facilitating security meetings, practicing judo, or training with the team in Black Lion.
But today was going to be a departure from the usual; there would be no meetings, no practicing and no flying, all because the excellent work ethic and professionalism for which the Voltron Force were renowned had recently and noticeably been slipping.
No one had complained that he had continued to push them hard in their regimens, but after training as hard as they had been for so long, Keith knew the signs of burnout were impending and was why he had taken the unprecedented step of canceling all meetings and practices and making it a free day for the entire team. It was standard practice for Earth soldiers and Space Explorers to take the occasional leave to rejuvenate themselves and to keep up their morale, even in times of peace. He saw good reason to apply that tactic to the Voltron Force now, and their mile-wide smiles when he had informed them of his decision had confirmed that he was right to have made it.
Ironically, his was the opposite problem. When he kept busy, he could avoid unnecessary introspection and happily ignore the restlessness that had been building within him. Having excess time to reflect upon why he had been feeling disgruntled and dissatisfied with his present life on Arus could only be detrimental to his own sagging morale.
Arus might be at peace, but he was still fighting a war within himself.
But that was something he'd have to deal with later. Right now, he had a job to finish. He sat forward in his chair, trying to concentrate on what he'd written. A moment later, he leaned back and heaved a loud sigh of resignation at the glimmering vision of wide blue eyes framed by a flowing mane of cornsilk hair that blocked out thinking about anything else.
Not surprising, of course. The Princess had been huge distraction for him ever since the day he'd first laid eyes on her.
No matter what she did or where she was, she had his full and complete focused was he upon her well being, it had gotten to the point that he could swear that the few times they had been separated in battle he could sense her thoughts and hear her speaking to him. When they were together in social surroundings, however, it was completely different story; though they enjoyed the bond of friendship, the deeper connection he felt was cut off with a feeling akin to having slammed a door shut between them. Not once outside of battle had he deliberately sought out her thoughts in his mind or try to discern her feelings about him, and he had taken pains to make sure that barrier stayed in place. She had no idea that she was constantly on his mind; a very good thing, given the erotic nature of some of those thoughts.
What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just relax? They had won a hard fought peace and beaten Zarkon at his own game! Arus was his second home, now, and Allura was in his charge. She was a true comrade in arms, and a good friend. None of that was an excuse for him to feel out of sorts with his lot.
She's the reason and you know it, he answered himself bluntly. You're pissed off because you don't know what to do about her and you.
The admission prompted him to massage the muscles in the back of his neck. Allura overwhelmed him in every way a woman could overwhelm a man, and he had been overcompensating for that loss of control by being extra formal and distant with her whenever she tried to close the gap. His standoffish attitude had put a strain on their relationship, and he wasn't at all happy about that, but what choice did he have?
There were other good reasons for taking that approach, one of them being that their conflicting occupations would throw some major roadblocks in their path if he'd ever choose to pursue her. Besides the gap in social status, there was also the fact that as her commander, he couldn't show any preference for her company lest it be construed as favoritism. And then there was the trust Coran and Nanny had placed in him, which meant that even in down time, he couldn't ever drop his guard around her. Leaving Allura out of the social outings he and the guys went on was as unfair as them being excluded from hers, but it was the way things had to be. He was only human, and if he saw her in that bikini of hers one more time...
But that wasn't her fault.
Allura deserved the highest marks in the world for perseverance. She had tried so hard to obliterate the boundaries erected between her and her teammates, and had worked tirelessly to become the kind of comrade they could count on to cover their butts in battle. There were many times she had succeeded in becoming 'just one of the guys', but then her guardian or governess would always show up with a stern reminder that she was a cut above them all and had pressing responsibilities that left her no time for commoner friends.
It still rankled to think of the humiliation she had suffered being dragged away from having fun with her teammates, even though the logical part of him validated the reasons for it. If she had been allowed to socialize freely with them, it probably would have caused trouble among the Arusian rank and file, and eventually, between the male teammates who constantly vied for her attention. It had been best for team unity that she had been kept away, and so he'd kept his mouth shut. Even so, he still found it appalling and outrageous that Allura had been locked in her room, or on one infamous occasion, actually tied to a chair to keep her from participating in some innocent and much needed recreation!
Great. He was getting a headache, something these kinds of contradictory thoughts never failed to bring on. Dammit! Why did things always have to be so complicated when it came to Allura? Why couldn't he accept that the only link they would ever share was one of service and duty to others, and once again become the loyal and supportive friend she had counted on for so long? At times like these, he really envied Lance's easy way with the Princess. If given a clear shot, the Red Lion Pilot would cross the line of friendship in a heartbeat-what man in his right mind wouldn't? Still, Lance seemed content with playing the role of a surrogate big brother...or at least, hadn't given any hint that he wasn't.
Which was a whole lot better than his commander was doing.
He had a problem and he wasn't at all content with that mindset. He didn't have it in him to act like a brother to Allura since the day that damn Norwegian had dropped some broad hints; hints that had him daring to hope that someday he would be given the chance to get to know the woman beneath the crown on a very personal level.
That naïve little fantasy had ended when Sven was attacked and Allura had become the pilot of Blue Lion. Even if she had any romantic interest in him, Galaxy Garrison's Officer's Regulations forbade a romantic relationship between a commander and a member of his crew. Allura fit into that category now. Disciplined and clear thinking person that he was, he had retreated behind the wall of protocol and professionalism. Going to meetings and planning training regimens kept him busy and away from temptation.
But it also meant he had to endure second hand stories of her innocent flirtations with Lance and Nanny's constant matchmaking attempts with any eligible members of nobility that happened to drop by.
He wasn't going to hide or run away from that, though. He didn't feel intimidated or unequal to the tasks royal duties presented; heck, as Captain of the Voltron Force, he had participated in too many official ceremonies to list. What it all boiled down to is that he had a job to do, and couldn't let his personal feelings cloud his perspective. Garrison perspective was clear in this situation; duty before self. He needed to set an example- to be an example- and the sooner he dealt with that the better. Nothing would come out of exploring the feelings he had for the Princess, not to mention that with Lotor still at large, they would all do well to not be distracted from their number one priority.
Allura should remain what she was; brave, pure of heart and strong willed, the wholesome, noble symbol of a planet he'd sworn to protect and defend.
~Yeah, you're a real paragon of virtue, aren't you? What happens when another pretty boy prince comes along and tries to sweep Allura off her feet?~
Keith scowled, then decided to avoid the question by going back to furiously typing data into his laptop, pounding out his frustration on the keyboard until the report was finished. He reread it, grimaced, and then ran spell check. When the numerous errors had been corrected, he sent it to Galaxy Garrison. It definitely wasn't his finest effort, but it would do.
After noting the time, he reached for his communicator to contact Coran, as was their morning ritual, then frowned at the loud burst of static that greeted his summons instead of the Royal Advisor's modulated and soothing tones. Obviously, the comm system upgrade had encountered a substantial glitch. There was no cause for alarm, but he'd feel much better if he checked it out pronto, peace treaty or not.
Eagerly snatching up his malfunctioning communicator, Keith exited his quarters and sprinted down to Castle Control.
Captain Keith William Powell sat at his desk attending to one of the more tedious aspects of his job; finishing up his weekly report to Galaxy Garrison. It was habitual to get it over and done with before his morning officially started so that he could turn his attention to the usual, more important things, like facilitating security meetings, practicing judo, or training with the team in Black Lion.
But today was going to be a departure from the usual; there would be no meetings, no practicing and no flying, all because the excellent work ethic and professionalism for which the Voltron Force were renowned had recently and noticeably been slipping.
No one had complained that he had continued to push them hard in their regimens, but after training as hard as they had been for so long, Keith knew the signs of burnout were impending and was why he had taken the unprecedented step of canceling all meetings and practices and making it a free day for the entire team. It was standard practice for Earth soldiers and Space Explorers to take the occasional leave to rejuvenate themselves and to keep up their morale, even in times of peace. He saw good reason to apply that tactic to the Voltron Force now, and their mile-wide smiles when he had informed them of his decision had confirmed that he was right to have made it.
Ironically, his was the opposite problem. When he kept busy, he could avoid unnecessary introspection and happily ignore the restlessness that had been building within him. Having excess time to reflect upon why he had been feeling disgruntled and dissatisfied with his present life on Arus could only be detrimental to his own sagging morale.
Arus might be at peace, but he was still fighting a war within himself.
But that was something he'd have to deal with later. Right now, he had a job to finish. He sat forward in his chair, trying to concentrate on what he'd written. A moment later, he leaned back and heaved a loud sigh of resignation at the glimmering vision of wide blue eyes framed by a flowing mane of cornsilk hair that blocked out thinking about anything else.
Not surprising, of course. The Princess had been huge distraction for him ever since the day he'd first laid eyes on her.
No matter what she did or where she was, she had his full and complete focused was he upon her well being, it had gotten to the point that he could swear that the few times they had been separated in battle he could sense her thoughts and hear her speaking to him. When they were together in social surroundings, however, it was completely different story; though they enjoyed the bond of friendship, the deeper connection he felt was cut off with a feeling akin to having slammed a door shut between them. Not once outside of battle had he deliberately sought out her thoughts in his mind or try to discern her feelings about him, and he had taken pains to make sure that barrier stayed in place. She had no idea that she was constantly on his mind; a very good thing, given the erotic nature of some of those thoughts.
What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just relax? They had won a hard fought peace and beaten Zarkon at his own game! Arus was his second home, now, and Allura was in his charge. She was a true comrade in arms, and a good friend. None of that was an excuse for him to feel out of sorts with his lot.
She's the reason and you know it, he answered himself bluntly. You're pissed off because you don't know what to do about her and you.
The admission prompted him to massage the muscles in the back of his neck. Allura overwhelmed him in every way a woman could overwhelm a man, and he had been overcompensating for that loss of control by being extra formal and distant with her whenever she tried to close the gap. His standoffish attitude had put a strain on their relationship, and he wasn't at all happy about that, but what choice did he have?
There were other good reasons for taking that approach, one of them being that their conflicting occupations would throw some major roadblocks in their path if he'd ever choose to pursue her. Besides the gap in social status, there was also the fact that as her commander, he couldn't show any preference for her company lest it be construed as favoritism. And then there was the trust Coran and Nanny had placed in him, which meant that even in down time, he couldn't ever drop his guard around her. Leaving Allura out of the social outings he and the guys went on was as unfair as them being excluded from hers, but it was the way things had to be. He was only human, and if he saw her in that bikini of hers one more time...
But that wasn't her fault.
Allura deserved the highest marks in the world for perseverance. She had tried so hard to obliterate the boundaries erected between her and her teammates, and had worked tirelessly to become the kind of comrade they could count on to cover their butts in battle. There were many times she had succeeded in becoming 'just one of the guys', but then her guardian or governess would always show up with a stern reminder that she was a cut above them all and had pressing responsibilities that left her no time for commoner friends.
It still rankled to think of the humiliation she had suffered being dragged away from having fun with her teammates, even though the logical part of him validated the reasons for it. If she had been allowed to socialize freely with them, it probably would have caused trouble among the Arusian rank and file, and eventually, between the male teammates who constantly vied for her attention. It had been best for team unity that she had been kept away, and so he'd kept his mouth shut. Even so, he still found it appalling and outrageous that Allura had been locked in her room, or on one infamous occasion, actually tied to a chair to keep her from participating in some innocent and much needed recreation!
Great. He was getting a headache, something these kinds of contradictory thoughts never failed to bring on. Dammit! Why did things always have to be so complicated when it came to Allura? Why couldn't he accept that the only link they would ever share was one of service and duty to others, and once again become the loyal and supportive friend she had counted on for so long? At times like these, he really envied Lance's easy way with the Princess. If given a clear shot, the Red Lion Pilot would cross the line of friendship in a heartbeat-what man in his right mind wouldn't? Still, Lance seemed content with playing the role of a surrogate big brother...or at least, hadn't given any hint that he wasn't.
Which was a whole lot better than his commander was doing.
He had a problem and he wasn't at all content with that mindset. He didn't have it in him to act like a brother to Allura since the day that damn Norwegian had dropped some broad hints; hints that had him daring to hope that someday he would be given the chance to get to know the woman beneath the crown on a very personal level.
That naïve little fantasy had ended when Sven was attacked and Allura had become the pilot of Blue Lion. Even if she had any romantic interest in him, Galaxy Garrison's Officer's Regulations forbade a romantic relationship between a commander and a member of his crew. Allura fit into that category now. Disciplined and clear thinking person that he was, he had retreated behind the wall of protocol and professionalism. Going to meetings and planning training regimens kept him busy and away from temptation.
But it also meant he had to endure second hand stories of her innocent flirtations with Lance and Nanny's constant matchmaking attempts with any eligible members of nobility that happened to drop by.
He wasn't going to hide or run away from that, though. He didn't feel intimidated or unequal to the tasks royal duties presented; heck, as Captain of the Voltron Force, he had participated in too many official ceremonies to list. What it all boiled down to is that he had a job to do, and couldn't let his personal feelings cloud his perspective. Garrison perspective was clear in this situation; duty before self. He needed to set an example- to be an example- and the sooner he dealt with that the better. Nothing would come out of exploring the feelings he had for the Princess, not to mention that with Lotor still at large, they would all do well to not be distracted from their number one priority.
Allura should remain what she was; brave, pure of heart and strong willed, the wholesome, noble symbol of a planet he'd sworn to protect and defend.
~Yeah, you're a real paragon of virtue, aren't you? What happens when another pretty boy prince comes along and tries to sweep Allura off her feet?~
Keith scowled, then decided to avoid the question by going back to furiously typing data into his laptop, pounding out his frustration on the keyboard until the report was finished. He reread it, grimaced, and then ran spell check. When the numerous errors had been corrected, he sent it to Galaxy Garrison. It definitely wasn't his finest effort, but it would do.
After noting the time, he reached for his communicator to contact Coran, as was their morning ritual, then frowned at the loud burst of static that greeted his summons instead of the Royal Advisor's modulated and soothing tones. Obviously, the comm system upgrade had encountered a substantial glitch. There was no cause for alarm, but he'd feel much better if he checked it out pronto, peace treaty or not.
Eagerly snatching up his malfunctioning communicator, Keith exited his quarters and sprinted down to Castle Control.
"Nanny, why didn't you call me on the comm?" Allura asked, smiling warmly at the woman who had taken such good care of her since her mother's passing.
"Vell, Princess, it seems that the comms are not operational in this Wing after the last system upgrade was uploaded to the mainframe." Nanny replied cheerfully. She moved briskly around the room, laying out pieces of her royal charge's toilette. As she ducked into the huge room that contained Allura's wardrobe, her voice was muffled as she added, "I really haf no idea what that means, but Castle Control is looking into it."
"I see." Allura replied, stifling a laugh. Her governess made no secret of the fact that she didn't fully trust high technology and much preferred the traditional analog way of doing things. "I think I'll skip the bath and take a shower today. Keith gave the team a free day and I don't to waste a moment more in getting it started!"
Nanny stuck her head out of the closet. "Do not forget you haf to attend to your lessons with Coran this morning."
Allura's stare said that she had forgotten this detail, and that she was annoyed by the reminder. The look of displeasure increased tenfold when she saw the outfit her Governess had brought out for her to wear."Oh Nanny, not the pink dress again!" She moaned. "Please, there has to be something else in that cavern of a closet that's comfortable and still appropriate! I'm so sick of those cumbersome gowns!"
"Such nonsense!" Nanny declared huffily. "This is proper dress for a princess of-"
"The House of Altaire, yes, yes, I know. But can't I wear something else just this one time? I have no official engagements scheduled, and the only high official I'll be seeing today is Coran, and I know he won't mind."
The older woman paused and considered the matter.
"If you allow it, I promise not to complain about going to lessons," Allura coaxed, sensing her governess was weakening.
Nanny sighed loudly, and then capitulated. "All right, since it is a free day, you may vear a different gown. Now put on this robe and ve'll get you into the shower, although I don't know why you would prefer being pelted to a lovely soak!" She added, with a sniff.
"I don't prefer it...it's just quicker, that's all. Thank you, dear Nanny! You're the greatest! " Allura leapt out of bed to hug the older woman, who returned the affectionate gesture wholeheartedly even as she chided her charge for her undignified behavior.
The loud chime of the door tone made them both jump and then giggle a little as a deep, gravelly voice penetrated the door's thick steel.
"Nanny! Hey Miss Nanny! Are you in there with the Princess?"
Nanny clucked her tongue in disapproval when she recognized the gruff tones as belonging to the pilot of Yellow Lion. Hunk was hopeless in matters of etiquette and properly addressing his elders, but she had to give him credit for trying.
Glancing at Allura to make sure that her robe was on and properly tied, she called back a greeting and bade the young man to enter.
Hunk smiled at the Princess, then looked at Nanny and said, "Coran sent me to get you, ma'am. He needs you right away -somethin' about discussin' some social type stuff with you."
The gaze of the governess grew wide with dismay. "Oh no, I haf forgotten! Ve must finalize the guest list for the Ambassador's banquet! I must go…but no, I cannot! With communications down, you cannot be left alone, Princess!"
"Why can't Hunk can stand guard outside the bathroom? That is, if you wouldn't mind doing that, Hunk?" Allura asked him shyly.
"It's okay with me, Princess," the Yellow Lion pilot replied, with an equal amount of shyness. "Always happy to help you out."
Nanny looked at him intently, trying to determine if the remark had been flirtatious. The innocence and sincerity in the young man's face reassured her and she relaxed; there was really no need to worry, as she hadn't seen any romantic sparks flying between Allura and this boy. Now if it were Lance, it would be a different story.
"All right. First I vill finish laying out your garments and then I will go to Coran." She said, shooing them out the door while shoving a basket of the Princess' bath toiletries into Hunk's arms. "I vill be back sooner than you think, Hunk, so don't think you can get away with any funny business!"
Hunk rolled his eyes, but answered with commendable patience. "Yes, Miss Nanny."
"I get so tired of the watchdog routine!" Allura confided to her friend, as they strolled down the short corridor that led to her bathing chamber. "I'm sure you do too!"
"Aw, I really don't have a problem with it, Princess," Hunk replied. He inhaled deeply. "Man, the stuff you got in this basket smells good enough to eat!"
Allura giggled. "Yes, but I would recommend you don't try it!"
They reached the large bathroom suite. Hunk opened the door, carefully checked out the interior, and then handed the Princess her basket. She smiled her thanks, but the smile quickly changed to a gasp of dismay as she caught her heel on the hem of her nightgown and tripped on the threshold. Hunk grabbed her arm to keep her from falling, and both cringed at the sound of tearing material.
"Steady, Princess! You all right?"
"Yes, but I'm sure my nightgown isn't! I...I'm afraid to look."
She did however, and so did Hunk. Half of the nightgown's hem now dragged on the floor, and a small hole was also clearly visible where her slipper had caught in the material.
"Ohhhh..." Allura's eyes welled with tears. "This was my birthday present from Nanny. She spent hours embroidering it for me, and now I've ruined it!"
Hunk hummed and hawed for a moment, and then said gruffly, "Well ya know...it's not that bad a rip. Maybe I could…ya know...fix it up for ya?"
"You think so? You could?"
Allura looked at him with eyes so full of hope that Hunk forgot his embarrassment over what he was about to reveal. It was gratifying to see that the Princess was taking him seriously, and that she wasn't going to scoff or laugh at his offer.
"Sure I could!" He said heartily. "My folks own a tailor shop back home, an' they taught me all kinds of things about embroidery and sewin' stuff. With us being such a large family, I liked to help out whenever I could even though it's not, uh, a very manly kinda trait." He shrugged. "Don't advertise it, but I can sew with the best of 'em! Comes in real handy for a bachelor."
The Princess beamed. "I think it's wonderful! You're a man of hidden talents, Hunk!"
The Yellow Lion pilot grinned. "Yeah, hidden talent- that's me all over!"
"But...how are you going to repair it without people seeing it? I don't want the others giving you a bad time on my account!"
"You're talkin' about Lance, right?" Hunk chuckled at his friend's rueful expression. "Don't worry, I can take care of him."
"All right." With the happy affirmative, Allura went into the bathing chamber so she could remove the damaged nightgown. After slipping on her robe, she opened the door again and handed the garment out to Hunk, who folded it into a neat, handkerchief sized square and carefully tucked it into an inner pocket of his vest. "Leave it to me, Princess." He promised. "Trust me, okay? When I'm done, it'll be better than new!"
"Of course I trust you!" She responded warmly. "You fix things better than anyone I know!"
"Darn right!"
They shared a conspiratorial grin, but when the Princess turned towards the door again, she paused and sighed in vexation. "Oh! Squirrel's nuts!"
Hunk's grin turned bemused. "Huh? What-"
"I forgot to grab my towels." Allura sighed. "Hang on, I'll just dash back to the linen cupboard."
"Nuh-uh, no way! I'll go get 'em for you."
"Thank you, Hunk, but it's not necessary-"
"Nanny would have my hide if I let you run down the hall in next to nothin'!" The Big Man stated with surprising firmness. "Where's the cupboard, Princess?"
Reluctantly, she told him.
"Okay, now you better get back in there-it won't be good for the staff to see you standin' around here talkin' to me in your robe!"
She smiled at him as she stepped from the hall into the bath chamber. "You're a very thoughtful and gallant man. Thank you."
~Wowee,~ Hunk thought, as he headed down the corridor to the linen closet. ~The Princess is a real sweetheart. Wish Twyla could have turned out to be that way...~ A dull blush crept up his neck at the thought.~No use frettin' over it. It's not like most women aren't out of my league anyway.~
Upon reaching his destination, Hunk opened the closet panel and eyed the large stacks of towels within. He grabbed for a stack of fluffy blue ones, then turned to jog back to Allura... only to be stopped in place by the hand that came down hard upon his brawny shoulder.
He yelped in surprise, and clutched the towels as he whirled around to meet the amused gaze of his team leader. "Keith! You tryin' to give me a freakin' heart attack?"
"Hey, you were concentrating so hard, I think a herd of elephants could've snuck up and surprised you!" Keith's dark brown eyes held laughter as Hunk gave him a sheepish smile. "I'll assume you're not stealing those towels. What's up?"
Hunk's chest swelled with importance as he drew himself up to his full height."For your information, Chief, the comms aren't workin', and Nanny asked me to keep an eye on the Princess while she's in a meetin' with Coran."
Keith raised his eyebrows. This was an unexpected and unprecedented event. Could it mean Nanny was relaxing her ideals of propriety at last?
No, probably not. More likely she had been running behind and didn't see the amiable Hunk as posing a serious threat to Allura's virtue. "So you already know about the comms. Where is the Princess now?"
Hunk waved a hand towards the bathing chamber, and then grabbed the towels again as the gesture almost overbalanced the stack. "She's gettin' ready for a shower. She forgot her towels, and I didn't think she should be prancin' around the halls in her robe, so I-" his voice trailed off at seeing his Captain's lips twitch. "What's so funny?"
"Absolutely nothing. I was going to ask you to go down and take a look at the comm systems, but since you've been pressed into service as Royal Cabana Boy, I'll find someone else-"
"I'm guardin' her, not waitin' on her!" The Yellow Lion pilot insisted, trying to maintain his dignity as the scent of lavender wafted from the pile of girly looking towels. "I'd like to help ya out Boss, but I'm not going to bail out on the Princess! Duty comes first, ya know."
Keith grinned. "You won't have to 'bail out' on her. I'll relieve you at your post if you'll head down right away to Castle Control." Turning more serious, he added, "we need you to run a very thorough diagnostic. Those comms need to be working for security purposes more than anything and you know them better than anyone."
"I'm on it, Chief!" Hunk responded. "Er...what should I do with these?"
"I'll take 'em."
As the pile of towels was transferred over, Keith noticed that a white swatch of material had been left hanging out of his teammate's vest. Instead of handing it over, Hunk quickly stuffed the small cloth back in his vest pocket as he pivoted sharply and strode away toward Castle Control.
Keith turned and headed for the bathroom, wondering idly why such a delicate looking piece of material was being carried by the team handyman. Not that it really mattered... and it was none of his business, anyway. He had a bigger concern to attend to at the moment.
A few corridors away, Hunk finally slowed his stride and reflected on his narrow escape. After a few moments, he realized with dismay that he probably should have gone and told the Princess that Keith was taking over for him. Although, it really shouldn't make any difference to her who was guarding her as long as she knew and trusted them, he consoled himself. Princess would understand the urgency of the situation. Keith was polite, discreet and resourceful, and he'd handle anything she might need the right way. He was the Captain, after all.
Reassured that he had not deserted his post, Hunk smiled. As resourceful as Keith was, there was one thing that he couldn't do that Hunk could.
Fixing Allura's torn nightgown was his mission. All he needed was to find a hiding place for the nightie until he had the chance to sit down and work on it; a secret place, concealed from all prying eyes.
"Vell, Princess, it seems that the comms are not operational in this Wing after the last system upgrade was uploaded to the mainframe." Nanny replied cheerfully. She moved briskly around the room, laying out pieces of her royal charge's toilette. As she ducked into the huge room that contained Allura's wardrobe, her voice was muffled as she added, "I really haf no idea what that means, but Castle Control is looking into it."
"I see." Allura replied, stifling a laugh. Her governess made no secret of the fact that she didn't fully trust high technology and much preferred the traditional analog way of doing things. "I think I'll skip the bath and take a shower today. Keith gave the team a free day and I don't to waste a moment more in getting it started!"
Nanny stuck her head out of the closet. "Do not forget you haf to attend to your lessons with Coran this morning."
Allura's stare said that she had forgotten this detail, and that she was annoyed by the reminder. The look of displeasure increased tenfold when she saw the outfit her Governess had brought out for her to wear."Oh Nanny, not the pink dress again!" She moaned. "Please, there has to be something else in that cavern of a closet that's comfortable and still appropriate! I'm so sick of those cumbersome gowns!"
"Such nonsense!" Nanny declared huffily. "This is proper dress for a princess of-"
"The House of Altaire, yes, yes, I know. But can't I wear something else just this one time? I have no official engagements scheduled, and the only high official I'll be seeing today is Coran, and I know he won't mind."
The older woman paused and considered the matter.
"If you allow it, I promise not to complain about going to lessons," Allura coaxed, sensing her governess was weakening.
Nanny sighed loudly, and then capitulated. "All right, since it is a free day, you may vear a different gown. Now put on this robe and ve'll get you into the shower, although I don't know why you would prefer being pelted to a lovely soak!" She added, with a sniff.
"I don't prefer it...it's just quicker, that's all. Thank you, dear Nanny! You're the greatest! " Allura leapt out of bed to hug the older woman, who returned the affectionate gesture wholeheartedly even as she chided her charge for her undignified behavior.
The loud chime of the door tone made them both jump and then giggle a little as a deep, gravelly voice penetrated the door's thick steel.
"Nanny! Hey Miss Nanny! Are you in there with the Princess?"
Nanny clucked her tongue in disapproval when she recognized the gruff tones as belonging to the pilot of Yellow Lion. Hunk was hopeless in matters of etiquette and properly addressing his elders, but she had to give him credit for trying.
Glancing at Allura to make sure that her robe was on and properly tied, she called back a greeting and bade the young man to enter.
Hunk smiled at the Princess, then looked at Nanny and said, "Coran sent me to get you, ma'am. He needs you right away -somethin' about discussin' some social type stuff with you."
The gaze of the governess grew wide with dismay. "Oh no, I haf forgotten! Ve must finalize the guest list for the Ambassador's banquet! I must go…but no, I cannot! With communications down, you cannot be left alone, Princess!"
"Why can't Hunk can stand guard outside the bathroom? That is, if you wouldn't mind doing that, Hunk?" Allura asked him shyly.
"It's okay with me, Princess," the Yellow Lion pilot replied, with an equal amount of shyness. "Always happy to help you out."
Nanny looked at him intently, trying to determine if the remark had been flirtatious. The innocence and sincerity in the young man's face reassured her and she relaxed; there was really no need to worry, as she hadn't seen any romantic sparks flying between Allura and this boy. Now if it were Lance, it would be a different story.
"All right. First I vill finish laying out your garments and then I will go to Coran." She said, shooing them out the door while shoving a basket of the Princess' bath toiletries into Hunk's arms. "I vill be back sooner than you think, Hunk, so don't think you can get away with any funny business!"
Hunk rolled his eyes, but answered with commendable patience. "Yes, Miss Nanny."
"I get so tired of the watchdog routine!" Allura confided to her friend, as they strolled down the short corridor that led to her bathing chamber. "I'm sure you do too!"
"Aw, I really don't have a problem with it, Princess," Hunk replied. He inhaled deeply. "Man, the stuff you got in this basket smells good enough to eat!"
Allura giggled. "Yes, but I would recommend you don't try it!"
They reached the large bathroom suite. Hunk opened the door, carefully checked out the interior, and then handed the Princess her basket. She smiled her thanks, but the smile quickly changed to a gasp of dismay as she caught her heel on the hem of her nightgown and tripped on the threshold. Hunk grabbed her arm to keep her from falling, and both cringed at the sound of tearing material.
"Steady, Princess! You all right?"
"Yes, but I'm sure my nightgown isn't! I...I'm afraid to look."
She did however, and so did Hunk. Half of the nightgown's hem now dragged on the floor, and a small hole was also clearly visible where her slipper had caught in the material.
"Ohhhh..." Allura's eyes welled with tears. "This was my birthday present from Nanny. She spent hours embroidering it for me, and now I've ruined it!"
Hunk hummed and hawed for a moment, and then said gruffly, "Well ya know...it's not that bad a rip. Maybe I could…ya know...fix it up for ya?"
"You think so? You could?"
Allura looked at him with eyes so full of hope that Hunk forgot his embarrassment over what he was about to reveal. It was gratifying to see that the Princess was taking him seriously, and that she wasn't going to scoff or laugh at his offer.
"Sure I could!" He said heartily. "My folks own a tailor shop back home, an' they taught me all kinds of things about embroidery and sewin' stuff. With us being such a large family, I liked to help out whenever I could even though it's not, uh, a very manly kinda trait." He shrugged. "Don't advertise it, but I can sew with the best of 'em! Comes in real handy for a bachelor."
The Princess beamed. "I think it's wonderful! You're a man of hidden talents, Hunk!"
The Yellow Lion pilot grinned. "Yeah, hidden talent- that's me all over!"
"But...how are you going to repair it without people seeing it? I don't want the others giving you a bad time on my account!"
"You're talkin' about Lance, right?" Hunk chuckled at his friend's rueful expression. "Don't worry, I can take care of him."
"All right." With the happy affirmative, Allura went into the bathing chamber so she could remove the damaged nightgown. After slipping on her robe, she opened the door again and handed the garment out to Hunk, who folded it into a neat, handkerchief sized square and carefully tucked it into an inner pocket of his vest. "Leave it to me, Princess." He promised. "Trust me, okay? When I'm done, it'll be better than new!"
"Of course I trust you!" She responded warmly. "You fix things better than anyone I know!"
"Darn right!"
They shared a conspiratorial grin, but when the Princess turned towards the door again, she paused and sighed in vexation. "Oh! Squirrel's nuts!"
Hunk's grin turned bemused. "Huh? What-"
"I forgot to grab my towels." Allura sighed. "Hang on, I'll just dash back to the linen cupboard."
"Nuh-uh, no way! I'll go get 'em for you."
"Thank you, Hunk, but it's not necessary-"
"Nanny would have my hide if I let you run down the hall in next to nothin'!" The Big Man stated with surprising firmness. "Where's the cupboard, Princess?"
Reluctantly, she told him.
"Okay, now you better get back in there-it won't be good for the staff to see you standin' around here talkin' to me in your robe!"
She smiled at him as she stepped from the hall into the bath chamber. "You're a very thoughtful and gallant man. Thank you."
~Wowee,~ Hunk thought, as he headed down the corridor to the linen closet. ~The Princess is a real sweetheart. Wish Twyla could have turned out to be that way...~ A dull blush crept up his neck at the thought.~No use frettin' over it. It's not like most women aren't out of my league anyway.~
Upon reaching his destination, Hunk opened the closet panel and eyed the large stacks of towels within. He grabbed for a stack of fluffy blue ones, then turned to jog back to Allura... only to be stopped in place by the hand that came down hard upon his brawny shoulder.
He yelped in surprise, and clutched the towels as he whirled around to meet the amused gaze of his team leader. "Keith! You tryin' to give me a freakin' heart attack?"
"Hey, you were concentrating so hard, I think a herd of elephants could've snuck up and surprised you!" Keith's dark brown eyes held laughter as Hunk gave him a sheepish smile. "I'll assume you're not stealing those towels. What's up?"
Hunk's chest swelled with importance as he drew himself up to his full height."For your information, Chief, the comms aren't workin', and Nanny asked me to keep an eye on the Princess while she's in a meetin' with Coran."
Keith raised his eyebrows. This was an unexpected and unprecedented event. Could it mean Nanny was relaxing her ideals of propriety at last?
No, probably not. More likely she had been running behind and didn't see the amiable Hunk as posing a serious threat to Allura's virtue. "So you already know about the comms. Where is the Princess now?"
Hunk waved a hand towards the bathing chamber, and then grabbed the towels again as the gesture almost overbalanced the stack. "She's gettin' ready for a shower. She forgot her towels, and I didn't think she should be prancin' around the halls in her robe, so I-" his voice trailed off at seeing his Captain's lips twitch. "What's so funny?"
"Absolutely nothing. I was going to ask you to go down and take a look at the comm systems, but since you've been pressed into service as Royal Cabana Boy, I'll find someone else-"
"I'm guardin' her, not waitin' on her!" The Yellow Lion pilot insisted, trying to maintain his dignity as the scent of lavender wafted from the pile of girly looking towels. "I'd like to help ya out Boss, but I'm not going to bail out on the Princess! Duty comes first, ya know."
Keith grinned. "You won't have to 'bail out' on her. I'll relieve you at your post if you'll head down right away to Castle Control." Turning more serious, he added, "we need you to run a very thorough diagnostic. Those comms need to be working for security purposes more than anything and you know them better than anyone."
"I'm on it, Chief!" Hunk responded. "Er...what should I do with these?"
"I'll take 'em."
As the pile of towels was transferred over, Keith noticed that a white swatch of material had been left hanging out of his teammate's vest. Instead of handing it over, Hunk quickly stuffed the small cloth back in his vest pocket as he pivoted sharply and strode away toward Castle Control.
Keith turned and headed for the bathroom, wondering idly why such a delicate looking piece of material was being carried by the team handyman. Not that it really mattered... and it was none of his business, anyway. He had a bigger concern to attend to at the moment.
A few corridors away, Hunk finally slowed his stride and reflected on his narrow escape. After a few moments, he realized with dismay that he probably should have gone and told the Princess that Keith was taking over for him. Although, it really shouldn't make any difference to her who was guarding her as long as she knew and trusted them, he consoled himself. Princess would understand the urgency of the situation. Keith was polite, discreet and resourceful, and he'd handle anything she might need the right way. He was the Captain, after all.
Reassured that he had not deserted his post, Hunk smiled. As resourceful as Keith was, there was one thing that he couldn't do that Hunk could.
Fixing Allura's torn nightgown was his mission. All he needed was to find a hiding place for the nightie until he had the chance to sit down and work on it; a secret place, concealed from all prying eyes.
As Hunk vanished around the bend, Keith relaxed his back against the wall and patiently waited for the Princess to finish her shower.
The sweet voice humming an unfamiliar song over the gushing water made him smile. It was good to hear Allura sounding so happy and carefree. She deserved a permanent break from the stress and heartache she had lived with for so long, but he was glad that at least he had been the person responsible for giving her one today. Even though the burdens of her office had eased in the last couple of months, she still had plenty to be concerned about when it came to taking care of her people.
She had gotten very good at hiding her worries, though. The only real tension and stress he could remember her displaying lately was in regards to the altercation with Lance in judo class.
Keith gnawed his lip thoughtfully, recalling the mortified look on Allura's face as she had run away from his questioning. When he had cornered the Red Lion pilot in the locker room about her unusual roughness in practice, Lance had blown it off, saying that it was nothing, that he had taunted her about throwing like a girl and that Allura was only paying him back for the gibe.
The story sounded plausible, until the next day when Lance had shown up for an early morning workout with a spring in his step and a bright smile pasted on his face. Highly suspicious of his friend's cheerful demeanor at such an ungodly hour, The Captain had promptly inquired as to what his second in command was doing there. Lance had shrugged off the question, but his suspicions had intensified even more when he noticed that for the rest of the workout Lance kept glancing at the plants in the corner, as if expecting to see someone skulking behind them.
The topper had been when Allura failed to appear at team breakfast, and when she had rushed off after practice later that day with barely a word to anyone. Lance had stared after her, the his expression one of mingled frustration and regret - a look that said he cared very deeply about what Allura thought of him, whether he would admit to anyone or not.
~He may not act like it, but I know damn well Lance would break every rule in the handbook for her.~
Keith's brows drew together. Was Allura hiding from them because she was interested in Lance and didn't want to get him in trouble by showing it? It would be very much like her to sacrifice personal happiness to spare a friend from being hurt...
Something twisted in his gut at the thought of Allura crushing on his best friend, and twisted again at the idea of Lance seeing her as a woman.
A woman he wanted for himself.
A woman who was completely alone at the moment.
~No one knows I'm here. Allura is naked.~
He closed his eyes, but it was no use. A picture was already forming in his mind, flickering to life on the inside of his eyelids like some artsy but intensely erotic foreign film; a softly glowing image of water darkening golden hair, and coursing down a lovely upturned face, full breasts and flat stomach to finally trail in rivulets down long, sleek legs.
In the past two years he had clamped a lid down on his sexual urges, sublimating them into the activities associated with war. Now that outlet was gone, and there was nothing to distract him but the image of her extravagant mass of golden hair wrapped around her nude body. God, how badly he wanted to run his hands through that silky mane. He wanted to feel her mouth under his as he parted her thighs and buried himself to the hilt in her warmth. He wanted it so much he reached out for it with his mind, feeling the rush of excitement as he opened the closed door and reached out for contact...
A strange noise intruded. He blinked, realizing that the portal to the shower room really was sliding open, which sent his thoughts scattering in a flash. He jumped to attention, shocked at the realization that he had been so lost in his fantasy that he hadn't even noticed when the water had stopped running.
A bare arm extended from around the corner, flailing aimlessly in the air to attract attention as a cheerful voice drifted to his burning ears.
"Hunk, would you please hand me the towels?"
A whiff of steam carrying light fragrance wafted out into the corridor. Keith inhaled appreciatively as the scent of lavender and plum blossoms encircled him, even though his common sense shrieked at him to ignore, ignore, ignore, that nothing but carnal sin could come of knowing she smelled that way right after a shower.
Flustered, he completely forgot to inform the Princess of the change in her guard as he silently set the pile of towels upon her arm.
After a chipper sounding 'thank you', the towels and arm vanished into the recess and the door closed with a thud. The Captain tried to close a mental door just as firmly. People trusted him to do the right thing. He was here to do a job, and do it to the best of his ability.
He gave another start when the door flew open once more, and the Princess stepped out into the hallway, her golden head still averted as she finished the task of tying the sash of the white robe she now wore. The garment was thin, silky and slightly damp, making it most obvious the Princess had nothing on beneath it. It clung to the curves of her figure. His eyes glazed over as he noticed the pink tint of healthy flesh glowing through the semi-transparent material.
Allura glanced up, and Keith found himself staring into very wide and guileless blue eyes. His own bemused gaze ran over her plastered down hair and her face - still breathtakingly lovely without makeup - before fixing upon a small bead of water on her graceful neck. His eyes followed it in fascination as it coasted down to the hollow of her collarbone before disappearing down into the valley between incredible breasts.
Feeling his body respond to the sight, he jerked his gaze up to the vent slats in the ceiling above his head and began to count them to regain focus and control. What the heck did he think he was doing, ogling the Princess so openly? Dammit, this is the worst! I need to get out of here!
But his traitorous legs refused to cooperate with his thoughts, and so he stood as still as a statue while his blood pumped thick and hot in his veins.
Mercifully, the object of his desire had unfrozen and and jumped back inside the bathroom. Peering at him from around the doorjamb, she asked in a small voice, "Is everything all right? Where's Hunk?"
The prosaic questions restored a bit of his composure. "I had to relieve him so he could go help Pidge fix the upload to the systems. I'll stay with you until Nanny gets back." Somehow he managed to sound calm, even though his senses were swimming in her scent. "Sorry that I didn't tell you it was me out here instead of him."
"Oh, that's all right." Allura said, slowly emerging from the bathroom, a basket of cosmetics in her hands. "I probably wouldn't have heard you over the water anyway."
Now he could see that she had parted and arranged her hair so that it draped in two long ropes over either shoulder; the coils followed her curves, defining them in a delightful way, while hiding any evidence of perkiness-
Do not go there! Off limits!Keith told himself fiercely. He forced himself to focus on a freshly scrubbed face, the lovely pink that had bloomed in fair cheeks ...and then rediscovered temptation as he looked into the shining depths of eyes that held sweet but obvious awareness.
As surely as if she had shouted it aloud, that look said that what he was trying so hard to hide was very mutual.
Her eyes briefly dropped to his lips, then lifted. When their gazes connected, the heat in the impact made his breath catch in his throat and sent a rushing feeling from his head to his loins. The door was opening, and he suddenly didn't care about shutting it. Nothing mattered except that Allura was finally looking at him as if he were the only man who could make her happy.
He held her gaze. Her eyes were warm and unguarded, and held an unspoken promise. Her lips parted slightly, a subtle invitation, and the Black Lion pilot felt himself beckoned by their innocent allure.
Ever so slowly he bent forward, bringing his mouth to within a few inches of heaven. A current stirred and moved between them like a sentient being. Their gazes remained locked, and he noticed her eyes were now sparkling with challenge. Was she daring him to kiss her? Her head tipped back to a more accommodating angle, and he could hear her breathing grow shallow.
No, it wasn't a dare. It wasn't a command, either.
She was asking.
He hesitated, drawing out the moment of anticipation as his fevered mind considered the repercussions of kissing Allura. God knew how much he wanted to do it. He had wanted it ever since he'd arrived on the planet and had seen her standing at the top of that broken staircase...
It's all right. You can touch me. A voice whispered, deep in his mind.
Brown eyes widened, and then closed tightly. He wanted to give in, to let her in, but every survival instinct he possessed was telling him to refuse, instincts that had never failed him before...
I can't. I'm so sorry.
This wasn't the time or place for a first kiss, and it was the wrong thing to do given the circumstances. He and the Princess were standing close together in a place where anyone could come along and see them. She was barely clothed; if they were seen like this, rumors of a tawdry liaison would soon be flying about the castle, which would probably result in her being barred from spending any time with the team outside of lion practice.
He couldn't do that to her. Blue Lion meant too much to her, and he had made a vow to protect her from being hurt in any way. It was a promise he intended to keep, even if it meant pushing her out of his reach.
Mind made up, his eyes opened, and he regarded her with what he hoped was a dispassionate stare. "You better get going, Princess," he stated tersely, deliberately breaking the spell between them by stepping back to let her pass. "There's a draft. You don't want to catch cold."
She blinked. Disappointment and confusion flickered in her eyes, but her expression soon turned to chagrin as his refusal of her silent offer struck home. "N-No, I don't." She finally stammered, her face turning from pink to a deep crimson. "I...I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Putting her head down, she scurried past him in a manner reminiscent of her beloved Space Mice. Hating himself more by the second, Keith watched her retreating figure with hungry eyes. Despite his good intentions, he still couldn't help allowing himself the guilty pleasure of enjoying the view she presented. God help me, I'm no better than Lotor. We're poster boys for obsession.
Her robe was clinging damply to her backside, and the moisture from her skin had made the white fabric practically transparent. As a result, he now had a delightfully full -fledged view of her succulent royal tush as it flexed and swayed to and fro. He forced himself to turn away and for the few seconds he figured it would take her to get to the door's control panel.
When he looked back, she'd turned sideways and was punching in the code. His exhalation of relief as it opened changed to a gulp at the look the Princess directed at him as she stopped in the doorway to her room.
Her attempt at a smile squeezed his heart, as did the dismissal in her voice. "Thanks for staying with me, Captain. Nanny will be back soon, and I have lessons with Coran, so I'd like for you to go and enjoy your day."
He took a half step forward. "Allura, wait-"
He told himself it was just as well that his protest was lost in the closing of the door, and then that it was his duty to make sure that the room's locking mechanism was functional. When he reached the door panel, he ascertained that the lock was activated, then leaned his forehead against the hard, cold metal of the door.
~If this was just about how she looks, I could deal. The problem is that I want all of her, all for myself.~
No matter how hard he stomped down that awareness, a mere glance from her could bring it rushing to the forefront. And now things had just gotten much worse. It was clear that she was as strongly aware of the primal link between them as he did was, but had chosen not to acknowledge or pursue it, probably because she knew as well as he did what an affair would cost them in terms of his career and her political standing.
That thought should have come as a relief. After all, the Princess of Arus wouldn't need a protector forever; soon she would be forced to show an active interest in looking for a husband of royal birth that could give the kingdom a suitable heir. Once she started accepting the invitations of prospective suitors instead of turning them away, it would mean his days as her champion were numbered; he had known that ever since the day Coran and Nanny had first shown the team Allura's coronation finery.
Clenching his fists, Keith let out a growl of anger and frustration. The very idea of being in her honor guard and handing her over to some pampered, self serving, undeserving prince had been appalling to him then, and was ten times more now. Even though he wasn't allowed to have her, he'd be damned if he'd give her up to someone she didn't love...
For the sake of his future and his sanity, he needed to find a resolution to this dilemma without hurting Allura.
The sweet voice humming an unfamiliar song over the gushing water made him smile. It was good to hear Allura sounding so happy and carefree. She deserved a permanent break from the stress and heartache she had lived with for so long, but he was glad that at least he had been the person responsible for giving her one today. Even though the burdens of her office had eased in the last couple of months, she still had plenty to be concerned about when it came to taking care of her people.
She had gotten very good at hiding her worries, though. The only real tension and stress he could remember her displaying lately was in regards to the altercation with Lance in judo class.
Keith gnawed his lip thoughtfully, recalling the mortified look on Allura's face as she had run away from his questioning. When he had cornered the Red Lion pilot in the locker room about her unusual roughness in practice, Lance had blown it off, saying that it was nothing, that he had taunted her about throwing like a girl and that Allura was only paying him back for the gibe.
The story sounded plausible, until the next day when Lance had shown up for an early morning workout with a spring in his step and a bright smile pasted on his face. Highly suspicious of his friend's cheerful demeanor at such an ungodly hour, The Captain had promptly inquired as to what his second in command was doing there. Lance had shrugged off the question, but his suspicions had intensified even more when he noticed that for the rest of the workout Lance kept glancing at the plants in the corner, as if expecting to see someone skulking behind them.
The topper had been when Allura failed to appear at team breakfast, and when she had rushed off after practice later that day with barely a word to anyone. Lance had stared after her, the his expression one of mingled frustration and regret - a look that said he cared very deeply about what Allura thought of him, whether he would admit to anyone or not.
~He may not act like it, but I know damn well Lance would break every rule in the handbook for her.~
Keith's brows drew together. Was Allura hiding from them because she was interested in Lance and didn't want to get him in trouble by showing it? It would be very much like her to sacrifice personal happiness to spare a friend from being hurt...
Something twisted in his gut at the thought of Allura crushing on his best friend, and twisted again at the idea of Lance seeing her as a woman.
A woman he wanted for himself.
A woman who was completely alone at the moment.
~No one knows I'm here. Allura is naked.~
He closed his eyes, but it was no use. A picture was already forming in his mind, flickering to life on the inside of his eyelids like some artsy but intensely erotic foreign film; a softly glowing image of water darkening golden hair, and coursing down a lovely upturned face, full breasts and flat stomach to finally trail in rivulets down long, sleek legs.
In the past two years he had clamped a lid down on his sexual urges, sublimating them into the activities associated with war. Now that outlet was gone, and there was nothing to distract him but the image of her extravagant mass of golden hair wrapped around her nude body. God, how badly he wanted to run his hands through that silky mane. He wanted to feel her mouth under his as he parted her thighs and buried himself to the hilt in her warmth. He wanted it so much he reached out for it with his mind, feeling the rush of excitement as he opened the closed door and reached out for contact...
A strange noise intruded. He blinked, realizing that the portal to the shower room really was sliding open, which sent his thoughts scattering in a flash. He jumped to attention, shocked at the realization that he had been so lost in his fantasy that he hadn't even noticed when the water had stopped running.
A bare arm extended from around the corner, flailing aimlessly in the air to attract attention as a cheerful voice drifted to his burning ears.
"Hunk, would you please hand me the towels?"
A whiff of steam carrying light fragrance wafted out into the corridor. Keith inhaled appreciatively as the scent of lavender and plum blossoms encircled him, even though his common sense shrieked at him to ignore, ignore, ignore, that nothing but carnal sin could come of knowing she smelled that way right after a shower.
Flustered, he completely forgot to inform the Princess of the change in her guard as he silently set the pile of towels upon her arm.
After a chipper sounding 'thank you', the towels and arm vanished into the recess and the door closed with a thud. The Captain tried to close a mental door just as firmly. People trusted him to do the right thing. He was here to do a job, and do it to the best of his ability.
He gave another start when the door flew open once more, and the Princess stepped out into the hallway, her golden head still averted as she finished the task of tying the sash of the white robe she now wore. The garment was thin, silky and slightly damp, making it most obvious the Princess had nothing on beneath it. It clung to the curves of her figure. His eyes glazed over as he noticed the pink tint of healthy flesh glowing through the semi-transparent material.
Allura glanced up, and Keith found himself staring into very wide and guileless blue eyes. His own bemused gaze ran over her plastered down hair and her face - still breathtakingly lovely without makeup - before fixing upon a small bead of water on her graceful neck. His eyes followed it in fascination as it coasted down to the hollow of her collarbone before disappearing down into the valley between incredible breasts.
Feeling his body respond to the sight, he jerked his gaze up to the vent slats in the ceiling above his head and began to count them to regain focus and control. What the heck did he think he was doing, ogling the Princess so openly? Dammit, this is the worst! I need to get out of here!
But his traitorous legs refused to cooperate with his thoughts, and so he stood as still as a statue while his blood pumped thick and hot in his veins.
Mercifully, the object of his desire had unfrozen and and jumped back inside the bathroom. Peering at him from around the doorjamb, she asked in a small voice, "Is everything all right? Where's Hunk?"
The prosaic questions restored a bit of his composure. "I had to relieve him so he could go help Pidge fix the upload to the systems. I'll stay with you until Nanny gets back." Somehow he managed to sound calm, even though his senses were swimming in her scent. "Sorry that I didn't tell you it was me out here instead of him."
"Oh, that's all right." Allura said, slowly emerging from the bathroom, a basket of cosmetics in her hands. "I probably wouldn't have heard you over the water anyway."
Now he could see that she had parted and arranged her hair so that it draped in two long ropes over either shoulder; the coils followed her curves, defining them in a delightful way, while hiding any evidence of perkiness-
Do not go there! Off limits!Keith told himself fiercely. He forced himself to focus on a freshly scrubbed face, the lovely pink that had bloomed in fair cheeks ...and then rediscovered temptation as he looked into the shining depths of eyes that held sweet but obvious awareness.
As surely as if she had shouted it aloud, that look said that what he was trying so hard to hide was very mutual.
Her eyes briefly dropped to his lips, then lifted. When their gazes connected, the heat in the impact made his breath catch in his throat and sent a rushing feeling from his head to his loins. The door was opening, and he suddenly didn't care about shutting it. Nothing mattered except that Allura was finally looking at him as if he were the only man who could make her happy.
He held her gaze. Her eyes were warm and unguarded, and held an unspoken promise. Her lips parted slightly, a subtle invitation, and the Black Lion pilot felt himself beckoned by their innocent allure.
Ever so slowly he bent forward, bringing his mouth to within a few inches of heaven. A current stirred and moved between them like a sentient being. Their gazes remained locked, and he noticed her eyes were now sparkling with challenge. Was she daring him to kiss her? Her head tipped back to a more accommodating angle, and he could hear her breathing grow shallow.
No, it wasn't a dare. It wasn't a command, either.
She was asking.
He hesitated, drawing out the moment of anticipation as his fevered mind considered the repercussions of kissing Allura. God knew how much he wanted to do it. He had wanted it ever since he'd arrived on the planet and had seen her standing at the top of that broken staircase...
It's all right. You can touch me. A voice whispered, deep in his mind.
Brown eyes widened, and then closed tightly. He wanted to give in, to let her in, but every survival instinct he possessed was telling him to refuse, instincts that had never failed him before...
I can't. I'm so sorry.
This wasn't the time or place for a first kiss, and it was the wrong thing to do given the circumstances. He and the Princess were standing close together in a place where anyone could come along and see them. She was barely clothed; if they were seen like this, rumors of a tawdry liaison would soon be flying about the castle, which would probably result in her being barred from spending any time with the team outside of lion practice.
He couldn't do that to her. Blue Lion meant too much to her, and he had made a vow to protect her from being hurt in any way. It was a promise he intended to keep, even if it meant pushing her out of his reach.
Mind made up, his eyes opened, and he regarded her with what he hoped was a dispassionate stare. "You better get going, Princess," he stated tersely, deliberately breaking the spell between them by stepping back to let her pass. "There's a draft. You don't want to catch cold."
She blinked. Disappointment and confusion flickered in her eyes, but her expression soon turned to chagrin as his refusal of her silent offer struck home. "N-No, I don't." She finally stammered, her face turning from pink to a deep crimson. "I...I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Putting her head down, she scurried past him in a manner reminiscent of her beloved Space Mice. Hating himself more by the second, Keith watched her retreating figure with hungry eyes. Despite his good intentions, he still couldn't help allowing himself the guilty pleasure of enjoying the view she presented. God help me, I'm no better than Lotor. We're poster boys for obsession.
Her robe was clinging damply to her backside, and the moisture from her skin had made the white fabric practically transparent. As a result, he now had a delightfully full -fledged view of her succulent royal tush as it flexed and swayed to and fro. He forced himself to turn away and for the few seconds he figured it would take her to get to the door's control panel.
When he looked back, she'd turned sideways and was punching in the code. His exhalation of relief as it opened changed to a gulp at the look the Princess directed at him as she stopped in the doorway to her room.
Her attempt at a smile squeezed his heart, as did the dismissal in her voice. "Thanks for staying with me, Captain. Nanny will be back soon, and I have lessons with Coran, so I'd like for you to go and enjoy your day."
He took a half step forward. "Allura, wait-"
He told himself it was just as well that his protest was lost in the closing of the door, and then that it was his duty to make sure that the room's locking mechanism was functional. When he reached the door panel, he ascertained that the lock was activated, then leaned his forehead against the hard, cold metal of the door.
~If this was just about how she looks, I could deal. The problem is that I want all of her, all for myself.~
No matter how hard he stomped down that awareness, a mere glance from her could bring it rushing to the forefront. And now things had just gotten much worse. It was clear that she was as strongly aware of the primal link between them as he did was, but had chosen not to acknowledge or pursue it, probably because she knew as well as he did what an affair would cost them in terms of his career and her political standing.
That thought should have come as a relief. After all, the Princess of Arus wouldn't need a protector forever; soon she would be forced to show an active interest in looking for a husband of royal birth that could give the kingdom a suitable heir. Once she started accepting the invitations of prospective suitors instead of turning them away, it would mean his days as her champion were numbered; he had known that ever since the day Coran and Nanny had first shown the team Allura's coronation finery.
Clenching his fists, Keith let out a growl of anger and frustration. The very idea of being in her honor guard and handing her over to some pampered, self serving, undeserving prince had been appalling to him then, and was ten times more now. Even though he wasn't allowed to have her, he'd be damned if he'd give her up to someone she didn't love...
For the sake of his future and his sanity, he needed to find a resolution to this dilemma without hurting Allura.
Encounters of the Unexpected Kind
Allura stood in her chambers and smoothed down the skirt of the gown Nanny had chosen.
All of her excitement over wearing something new had been tempered by thoughts of the reasons for her behavior with Keith in the hallway. What had possessed her to provoke him? Why had she pushed so hard for a reaction when the barrier he had erected between them was firmly in place? Why was it so important to know that he saw her a woman?
So many questions…and all were answered when she thought of the scorching perusal that had made her knees tremble and her heart pound. In those few precious, unforgettable moments she had sensed the deep passion burning inside Keith, felt it hanging heavy in the air, seen it reflected in his coal dark eyes.
It had thrilled her to the core of her being, and she had responded instinctively, only to have the door to his thoughts slammed in her face. His wariness was a palpable thing, a tangible wall between them. She had felt like a silly little girl being reprimanded for overstepping her boundaries as she had scurried back to her room, a state of being created by his rejection.
Had he retreated because she had given her emerging feelings for him away? But what was wrong with that? Why couldn't she show it by inviting him to hold her like any other male would?
What was wrong with him that he couldn't?
In spite of her wondering, there was one thing that she knew for sure; the wall he'd erected between them was far from impenetrable, and the short time in which their minds had held communion had shown her the possibilities in their future.
The thought spurred her into action, and she moved across the room to her vanity. Seating herself on the cushioned stool, she picked up a comb and began to tidy her hair, focusing all her determination on making herself look her best.
She'd never held back before, and she didn't intend to start now.
Allura stood in her chambers and smoothed down the skirt of the gown Nanny had chosen.
All of her excitement over wearing something new had been tempered by thoughts of the reasons for her behavior with Keith in the hallway. What had possessed her to provoke him? Why had she pushed so hard for a reaction when the barrier he had erected between them was firmly in place? Why was it so important to know that he saw her a woman?
So many questions…and all were answered when she thought of the scorching perusal that had made her knees tremble and her heart pound. In those few precious, unforgettable moments she had sensed the deep passion burning inside Keith, felt it hanging heavy in the air, seen it reflected in his coal dark eyes.
It had thrilled her to the core of her being, and she had responded instinctively, only to have the door to his thoughts slammed in her face. His wariness was a palpable thing, a tangible wall between them. She had felt like a silly little girl being reprimanded for overstepping her boundaries as she had scurried back to her room, a state of being created by his rejection.
Had he retreated because she had given her emerging feelings for him away? But what was wrong with that? Why couldn't she show it by inviting him to hold her like any other male would?
What was wrong with him that he couldn't?
In spite of her wondering, there was one thing that she knew for sure; the wall he'd erected between them was far from impenetrable, and the short time in which their minds had held communion had shown her the possibilities in their future.
The thought spurred her into action, and she moved across the room to her vanity. Seating herself on the cushioned stool, she picked up a comb and began to tidy her hair, focusing all her determination on making herself look her best.
She'd never held back before, and she didn't intend to start now.
Keith refused to abandon his post, even though he knew he'd been gently dismissed. Refused, even though Allura was barricaded behind a heavily enforced titanium door, which also blocked him from committing any of the many indiscretions Nanny was so fond of pointing out.
Yes, he was being overcautious, but caution wasn't unwarranted when considering how many times the enemy forces of Doom had infiltrated this castle in the past. Though the evil regime had been soundly defeated, one couldn't take anything for granted. Lotor's whereabouts were still unaccounted for, so an abundance of caution was in order. It was also the reason why he had requested and gotten access to the override codes for all the locking mechanisms in this sector.
Never had he thought he'd be this tempted to use them for personal gain.
It was a dangerous and intriguing thought that a few moments ago the Princess wouldn't have objected if he had invited himself into her domain. He was as sure of that as he was sure about her lack of hesitancy in bending the rules governing royal deportment. She'd always bucked conventional wisdom, whether it had been in simply hanging out with 'the guys', in stealing a lion and learning to fly it… or flying to Planet Balto to help her friends in defiance of the wishes of her custodians.
There was no denying that her compassion, her broad streak of independence, her rule-flouting ways and her absolute determination in doing what she thought was best for everyone attracted him as a man just as much as they exasperated him as her commanding officer.
Time and time again, she had chosen her humanity over her status as a Princess. The foundation for what had happened out in the corridor had been established when he'd sworn fealty to her upon their first meeting. Since then, their connection had deepened and strengthened. It had overcome time, distance, grief and space…and had brought him to the point where it made him want to throw caution to the wind and say 'to hell with the rules' himself.
But he hadn't. The perfect opportunity to make his feelings known had just presented itself…and yet he let it-and the Princess- walk away.
Why? Why was his damn sense of duty so much more important, and why did it have to exclude what he felt for the most remarkable woman he'd ever met?
Yes, he was being overcautious, but caution wasn't unwarranted when considering how many times the enemy forces of Doom had infiltrated this castle in the past. Though the evil regime had been soundly defeated, one couldn't take anything for granted. Lotor's whereabouts were still unaccounted for, so an abundance of caution was in order. It was also the reason why he had requested and gotten access to the override codes for all the locking mechanisms in this sector.
Never had he thought he'd be this tempted to use them for personal gain.
It was a dangerous and intriguing thought that a few moments ago the Princess wouldn't have objected if he had invited himself into her domain. He was as sure of that as he was sure about her lack of hesitancy in bending the rules governing royal deportment. She'd always bucked conventional wisdom, whether it had been in simply hanging out with 'the guys', in stealing a lion and learning to fly it… or flying to Planet Balto to help her friends in defiance of the wishes of her custodians.
There was no denying that her compassion, her broad streak of independence, her rule-flouting ways and her absolute determination in doing what she thought was best for everyone attracted him as a man just as much as they exasperated him as her commanding officer.
Time and time again, she had chosen her humanity over her status as a Princess. The foundation for what had happened out in the corridor had been established when he'd sworn fealty to her upon their first meeting. Since then, their connection had deepened and strengthened. It had overcome time, distance, grief and space…and had brought him to the point where it made him want to throw caution to the wind and say 'to hell with the rules' himself.
But he hadn't. The perfect opportunity to make his feelings known had just presented itself…and yet he let it-and the Princess- walk away.
Why? Why was his damn sense of duty so much more important, and why did it have to exclude what he felt for the most remarkable woman he'd ever met?
Lance whistled a cheerful tune as he traversed the maze of castle corridors. From time to time, the whistling ceased as he broke into a mischievous grin.
Finding out from Hunk that Keith was standing guard duty for Allura had prompted him to waste no time in heading for the Royal quarters to check out the situation. There was a lot of ammunition to be found in any situation involving Keith, the Princess and a shower. This particular bombshell was just lying there, smoldering and rife with the possibility of someone finding it and being able to fire it off.
Naturally, he intended to be that somebody.
He turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt as he saw his friend standing in front of the door to Allura's chambers. By all appearances, Keith was either hoping he could melt it with his stare, or contemplating kicking the thing down. The Captain remained inexplicably oblivious to his presence. Puzzled and a bit wary, Lance went into stealth mode, moving on silent feet until he was directly behind his target and leaned forward to speak quietly into his ear.
"Turn down the eye beams or you'll set off the smoke alarms."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Red Lion pilot made a quiet lunge to one side, in anticipation of the swift kickboxing maneuver that usually felled him whenever Keith got really pissed off.
Nothing happened.
Lance frowned. Unbelievable to see that Keith was so clearly out of it, and this was a case where subtlety wasn't going to get a reaction. Drawing in a breath, the Red Lion pilot prepared to yell a greeting that would have woken the dead…only to expel it in a loud curse as he was slammed against the corridor wall.
Winded and shocked, he stared down at the steely forearm shoved against his collarbone and throat, the pressure of which wasn't enough to cut off his air supply, but plenty hard enough to make things uncomfortable.
"You're still too gullible, Hartwell. And you still haven't learned not to sneak up on me."
Lance managed a croaked affirmation, and then scrambled for balance as he was suddenly released. Shooting a malevolent look at his commander, he straightened his leather jacket and the collar of his turtleneck, while resisting the urge to rub his throat as he did so. A dozen blistering comments were dancing on the tip of his tongue, bit it was best not to verbalize them until he regained his composure.
Keith folded his arms. "Lulling the target into a false sense of security is a textbook feint, plus you left yourself wide open for retaliation. What gives?"
Lance glared at his friend, severely tempted to punctuate the glare with a raised middle finger. But the deep vein of respect he had for his friend as a commanding officer wouldn't allow the gesture, even though he knew he could probably get away with it as a friend when off duty. "Not to worry, Mon Capitan, I do learn from my mistakes. I guarantee next time you won't know it's coming."
"I'll believe it when it happens." Keith said with a smirk. "Everything going okay down in Ops?"
"They found the problem and they're working on it, that's all that I've heard-"
The sound of an opening door and the greeting of their Princess precluded the rest of the report. The two pilots unconsciously straightened their postures as they turned to the woman who stepped through the open portal, and their eyes widened at the sight of her.
She was adorned in a brand new gown of periwinkle blue that was striking in its utter simplicity. Long sleeved and snugly fitted to the toned curves of her torso, it was bound at her hips with a darker blue sash that had a gold lion's head embroidered on the front, and two full lions on the ends that formed a point at bottom of the dress. Her circlet of office rested on golden hair that had been braided into one thick rope draped over one shoulder and which dangled almost to her waist. A simple gold chain holding a cross inset with sapphires rested just below the hollow of her collarbone.
She's dazzling. Lance thought with reverence, feeling his body reacting in an all too familiar way. A long, low wolf whistle escaped his pursed lips, a heartfelt- if cheekily improper - tribute to his friend's ethereal beauty. He'd spent enough time coaching Allura about Earth customs to know she'd understand that he was telling her without words how much her appearance pleased him...but if she had forgotten that fact, the blatant admiration in his look would suffice.
Her smile said that she did understand, was happy with his reaction but was feeling a bit shy.
"So what do you think, Keith?" He prompted, turning to eye the man standing at his side. "Great dress, huh?"
The Captain's smile was fixed and polite as his gaze remained on Allura's face. "I agree. You look very nice, Princess. The color suits you."
She thanked him, her voice serene, but watching her color fade and her eyes losing their sparkle increased Lance's irritation with his friend. Anyone with a lick of sensitivity could see that the cool and banal response had hurt her.
'You look very nice'? Is he really that clueless? What the hell is his problem?
"Would you gentlemen please excuse me a moment? I need to go get the texts for my studies."
The Red Lion pilot inhaled swiftly and then exhaled in silent admiration as the Princess turned and reentered her room. The back of her was just as delectable looking as the front. Graceful, classy and elegant; the woman was a living work of art.
He looked askance at Keith, wondering for the hundredth time how his leader could maintain discipline when standing this close to the most incredible face and body in the galaxy, then raised his eyebrows in surprise.
With the Princess having turned her back to him, Mr. Impassive was anything but, totally checking out everything below her neck. The color in high cheekbones and the intensity in dark brown eyes spoke volumes. Such a glaring crack in his friend's calm façade was definitely not true to type, and warranted some serious pondering.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Lance felt his right hand encounter a small rectangular object he had stowed there for safekeeping. A slow, wicked grin spread across his face as he pulled out the miniscule surveillance camera.
Without looking and with the ease of long use, he tapped the automatic setting button, then quickly raised the camera to his eye, centered the subject, and pushed the button.
A succession of pops and flashes commenced, leaving Keith stunned and blinking.
"Gotcha." Lance said.
Keith was now looking like he would like nothing better than to cuss him out, but with the Princess within earshot, he refrained. Lance smirked at him, then turned the camera on his next subject, who had located her notebooks and was now standing in the doorway, wondering aloud what the commotion was about.
The flash went off perfectly, and Allura was the one blinking now as Lance grinned.
"Sorry, but I couldn't waste a great opportunity," he told her warmly. "You really look fantastic, Princess!"
Her smile said that all was forgiven. "Thank you, Lance. I'm glad you think so." Her tone and pointed glance at Keith seemed to add, I'm glad that someone can appreciate my effort!
At seeing the look that Keith directed at him, Lance decided it was best to move things along. "So what are you going to do after her lessons today, Princess? " He darted another glance at his Captain, who had a distinctly dangerous look in his eyes. "You don't have any official engagements, right?
"That's right!" She responded, quickly brightening. "How about you two? Did you want to-"
She stopped, wincing as the loud screech of feedback from a nearby speaker drowned out her voice. After a few bursts of static, a cultured, well-modulated voice drifted from the panel situated on the wall just behind her. "This is Castle Control to Princess Allura! Allura, can you hear me? If so, please respond."
"It seems that the circuit boards are fixed." Keith stated dryly.
Looking rueful, Allura swept over to the panel to press a switch. "Yes, I'm here, Coran."
"Very good, I'll be awaiting your arrival in the main floor library for our study session. Over and out."
Allura wore a resigned expression as she turned back to her friends.
"Tough break, Princess." Lance offered.
Keith said nothing, but his eyes held regret.
"Well, at least I'll have some free time in late afternoon to look forward to," she said glumly.
This sucks. I wish the systems could have stayed down a while longer. Lance thought with a rush of sympathy. "Keep your chin up, Princess. Things have a way of working out." Turning to Keith, he added, "and I have to say it's good to see you getting out of command mode, Keith. Have fun on your trip. "
Allura's blue gaze was questioning as it turned to the Black Lion pilot, who looked uncomfortable. "Trip?"
"It's just for the afternoon." He said, by way of explanation. "I'm doing a favor for Coran."
"Lucky you. " Lance said blandly. "As for me, I'll be hanging out here. Princess, I'll be seeing you later."
With a wink, he sauntered away under the watchful glare of his commander.
Finding out from Hunk that Keith was standing guard duty for Allura had prompted him to waste no time in heading for the Royal quarters to check out the situation. There was a lot of ammunition to be found in any situation involving Keith, the Princess and a shower. This particular bombshell was just lying there, smoldering and rife with the possibility of someone finding it and being able to fire it off.
Naturally, he intended to be that somebody.
He turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt as he saw his friend standing in front of the door to Allura's chambers. By all appearances, Keith was either hoping he could melt it with his stare, or contemplating kicking the thing down. The Captain remained inexplicably oblivious to his presence. Puzzled and a bit wary, Lance went into stealth mode, moving on silent feet until he was directly behind his target and leaned forward to speak quietly into his ear.
"Turn down the eye beams or you'll set off the smoke alarms."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Red Lion pilot made a quiet lunge to one side, in anticipation of the swift kickboxing maneuver that usually felled him whenever Keith got really pissed off.
Nothing happened.
Lance frowned. Unbelievable to see that Keith was so clearly out of it, and this was a case where subtlety wasn't going to get a reaction. Drawing in a breath, the Red Lion pilot prepared to yell a greeting that would have woken the dead…only to expel it in a loud curse as he was slammed against the corridor wall.
Winded and shocked, he stared down at the steely forearm shoved against his collarbone and throat, the pressure of which wasn't enough to cut off his air supply, but plenty hard enough to make things uncomfortable.
"You're still too gullible, Hartwell. And you still haven't learned not to sneak up on me."
Lance managed a croaked affirmation, and then scrambled for balance as he was suddenly released. Shooting a malevolent look at his commander, he straightened his leather jacket and the collar of his turtleneck, while resisting the urge to rub his throat as he did so. A dozen blistering comments were dancing on the tip of his tongue, bit it was best not to verbalize them until he regained his composure.
Keith folded his arms. "Lulling the target into a false sense of security is a textbook feint, plus you left yourself wide open for retaliation. What gives?"
Lance glared at his friend, severely tempted to punctuate the glare with a raised middle finger. But the deep vein of respect he had for his friend as a commanding officer wouldn't allow the gesture, even though he knew he could probably get away with it as a friend when off duty. "Not to worry, Mon Capitan, I do learn from my mistakes. I guarantee next time you won't know it's coming."
"I'll believe it when it happens." Keith said with a smirk. "Everything going okay down in Ops?"
"They found the problem and they're working on it, that's all that I've heard-"
The sound of an opening door and the greeting of their Princess precluded the rest of the report. The two pilots unconsciously straightened their postures as they turned to the woman who stepped through the open portal, and their eyes widened at the sight of her.
She was adorned in a brand new gown of periwinkle blue that was striking in its utter simplicity. Long sleeved and snugly fitted to the toned curves of her torso, it was bound at her hips with a darker blue sash that had a gold lion's head embroidered on the front, and two full lions on the ends that formed a point at bottom of the dress. Her circlet of office rested on golden hair that had been braided into one thick rope draped over one shoulder and which dangled almost to her waist. A simple gold chain holding a cross inset with sapphires rested just below the hollow of her collarbone.
She's dazzling. Lance thought with reverence, feeling his body reacting in an all too familiar way. A long, low wolf whistle escaped his pursed lips, a heartfelt- if cheekily improper - tribute to his friend's ethereal beauty. He'd spent enough time coaching Allura about Earth customs to know she'd understand that he was telling her without words how much her appearance pleased him...but if she had forgotten that fact, the blatant admiration in his look would suffice.
Her smile said that she did understand, was happy with his reaction but was feeling a bit shy.
"So what do you think, Keith?" He prompted, turning to eye the man standing at his side. "Great dress, huh?"
The Captain's smile was fixed and polite as his gaze remained on Allura's face. "I agree. You look very nice, Princess. The color suits you."
She thanked him, her voice serene, but watching her color fade and her eyes losing their sparkle increased Lance's irritation with his friend. Anyone with a lick of sensitivity could see that the cool and banal response had hurt her.
'You look very nice'? Is he really that clueless? What the hell is his problem?
"Would you gentlemen please excuse me a moment? I need to go get the texts for my studies."
The Red Lion pilot inhaled swiftly and then exhaled in silent admiration as the Princess turned and reentered her room. The back of her was just as delectable looking as the front. Graceful, classy and elegant; the woman was a living work of art.
He looked askance at Keith, wondering for the hundredth time how his leader could maintain discipline when standing this close to the most incredible face and body in the galaxy, then raised his eyebrows in surprise.
With the Princess having turned her back to him, Mr. Impassive was anything but, totally checking out everything below her neck. The color in high cheekbones and the intensity in dark brown eyes spoke volumes. Such a glaring crack in his friend's calm façade was definitely not true to type, and warranted some serious pondering.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Lance felt his right hand encounter a small rectangular object he had stowed there for safekeeping. A slow, wicked grin spread across his face as he pulled out the miniscule surveillance camera.
Without looking and with the ease of long use, he tapped the automatic setting button, then quickly raised the camera to his eye, centered the subject, and pushed the button.
A succession of pops and flashes commenced, leaving Keith stunned and blinking.
"Gotcha." Lance said.
Keith was now looking like he would like nothing better than to cuss him out, but with the Princess within earshot, he refrained. Lance smirked at him, then turned the camera on his next subject, who had located her notebooks and was now standing in the doorway, wondering aloud what the commotion was about.
The flash went off perfectly, and Allura was the one blinking now as Lance grinned.
"Sorry, but I couldn't waste a great opportunity," he told her warmly. "You really look fantastic, Princess!"
Her smile said that all was forgiven. "Thank you, Lance. I'm glad you think so." Her tone and pointed glance at Keith seemed to add, I'm glad that someone can appreciate my effort!
At seeing the look that Keith directed at him, Lance decided it was best to move things along. "So what are you going to do after her lessons today, Princess? " He darted another glance at his Captain, who had a distinctly dangerous look in his eyes. "You don't have any official engagements, right?
"That's right!" She responded, quickly brightening. "How about you two? Did you want to-"
She stopped, wincing as the loud screech of feedback from a nearby speaker drowned out her voice. After a few bursts of static, a cultured, well-modulated voice drifted from the panel situated on the wall just behind her. "This is Castle Control to Princess Allura! Allura, can you hear me? If so, please respond."
"It seems that the circuit boards are fixed." Keith stated dryly.
Looking rueful, Allura swept over to the panel to press a switch. "Yes, I'm here, Coran."
"Very good, I'll be awaiting your arrival in the main floor library for our study session. Over and out."
Allura wore a resigned expression as she turned back to her friends.
"Tough break, Princess." Lance offered.
Keith said nothing, but his eyes held regret.
"Well, at least I'll have some free time in late afternoon to look forward to," she said glumly.
This sucks. I wish the systems could have stayed down a while longer. Lance thought with a rush of sympathy. "Keep your chin up, Princess. Things have a way of working out." Turning to Keith, he added, "and I have to say it's good to see you getting out of command mode, Keith. Have fun on your trip. "
Allura's blue gaze was questioning as it turned to the Black Lion pilot, who looked uncomfortable. "Trip?"
"It's just for the afternoon." He said, by way of explanation. "I'm doing a favor for Coran."
"Lucky you. " Lance said blandly. "As for me, I'll be hanging out here. Princess, I'll be seeing you later."
With a wink, he sauntered away under the watchful glare of his commander.
"If you don't mind me asking, where is Coran sending you?" Allura asked, after Keith had taken her books and they started walking to her appointed destination.
"Out to the jungle settlement in Althene. They needed some special scientific equipment and some other supplies. It's quicker to fly them in, given the remoteness of the area."
"Oh, I'm so glad you're getting to go there!"
He looked at her, quirking an eyebrow. "Why is that, Princess?"
"Well it is the birthplace of our civilization for one thing- but it's also because it's beautiful there!" She enthused."By some miracle, it's remained unspoiled and unscarred by the all the evils Doom inflicted on this planet." Her voice grew softer as she added, "I can't think of a better place for a getaway, even if it's only for a day. In fact, Mother and Father used to do that quite often. Althene was a place that was very special to them..."
"It was special?" Keith prodded gently as she subsided into reflective silence.
"Yes. It was a sanctuary, somewhere that allowed them to break out of the bubble of royalty. They could mingle with everyday people and be themselves, take care of themselves and each other." Allura replied. "When I was old enough to appreciate it they brought me there too, but Mother died soon after my first visit." The blue of her eyes deepened with emotion. "I always wanted to go back, but we were at war, and I had my duties as an heir. And then Father was killed…and I've never returned."
Her soft sigh was like a fist that squeezed his heart. The recollection of her standing in her parents' bedroom came vividly to his mind, the day they'd saved the tapestry and a few other sentimental keepsakes from being destroyed in a surprise attack by Doom. She'd been so happy they'd rescued those precious memories…
"Would you like me to find the retreat and bring back a memento for you, Princess?" He asked on impulse.
"Oh, would you?" She exclaimed, before her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, what am I saying? I don't want to impose on you like that! It's your free time!"
"Which means I decide what I want to do with it." He agreed.
"But you told Lance-"
"It's not an imposition." He said, smoothly cutting off her protest. "I'd like to check out the place for you."
There was definite satisfaction in seeing her eyes go wide and a blush creep across her cheeks.
"I…I don't know what to say." She murmured, not quite returning his gaze.
"How about 'thank you'?" He suggested.
She smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I don't suppose you happen to remember the coordinates?"
She grimaced at the question. "I'm afraid I don't… but I'm certain any of the elders in the settlement can tell you where to find it."
He nodded. "I'll ask."
"A memento will be nice to have." She said. There was a few heartbeats' pause, and then she continued in a voice so soft he had to duck his head closer to hear her. "But all I really need…I mean, it would be enough just to know…if…if everything is still …intact."
"Out to the jungle settlement in Althene. They needed some special scientific equipment and some other supplies. It's quicker to fly them in, given the remoteness of the area."
"Oh, I'm so glad you're getting to go there!"
He looked at her, quirking an eyebrow. "Why is that, Princess?"
"Well it is the birthplace of our civilization for one thing- but it's also because it's beautiful there!" She enthused."By some miracle, it's remained unspoiled and unscarred by the all the evils Doom inflicted on this planet." Her voice grew softer as she added, "I can't think of a better place for a getaway, even if it's only for a day. In fact, Mother and Father used to do that quite often. Althene was a place that was very special to them..."
"It was special?" Keith prodded gently as she subsided into reflective silence.
"Yes. It was a sanctuary, somewhere that allowed them to break out of the bubble of royalty. They could mingle with everyday people and be themselves, take care of themselves and each other." Allura replied. "When I was old enough to appreciate it they brought me there too, but Mother died soon after my first visit." The blue of her eyes deepened with emotion. "I always wanted to go back, but we were at war, and I had my duties as an heir. And then Father was killed…and I've never returned."
Her soft sigh was like a fist that squeezed his heart. The recollection of her standing in her parents' bedroom came vividly to his mind, the day they'd saved the tapestry and a few other sentimental keepsakes from being destroyed in a surprise attack by Doom. She'd been so happy they'd rescued those precious memories…
"Would you like me to find the retreat and bring back a memento for you, Princess?" He asked on impulse.
"Oh, would you?" She exclaimed, before her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, what am I saying? I don't want to impose on you like that! It's your free time!"
"Which means I decide what I want to do with it." He agreed.
"But you told Lance-"
"It's not an imposition." He said, smoothly cutting off her protest. "I'd like to check out the place for you."
There was definite satisfaction in seeing her eyes go wide and a blush creep across her cheeks.
"I…I don't know what to say." She murmured, not quite returning his gaze.
"How about 'thank you'?" He suggested.
She smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I don't suppose you happen to remember the coordinates?"
She grimaced at the question. "I'm afraid I don't… but I'm certain any of the elders in the settlement can tell you where to find it."
He nodded. "I'll ask."
"A memento will be nice to have." She said. There was a few heartbeats' pause, and then she continued in a voice so soft he had to duck his head closer to hear her. "But all I really need…I mean, it would be enough just to know…if…if everything is still …intact."
Keith slowed to a stop, and Allura turned to him in surprise as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's still there." He said. "I'm sure they've been watching over it."
Silence fell as their gazes held.
It was a feeling unlike any other, thought Allura, to feel this connected with another human being.
Her father's spirit had shown her whenever Arus's need was greatest, that even death couldn't sever the bonds of love. Forming Voltron was a bond in itself, five people acting as one. The unity she felt with her people was just as strong and unbreakable, born of the fierce desire to protect, as a mother lion would protect her cubs.
Her connection with Coran and Nanny had given her a sense of strong family ties. It was a bond that endured even when she'd been most at odds with their attempts to guide her to the paths that they felt were the right ones for a Princess of Arus to take.
This connection she had with Keith was different than any others, more compelling than anything she'd ever felt. It had first manifested when they'd been in battle, but always disappeared when they were on the ground. He'd pulled back into his unreadable shell and she had retreated out of a sense of self-preservation. It'd taken so long to gain his trust after she'd taken over Blue Lion, and she didn't want to do anything that would blow that trust, like demanding access to his thoughts before he was willing.
But now, a newfound awareness had unfurled and was circling around them. When his eyes grew as dark as obsidian, she knew he felt it too. The air around them was laden with anticipation.
When his lips parted, she felt certain he was about to reveal something of life changing importance, but the moment was lost in the intrusion of an authoritative voice...
"Princess, Captain Keith- you've made excellent time!"
Coran had appeared at the door to the library without either of them noticing.
Allura could only blink at him dazedly, as if she'd been yanked from a trance.
Keith removed his hand from the Princess and calmly greeted the older man, who gave them both a sharply assessing look even as he smiled and beckoned them inside.
"It's still there." He said. "I'm sure they've been watching over it."
Silence fell as their gazes held.
It was a feeling unlike any other, thought Allura, to feel this connected with another human being.
Her father's spirit had shown her whenever Arus's need was greatest, that even death couldn't sever the bonds of love. Forming Voltron was a bond in itself, five people acting as one. The unity she felt with her people was just as strong and unbreakable, born of the fierce desire to protect, as a mother lion would protect her cubs.
Her connection with Coran and Nanny had given her a sense of strong family ties. It was a bond that endured even when she'd been most at odds with their attempts to guide her to the paths that they felt were the right ones for a Princess of Arus to take.
This connection she had with Keith was different than any others, more compelling than anything she'd ever felt. It had first manifested when they'd been in battle, but always disappeared when they were on the ground. He'd pulled back into his unreadable shell and she had retreated out of a sense of self-preservation. It'd taken so long to gain his trust after she'd taken over Blue Lion, and she didn't want to do anything that would blow that trust, like demanding access to his thoughts before he was willing.
But now, a newfound awareness had unfurled and was circling around them. When his eyes grew as dark as obsidian, she knew he felt it too. The air around them was laden with anticipation.
When his lips parted, she felt certain he was about to reveal something of life changing importance, but the moment was lost in the intrusion of an authoritative voice...
"Princess, Captain Keith- you've made excellent time!"
Coran had appeared at the door to the library without either of them noticing.
Allura could only blink at him dazedly, as if she'd been yanked from a trance.
Keith removed his hand from the Princess and calmly greeted the older man, who gave them both a sharply assessing look even as he smiled and beckoned them inside.
The library was a vaulted, spacious room filled with books and natural light. A large table flanked by two straight-back chairs stood at the ready, an array of study materials already sitting on its highly polished surface.
With the Princess trailing just behind him, Keith walked over and set the textbooks he carried next down next to a leather bound edition of a playwright that was shockingly familiar to him.
He turned to look at her. "The plays of William Shakespeare?"
She nodded shyly. "I enjoy Terran classical literature. Have you read any Shakespeare, Keith?"
"I read Romeo and Juliet when I was a first year cadet at the academy."
She beamed. "That's wonderful! I've just finished Romeo and Juliet!"
"It was required reading, so I wasn't all that enthused about it at the time." He admitted. "But I actually ended up liking it…once the instructor gave us a cheat sheet that explained the more obscure references."
Allura nodded solemnly. "Old English is very interesting and entertaining to read once you understand the meanings of certain things."
Her tone was that of a scholar, but her eyes held the shine of laughter. Keith's lips twitched. Evidently, the Princess was very much aware of the bawdier aspects of Shakespearean dialogue.
"So, from what you've read so far, which character do you think stands out?" He asked, hoping to divert her from a politically incorrect topic.
She pondered a moment. "I'd have to say Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet."
The choice surprised him. "A supporting character?"
"But he makes such a strong impression! And he has some of the most memorable lines, including that wonderful Queen Mab soliloquy! He doesn't suffer fools gladly, he's funny and witty." She paused in ticking off the points, and then added, " and in temperament, he reminds me a lot of Lance."
At that, Keith broke into a grin. "Yeah, I have to agree. And Juliet's nurse is-" He stopped, uncertain of his boundaries.
"Of course! The Nurse is Nanny!" Allura declared, laughing at his guilty look.
From somewhere behind them, Coran cleared his throat.
"I thank you once again for escorting Allura to her lessons, Captain." He said, as they turned to him. "Shall we begin, Your Highness?"
Realizing that he'd been politely but firmly dismissed, Keith bent his dark head in acknowledgement and bowed, first to the Princess, and then to her advisor, with courtly, faultless technique. With formalities having been observed, he turned and strode away without looking back at Allura.
He had come so close to spilling his guts to her about everything, but Coran's presence reminded him that he was not in a position to confide in her.
A sweet voice calling, "See you later Keith! Fly safe," brought him to an abrupt halt. He turned quickly, but not in time to answer. The library doors were already closing behind his golden-haired muse, shutting her away from the promise of a summer's day.
With the Princess trailing just behind him, Keith walked over and set the textbooks he carried next down next to a leather bound edition of a playwright that was shockingly familiar to him.
He turned to look at her. "The plays of William Shakespeare?"
She nodded shyly. "I enjoy Terran classical literature. Have you read any Shakespeare, Keith?"
"I read Romeo and Juliet when I was a first year cadet at the academy."
She beamed. "That's wonderful! I've just finished Romeo and Juliet!"
"It was required reading, so I wasn't all that enthused about it at the time." He admitted. "But I actually ended up liking it…once the instructor gave us a cheat sheet that explained the more obscure references."
Allura nodded solemnly. "Old English is very interesting and entertaining to read once you understand the meanings of certain things."
Her tone was that of a scholar, but her eyes held the shine of laughter. Keith's lips twitched. Evidently, the Princess was very much aware of the bawdier aspects of Shakespearean dialogue.
"So, from what you've read so far, which character do you think stands out?" He asked, hoping to divert her from a politically incorrect topic.
She pondered a moment. "I'd have to say Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet."
The choice surprised him. "A supporting character?"
"But he makes such a strong impression! And he has some of the most memorable lines, including that wonderful Queen Mab soliloquy! He doesn't suffer fools gladly, he's funny and witty." She paused in ticking off the points, and then added, " and in temperament, he reminds me a lot of Lance."
At that, Keith broke into a grin. "Yeah, I have to agree. And Juliet's nurse is-" He stopped, uncertain of his boundaries.
"Of course! The Nurse is Nanny!" Allura declared, laughing at his guilty look.
From somewhere behind them, Coran cleared his throat.
"I thank you once again for escorting Allura to her lessons, Captain." He said, as they turned to him. "Shall we begin, Your Highness?"
Realizing that he'd been politely but firmly dismissed, Keith bent his dark head in acknowledgement and bowed, first to the Princess, and then to her advisor, with courtly, faultless technique. With formalities having been observed, he turned and strode away without looking back at Allura.
He had come so close to spilling his guts to her about everything, but Coran's presence reminded him that he was not in a position to confide in her.
A sweet voice calling, "See you later Keith! Fly safe," brought him to an abrupt halt. He turned quickly, but not in time to answer. The library doors were already closing behind his golden-haired muse, shutting her away from the promise of a summer's day.
Allura sighed and closed the embossed cover of her textbook with a muffled 'whump'.
The library she usually considered a haven and place of unfettered interest with shelves upon shelves of books had taken on the aspect of a literary cage. Lifting her weary gaze to the skylight windows that had been opened for the benefit of extra light during her studies, she stared longingly out at the lone fluffy cloud that teasingly lingered, drifting along in a calm sea of blue.
How she wished she were free to fly in her Lion, chasing after that rascally puff of vapor. The day outside looked to be filled with the warmth, scents and sounds of summer, things that she could only imagine as the reinforced windows let in naught but the sunlight.
Arusian history was the subject of the moment; she suspected Coran had tried to help her focus by selecting a subject of immense interest for her, but it was little compensation for being locked away when everyone else was allowed to play.
There were many stories involving the Lion Warriors, a legendary race of people thought to have given their very souls to the five Lion Spirits in order to help them live an eternal life protecting Arus. The mystical and proud culture had seemed to vanish without a trace after King Alfor's death, much as the lions of Voltron once had. Nevertheless, it had always been an accepted fact that when the Lion brethren were needed most, they would be reborn and rise once again to defend Arus.
Normally she would have been enthralled about learning as much as she could about such an honorable and romantic part of her heritage, but the vision of soulful brown eyes kept rising before her instead, disrupting her desire to keep reading and learn more.
Giving in to a wandering whim, she dreamily pictured their dark haired owner as a noble Lion Warrior, battling for his people and his one true love...
The library she usually considered a haven and place of unfettered interest with shelves upon shelves of books had taken on the aspect of a literary cage. Lifting her weary gaze to the skylight windows that had been opened for the benefit of extra light during her studies, she stared longingly out at the lone fluffy cloud that teasingly lingered, drifting along in a calm sea of blue.
How she wished she were free to fly in her Lion, chasing after that rascally puff of vapor. The day outside looked to be filled with the warmth, scents and sounds of summer, things that she could only imagine as the reinforced windows let in naught but the sunlight.
Arusian history was the subject of the moment; she suspected Coran had tried to help her focus by selecting a subject of immense interest for her, but it was little compensation for being locked away when everyone else was allowed to play.
There were many stories involving the Lion Warriors, a legendary race of people thought to have given their very souls to the five Lion Spirits in order to help them live an eternal life protecting Arus. The mystical and proud culture had seemed to vanish without a trace after King Alfor's death, much as the lions of Voltron once had. Nevertheless, it had always been an accepted fact that when the Lion brethren were needed most, they would be reborn and rise once again to defend Arus.
Normally she would have been enthralled about learning as much as she could about such an honorable and romantic part of her heritage, but the vision of soulful brown eyes kept rising before her instead, disrupting her desire to keep reading and learn more.
Giving in to a wandering whim, she dreamily pictured their dark haired owner as a noble Lion Warrior, battling for his people and his one true love...
The Royal Advisor frowned as he watched his pupil. Allura was a very disciplined, most attentive child, full of intellectual curiosity. Seeing her becoming lost in a daydream was not a state of affairs to which he was accustomed.
If one could judge by the way she'd been looking at Captain Powell, that young man was the cause of this breakdown of discipline, and most likely, the restlessness and discontent he'd been sensing from Allura.
Like Juliet, she's no longer a child to the ways of the world.
"Allura."
She gave a guilty start. "Y-yes, Coran?"
"I must point out that you've been woolgathering for quite a while." He said with mild reproach. "You have three more chapters to read after that one."
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry."
With a loud sigh, the Princess reopened her book to the page she had been staring at for the last twenty minutes, wearing a look of frowning concentration that didn't fool Coran for a minute. Her mind obviously wasn't going to stay on her studies today.
Most likely, it would be preoccupied with a certain Black Lion pilot.
Coran gently closed the book he'd been perusing and studied his charge more closely.
He had been the Princess' tutor since she could speak in sentences, and an advisor, guardian and protector for nigh onto eight years. The unique brand of closeness forged between him and the young Royal orphan had enabled him to start thinking of Allura as a surrogate daughter. Over the years, even the word 'Princess' had become more of a fatherly pet name than a title.
As such, she had given him more than a few gray hairs. But those were merely stray moments amongst the numerous times he'd been filled with paternalistic pride.
Allura would make a wonderful Queen. She was admired and loved by her people, whom she had defended with the Blue Lion at great risk to herself. Death, destruction and hard decisions had fallen on her young shoulders and she had handled it all with grace, unshakeable persistence and a stoic resolution that went far beyond her years. She was an inspired leader of unlimited potential, one with an intuition and a purity of spirit that served her well.
Until now, one thing had been missing from her life. Or should that be...a someone?
Stroking his full mustache, Coran smiled. He'd forgotten what it was to be young. A budding romance had been residing right under his nose and he had utterly failed to notice its passionate scent.
It would be a terrible thing to crush that bud before it becomes a flower, he thought, coming to an abrupt decision.
"Princess, a word please?"
She raised her head. "Yes?"
"It was not my intention to punish you with these lessons today. I thought it was a good chance to catch up, as you have had an extraordinarily large break in the last few weeks what with the Alliance meetings and treaty gatherings."
"It's all right. I understand." Allura murmured.
She began to go back to her book, but looked up again as her guardian continued speaking.
"I have always expected your best effort in the performance of your duties, and you've never failed to give me just that. I'm exceedingly proud of you. You've done well."
She graced him with her lovely smile, the first genuine one he'd seen since Keith had left the library. "Thank you, Coran, that makes me happy. But the reason I've done well is because I've had such an excellent teacher."
Unsettled and touched by the unexpected compliment, he cleared his throat and tried not to look too pleased. ""I...well...thank you, Allura. Be that as it may, I have also come to realize that constantly putting forth the kind of effort can be a drain on one's psyche. I have sensed…that you may be in need a bit of a break."
She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I've got to make up for what I've missed."
"That isn't as much as you think; I made sure we were ahead of lesson plans when we broke for the conference." Coran admitted. "One more day will make little impact on your studies, and might serve to refresh your mind. Simply finish reading the chapter assignment on the Lion Warriors, then you may go and spend the rest of the day as you see fit."
She was staring at him as if he had gone mad. His mustache twitched with his effort to repress a chuckle.
"I suggest that you apply yourself to your task, Allura. Time is wasting."
"But…but… Nanny? What will she say?"
"Nanny shall be my concern, not yours."
It was the little things that seemed to mean the most, Coran thought a few minutes later, while watching his beaming royal charge eagerly gathering up her study materials. Seeing her girlish excitement and the roses blooming in her cheeks lightened the burdens placed on his heart.
He had been right to do this. For Allura, a day off from official duties was a rare and very precious gift, one that he highly suspected that she would use in seeking out the good Captain's companionship. Although whether the young man would allow it was quite another matter. Keith had always been careful to maintain every appearance of propriety in every situation involving the Princess, no matter how official or informal the setting.
It was hard to fathom how the young man did it, Coran mused, considering the highly charged manifestation of his aura whenever he and Allura were together. He had incredible discipline and control, considering the magnitude of his feelings for Allura. Whatever the cost to himself, Keith would always do what he felt was right for the Princess of Arus.
It was an admirable but misguided point of view that he recognized all too well.
No one knew better than he that refusal and denial could cost one the most precious of gifts.
With that thought, Coran stared down at the pages of his book until memories of his beloved wife and child blurred the words of Robert Frost.
If one could judge by the way she'd been looking at Captain Powell, that young man was the cause of this breakdown of discipline, and most likely, the restlessness and discontent he'd been sensing from Allura.
Like Juliet, she's no longer a child to the ways of the world.
"Allura."
She gave a guilty start. "Y-yes, Coran?"
"I must point out that you've been woolgathering for quite a while." He said with mild reproach. "You have three more chapters to read after that one."
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry."
With a loud sigh, the Princess reopened her book to the page she had been staring at for the last twenty minutes, wearing a look of frowning concentration that didn't fool Coran for a minute. Her mind obviously wasn't going to stay on her studies today.
Most likely, it would be preoccupied with a certain Black Lion pilot.
Coran gently closed the book he'd been perusing and studied his charge more closely.
He had been the Princess' tutor since she could speak in sentences, and an advisor, guardian and protector for nigh onto eight years. The unique brand of closeness forged between him and the young Royal orphan had enabled him to start thinking of Allura as a surrogate daughter. Over the years, even the word 'Princess' had become more of a fatherly pet name than a title.
As such, she had given him more than a few gray hairs. But those were merely stray moments amongst the numerous times he'd been filled with paternalistic pride.
Allura would make a wonderful Queen. She was admired and loved by her people, whom she had defended with the Blue Lion at great risk to herself. Death, destruction and hard decisions had fallen on her young shoulders and she had handled it all with grace, unshakeable persistence and a stoic resolution that went far beyond her years. She was an inspired leader of unlimited potential, one with an intuition and a purity of spirit that served her well.
Until now, one thing had been missing from her life. Or should that be...a someone?
Stroking his full mustache, Coran smiled. He'd forgotten what it was to be young. A budding romance had been residing right under his nose and he had utterly failed to notice its passionate scent.
It would be a terrible thing to crush that bud before it becomes a flower, he thought, coming to an abrupt decision.
"Princess, a word please?"
She raised her head. "Yes?"
"It was not my intention to punish you with these lessons today. I thought it was a good chance to catch up, as you have had an extraordinarily large break in the last few weeks what with the Alliance meetings and treaty gatherings."
"It's all right. I understand." Allura murmured.
She began to go back to her book, but looked up again as her guardian continued speaking.
"I have always expected your best effort in the performance of your duties, and you've never failed to give me just that. I'm exceedingly proud of you. You've done well."
She graced him with her lovely smile, the first genuine one he'd seen since Keith had left the library. "Thank you, Coran, that makes me happy. But the reason I've done well is because I've had such an excellent teacher."
Unsettled and touched by the unexpected compliment, he cleared his throat and tried not to look too pleased. ""I...well...thank you, Allura. Be that as it may, I have also come to realize that constantly putting forth the kind of effort can be a drain on one's psyche. I have sensed…that you may be in need a bit of a break."
She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I've got to make up for what I've missed."
"That isn't as much as you think; I made sure we were ahead of lesson plans when we broke for the conference." Coran admitted. "One more day will make little impact on your studies, and might serve to refresh your mind. Simply finish reading the chapter assignment on the Lion Warriors, then you may go and spend the rest of the day as you see fit."
She was staring at him as if he had gone mad. His mustache twitched with his effort to repress a chuckle.
"I suggest that you apply yourself to your task, Allura. Time is wasting."
"But…but… Nanny? What will she say?"
"Nanny shall be my concern, not yours."
It was the little things that seemed to mean the most, Coran thought a few minutes later, while watching his beaming royal charge eagerly gathering up her study materials. Seeing her girlish excitement and the roses blooming in her cheeks lightened the burdens placed on his heart.
He had been right to do this. For Allura, a day off from official duties was a rare and very precious gift, one that he highly suspected that she would use in seeking out the good Captain's companionship. Although whether the young man would allow it was quite another matter. Keith had always been careful to maintain every appearance of propriety in every situation involving the Princess, no matter how official or informal the setting.
It was hard to fathom how the young man did it, Coran mused, considering the highly charged manifestation of his aura whenever he and Allura were together. He had incredible discipline and control, considering the magnitude of his feelings for Allura. Whatever the cost to himself, Keith would always do what he felt was right for the Princess of Arus.
It was an admirable but misguided point of view that he recognized all too well.
No one knew better than he that refusal and denial could cost one the most precious of gifts.
With that thought, Coran stared down at the pages of his book until memories of his beloved wife and child blurred the words of Robert Frost.
Back in his personal quarters, Keith felt he was almost set to go. Although still wearing his red flight suit he was taking a change of clothes for the jungle, and a rather thick tome on the legends of Arus that he'd borrowed from the castle library.
He had already decided that the first thing he would do after dropping the supplies off would be to investigate the whereabouts of King Alfor's compound. He had tried to tell himself that that mission was fueled solely by compassion for the Princess and curiosity about the place where she and her parents had spent their happier days, but he couldn't maintain the fallacy any longer.
Whatever the connection between them was, it sure as heck wasn't rooted in pity, or passive by nature.
It was strong, primal and elemental.
Passionate...
...and very, very sexual.
With renewed resolve, he began a second inventory to verify he had everything he needed along for the journey. The sooner he got away from the castle, the sooner he could get control over those types of thoughts.
He stood up, but his plan to make a quick exit were disrupted as the door to his room slid open and Pidge announced his presence. "Hey Chief! We fixed 'em!"
Keith had despaired of ever having any privacy long ago. Between his teammates popping in and claxons going off in the middle of the night, it had been hopeless. There was only one spot he had found where he could be completely alone and that was on top of the Black Lion Monument, and even those solitary moments were rare, he thought wryly. I wonder if Allura feels this way? I have four people barging in on me, but she's got a whole planet!
"Hey, did ya hear me? The castle communications systems are fixed!" Pidge sharpened his tone. Keith woolgathering? This was an odd occurrence.
"Good job." His leader replied absently, not really listening, and not really seeing the flight plan for Black Lion that he held in his hand.
"Thanks for the testimonial." Pidge grumbled, but then brightened as he noticed his Captain's gear. "Looks like you're off to do some hiking! Where're you headed?"
Keith answered with reluctance. He had hoped to avoid mention of his mission in case the nature-loving youth would ask to go with him. The Green Lion pilot was good company, but he'd wanted the quiet time and exploration that would help in driving troublesome thoughts from his head. And he rather liked it that he and Allura shared a secret that the other guys didn't know about.
"I got talked into flying equipment and supplies to some settlement out in the sticks." He said, feigning the air of one who would rather stay home. "Humid, mud, mosquitoes and the like. I don't suppose you'd-"
"No thanks!" Pidge retorted with a smirk. "You have fun with that, I'm going to help Hunk fix up those old hover crafts. He says they're gonna fly and look as good as new when we're done."
"Go work your magic then, I'll take care of the supply run."
"Thanks Cap."
Smiling and relieved to have dodged one bullet, Keith picked up his bag and turned to leave, only to find his escape route blocked by the pilot of Red Lion, who had just strolled into the room. Honestly, was the guy tailing him, or what?
"Wow, you haven't left yet?"
Keith rolled his eyes. "Obviously not, or you'd be talking to yourself."
"Afraid to leave if I'm not there to cover your rear?"
"I'll be out of here just as soon as you quit flapping your jaws."
Lance eyed him for a moment, and then threw down the gauntlet. "Well, have a good time, and don't worry about the Princess being alone."
"She won't be. She's got lessons with Coran."
"They've been canceled!" Lance informed him in the tone of one who knew everything that transpired inside the Castle. "The bird has flown the coop! Seems Coran has a heart after all, because he gave her the day off."
Keith gaped at him. The Royal Advisor was not known to ever have taken a day off, let alone to have given the Princess one. "Are you kidding me?"
"I ran into Allura coming out of the library, and she told me herself. She can't wait to get some fresh air."
Keith frowned. "I hope she realizes she needs an escort if she's planning an outing."
"That's not a problem if I'm available," Lance assured him. "I was thinking a horseback ride in the countryside, a little lunch, a swim in the lake, then a nice romantic walk to take in the sunset." He smiled and casually inspected the nails on one hand. "It'll be nice to see that bikini again."
Pidge jumped, startled by the sound of a flight bag hitting the floor. It was easy to see in Keith's darkening face that storm clouds were brewing. "Um, Lance, I think it's supposed to rain this afternoon. Maybe you should hang out in the lounge?" He asked tentatively.
"That won't be necessary either." Keith stated tersely. "It's your day off, Lance. You're relieved of Princess-sitting duty."
Lance turned his back to hide his smile of satisfaction as his Commander took the offered bait- hook, line, and sinker.
"I honestly don't mind, Keith." He protested smoothly. "Duty has no place in this offer. Sure, I'd make sure to take good care of her, but it's definitely a pleasure to be-"
Pidge interrupted. "Nice going, Motor Mouth, now you're actually talking to yourself."
Lance whipped around. Sure enough, team leader Keith and his flight bag had disappeared.
"Well, how do you like that? Not even so much as 'by your leave'!" He said, with a chuckle. "He wasn't in that much of a hurry before I mentioned the Princess."
The Green Lion pilot crossed his arms and looked disgusted. "Why do you goad him like that? You know how seriously he takes his job of protector! Now he'll give up his own free time to baby-sit Allura when he could be relaxing."
Lance's smile was complacent. "There's no need for fretting, young grasshopper."
"Why shouldn't I? I'm going to be up to my elbows in hover craft parts while you get to hang with the Princess!"
"Pidge, my boy, green really is your color in more than one way. You have so much to learn about-"
Breaking off, Lance lunged to one side, adroitly avoiding the Green Lion pilot's attempt to tackle him. Pinning the youth's head in the crook of his bent arm, he rubbed the top of Pidge's head with his knuckles.
"Yow!" Pidge flailed, his head now being squeezed like an orange in a juicer. "Ow, ow, ow, alright! I give, dammit!"
"Wise decision." Lance said mildly, releasing his captive. "And watch your language."
Pidge glared, rubbed his mistreated cranium, and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I thought you were going out with the Princess?" He tried hard to sound nonchalant. Even though he was excited about his previous plans, he wouldn't mind if the Princess asked him to spend the day with her.
"I was, but I think our Fearless Leader might have other plans for her." Lance replied cryptically. "And right now, I've got to develop some very important pictures instead. Wanna help?"
For the first time, Pidge saw that Lance was holding a small digital photo computer chip.
"What kind of important pictures?" He asked suspiciously.
"Personal surveillance shoots I've been doing for the past couple weeks. If they turn out, they should prove to be very enlightening,"
"In what way?"
Lance shrugged. "Too hard to explain. You'd have to see them to understand."
"What's the subject matter?"
"The Princess, mostly. Got a couple of Keith too."
Pidge frowned. "Sounds like trouble to me. And anyway, I'd rather work on the hovercrafts."
"Fine, it's your loss. And I gotta get going."
With a cheery salute, Lance left the room. Pidge stared after him in vexation, torn between intense curiosity and keeping an alibi. There had been some very strange vibes going on between Lance and Keith that he couldn't comprehend, high IQ notwithstanding. And the Princess was involved too, either as a focus of an investigation or possibly, as a partner in crime.
Which meant Nanny would get wind of what was going on.
The thought made Pidge cringe.
Discretion was definitely the better part of valor, he decided, and headed straight to the mechanics room.
He had already decided that the first thing he would do after dropping the supplies off would be to investigate the whereabouts of King Alfor's compound. He had tried to tell himself that that mission was fueled solely by compassion for the Princess and curiosity about the place where she and her parents had spent their happier days, but he couldn't maintain the fallacy any longer.
Whatever the connection between them was, it sure as heck wasn't rooted in pity, or passive by nature.
It was strong, primal and elemental.
Passionate...
...and very, very sexual.
With renewed resolve, he began a second inventory to verify he had everything he needed along for the journey. The sooner he got away from the castle, the sooner he could get control over those types of thoughts.
He stood up, but his plan to make a quick exit were disrupted as the door to his room slid open and Pidge announced his presence. "Hey Chief! We fixed 'em!"
Keith had despaired of ever having any privacy long ago. Between his teammates popping in and claxons going off in the middle of the night, it had been hopeless. There was only one spot he had found where he could be completely alone and that was on top of the Black Lion Monument, and even those solitary moments were rare, he thought wryly. I wonder if Allura feels this way? I have four people barging in on me, but she's got a whole planet!
"Hey, did ya hear me? The castle communications systems are fixed!" Pidge sharpened his tone. Keith woolgathering? This was an odd occurrence.
"Good job." His leader replied absently, not really listening, and not really seeing the flight plan for Black Lion that he held in his hand.
"Thanks for the testimonial." Pidge grumbled, but then brightened as he noticed his Captain's gear. "Looks like you're off to do some hiking! Where're you headed?"
Keith answered with reluctance. He had hoped to avoid mention of his mission in case the nature-loving youth would ask to go with him. The Green Lion pilot was good company, but he'd wanted the quiet time and exploration that would help in driving troublesome thoughts from his head. And he rather liked it that he and Allura shared a secret that the other guys didn't know about.
"I got talked into flying equipment and supplies to some settlement out in the sticks." He said, feigning the air of one who would rather stay home. "Humid, mud, mosquitoes and the like. I don't suppose you'd-"
"No thanks!" Pidge retorted with a smirk. "You have fun with that, I'm going to help Hunk fix up those old hover crafts. He says they're gonna fly and look as good as new when we're done."
"Go work your magic then, I'll take care of the supply run."
"Thanks Cap."
Smiling and relieved to have dodged one bullet, Keith picked up his bag and turned to leave, only to find his escape route blocked by the pilot of Red Lion, who had just strolled into the room. Honestly, was the guy tailing him, or what?
"Wow, you haven't left yet?"
Keith rolled his eyes. "Obviously not, or you'd be talking to yourself."
"Afraid to leave if I'm not there to cover your rear?"
"I'll be out of here just as soon as you quit flapping your jaws."
Lance eyed him for a moment, and then threw down the gauntlet. "Well, have a good time, and don't worry about the Princess being alone."
"She won't be. She's got lessons with Coran."
"They've been canceled!" Lance informed him in the tone of one who knew everything that transpired inside the Castle. "The bird has flown the coop! Seems Coran has a heart after all, because he gave her the day off."
Keith gaped at him. The Royal Advisor was not known to ever have taken a day off, let alone to have given the Princess one. "Are you kidding me?"
"I ran into Allura coming out of the library, and she told me herself. She can't wait to get some fresh air."
Keith frowned. "I hope she realizes she needs an escort if she's planning an outing."
"That's not a problem if I'm available," Lance assured him. "I was thinking a horseback ride in the countryside, a little lunch, a swim in the lake, then a nice romantic walk to take in the sunset." He smiled and casually inspected the nails on one hand. "It'll be nice to see that bikini again."
Pidge jumped, startled by the sound of a flight bag hitting the floor. It was easy to see in Keith's darkening face that storm clouds were brewing. "Um, Lance, I think it's supposed to rain this afternoon. Maybe you should hang out in the lounge?" He asked tentatively.
"That won't be necessary either." Keith stated tersely. "It's your day off, Lance. You're relieved of Princess-sitting duty."
Lance turned his back to hide his smile of satisfaction as his Commander took the offered bait- hook, line, and sinker.
"I honestly don't mind, Keith." He protested smoothly. "Duty has no place in this offer. Sure, I'd make sure to take good care of her, but it's definitely a pleasure to be-"
Pidge interrupted. "Nice going, Motor Mouth, now you're actually talking to yourself."
Lance whipped around. Sure enough, team leader Keith and his flight bag had disappeared.
"Well, how do you like that? Not even so much as 'by your leave'!" He said, with a chuckle. "He wasn't in that much of a hurry before I mentioned the Princess."
The Green Lion pilot crossed his arms and looked disgusted. "Why do you goad him like that? You know how seriously he takes his job of protector! Now he'll give up his own free time to baby-sit Allura when he could be relaxing."
Lance's smile was complacent. "There's no need for fretting, young grasshopper."
"Why shouldn't I? I'm going to be up to my elbows in hover craft parts while you get to hang with the Princess!"
"Pidge, my boy, green really is your color in more than one way. You have so much to learn about-"
Breaking off, Lance lunged to one side, adroitly avoiding the Green Lion pilot's attempt to tackle him. Pinning the youth's head in the crook of his bent arm, he rubbed the top of Pidge's head with his knuckles.
"Yow!" Pidge flailed, his head now being squeezed like an orange in a juicer. "Ow, ow, ow, alright! I give, dammit!"
"Wise decision." Lance said mildly, releasing his captive. "And watch your language."
Pidge glared, rubbed his mistreated cranium, and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I thought you were going out with the Princess?" He tried hard to sound nonchalant. Even though he was excited about his previous plans, he wouldn't mind if the Princess asked him to spend the day with her.
"I was, but I think our Fearless Leader might have other plans for her." Lance replied cryptically. "And right now, I've got to develop some very important pictures instead. Wanna help?"
For the first time, Pidge saw that Lance was holding a small digital photo computer chip.
"What kind of important pictures?" He asked suspiciously.
"Personal surveillance shoots I've been doing for the past couple weeks. If they turn out, they should prove to be very enlightening,"
"In what way?"
Lance shrugged. "Too hard to explain. You'd have to see them to understand."
"What's the subject matter?"
"The Princess, mostly. Got a couple of Keith too."
Pidge frowned. "Sounds like trouble to me. And anyway, I'd rather work on the hovercrafts."
"Fine, it's your loss. And I gotta get going."
With a cheery salute, Lance left the room. Pidge stared after him in vexation, torn between intense curiosity and keeping an alibi. There had been some very strange vibes going on between Lance and Keith that he couldn't comprehend, high IQ notwithstanding. And the Princess was involved too, either as a focus of an investigation or possibly, as a partner in crime.
Which meant Nanny would get wind of what was going on.
The thought made Pidge cringe.
Discretion was definitely the better part of valor, he decided, and headed straight to the mechanics room.
Author's note: It took a long time to get this chapter posted, because I had to work out a few things. I hope that it's enjoyable, and an improvement over my original 1998 draft. ^^( If anyone has read the original version, they might notice that I've combined chapters four and five into this revised chapter.)
My Fushigi Yuugi muses have reclaimed me...but I plan to keep going with Bonds Revisited as long as people are interested in reading it. ^_^*
My Fushigi Yuugi muses have reclaimed me...but I plan to keep going with Bonds Revisited as long as people are interested in reading it. ^_^*
Invitation to Adventure
Allura keyed in the code for her private study. Once the door opened, she started to head for her favorite plush, pillow-strewn chaise lounge in the corner, but then she hesitated.
Her usual routine was to turn on some music, put her feet up and indulge in reading the romance novels that had been smuggled in by a reliable source under the unsuspecting nose of Nanny. At any other time, she'd be taking full advantage of that opportunity. But today was different.
Hard won comfort and solitude held no appeal for her right now. The prospect of spending the entire day devoid of companionship made this room more of a place for indulging in a sulk than a place to unwind. The wrap around chair next to the one large window seemed a better choice. If she couldn't be outside or flying with the team, at least she could feel the sun's warmth coming through the reinforced glass.
Allura dropped into the chair with an unprincesslike slouch and stared out into a clear blue sky that held no hint of rescue. She was a caged bird, longing to be free- an all too familiar feeling.
She had been very happy to run into Lance in the hallway outside the library (quite literally, as she had been in a hurry to leave Coran before his sanity returned). After extricating herself from his arms, she had shared the wonderful news of her free day with him. He had been pleased, and gallantly offered to escort her wherever she wished just as soon as he'd taken care of a small errand.
They'd arranged for him to contact her by text communicator when he had a plan. She decided that moving to her study would be better than waiting in the service corridor for Nanny to happen along. A more than reasonable amount of time had passed since that encounter, and her communicator had yet to go off. What was going on? For all of his blunt ways, Lance was a gentleman who kept his promises. He didn't have it in him to stand a woman up for no reason.
Something must have happened to delay him. Perhaps she should make sure everything was all right.
Allura went to pick up her communicator, then set it down with a sigh of disgust. What was she going to do, ask Lance where he was or what was taking so long? That sounded childish and needy. And telling him she was waiting and to hurry up sounded too much like a royal command.
Besides that, hadn't Nanny drummed it into her head that nice and proper young ladies should let the young men do the asking? And that any young man that was worthy of a nice young lady would always agree to a chaperone?
Was that where he was? Had Nanny waylaid him to arrange an escort?
The sudden vision of herself sitting with Lance in the royal carriage with the governess sandwiched between them and surrounded by a dozen dour-faced guards had Allura grabbing for her communicator with renewed determination. If anyone could escape the fetters of Royal propriety, it was Lance. She'd ascertain his position, and then they'd-
The chime signaling someone's presence out in the hall had Allura stifling a shriek. Her communicator dropped onto a nearby table with a clatter as she ran to the control panel and pressed the switch to open the door.
"Lance, thank Arus you're finally here!" She gushed, before the door had fully opened to reveal- not the distressed leather jacket of Lance- but a red and white uniformed chest.
Her smile faltered as she looked up.
"Oh hi, Keith. I thought you were Lance."
Allura keyed in the code for her private study. Once the door opened, she started to head for her favorite plush, pillow-strewn chaise lounge in the corner, but then she hesitated.
Her usual routine was to turn on some music, put her feet up and indulge in reading the romance novels that had been smuggled in by a reliable source under the unsuspecting nose of Nanny. At any other time, she'd be taking full advantage of that opportunity. But today was different.
Hard won comfort and solitude held no appeal for her right now. The prospect of spending the entire day devoid of companionship made this room more of a place for indulging in a sulk than a place to unwind. The wrap around chair next to the one large window seemed a better choice. If she couldn't be outside or flying with the team, at least she could feel the sun's warmth coming through the reinforced glass.
Allura dropped into the chair with an unprincesslike slouch and stared out into a clear blue sky that held no hint of rescue. She was a caged bird, longing to be free- an all too familiar feeling.
She had been very happy to run into Lance in the hallway outside the library (quite literally, as she had been in a hurry to leave Coran before his sanity returned). After extricating herself from his arms, she had shared the wonderful news of her free day with him. He had been pleased, and gallantly offered to escort her wherever she wished just as soon as he'd taken care of a small errand.
They'd arranged for him to contact her by text communicator when he had a plan. She decided that moving to her study would be better than waiting in the service corridor for Nanny to happen along. A more than reasonable amount of time had passed since that encounter, and her communicator had yet to go off. What was going on? For all of his blunt ways, Lance was a gentleman who kept his promises. He didn't have it in him to stand a woman up for no reason.
Something must have happened to delay him. Perhaps she should make sure everything was all right.
Allura went to pick up her communicator, then set it down with a sigh of disgust. What was she going to do, ask Lance where he was or what was taking so long? That sounded childish and needy. And telling him she was waiting and to hurry up sounded too much like a royal command.
Besides that, hadn't Nanny drummed it into her head that nice and proper young ladies should let the young men do the asking? And that any young man that was worthy of a nice young lady would always agree to a chaperone?
Was that where he was? Had Nanny waylaid him to arrange an escort?
The sudden vision of herself sitting with Lance in the royal carriage with the governess sandwiched between them and surrounded by a dozen dour-faced guards had Allura grabbing for her communicator with renewed determination. If anyone could escape the fetters of Royal propriety, it was Lance. She'd ascertain his position, and then they'd-
The chime signaling someone's presence out in the hall had Allura stifling a shriek. Her communicator dropped onto a nearby table with a clatter as she ran to the control panel and pressed the switch to open the door.
"Lance, thank Arus you're finally here!" She gushed, before the door had fully opened to reveal- not the distressed leather jacket of Lance- but a red and white uniformed chest.
Her smile faltered as she looked up.
"Oh hi, Keith. I thought you were Lance."
It had been a mere five minutes since Keith had left Lance talking to thin air. He'd charged out of his quarters, a plan already formed in his mind that would supercede anything that Lance might have come up with to entice the Princess.
She wasn't just a village girl. A guy couldn't take her riding or fishing or for a picnic in the meadow with no defenses or backup when Lotor's whereabouts remained unknown. That was why taking her to Althene in Black Lion was the only bet for a safe outing. Allura had a very personal connection with the area, and they could get in some extra lessons for her on flying Black Lion. Heck, the region also tied in with the much of the Arusian ancient history Coran had taught them all as well, so Keith doubted that he would have to press the point with the older man. From previous discussions he knew Coran trusted him to do the right thing by and for the Princess.
But Nanny, now that was a different story. She trusted no one but her own self to decide how the Princess' free time should be spent.
Keith frowned, then gave a mental shrug. Nanny would always have objections. He would cross that bridge later.
His boot heels clunped on the polished floors as he took hallway after hallway with the forceful stride that was a part of his nature. But as he turned the final corner and found the door to the Princess' recreation room looming before him, his steps slowed. Adrenaline gave way to logic, realization crept in.
The guy might not act like it, but when it came to defending Allura, Lance was dead serious, focused and dedicated. He didn't mess around, he knew exactly when to draw the line when it came to fun versus protecting the Princess' safety, and had successfully done so, several times. Saying he was going to flout the rules to get her alone was a red flag that he'd just fallen for the most effective trick in his sly friend's arsenal- a provocation to action.
If Lance had been truly serious about getting the Princess all to himself, he wouldn't have brought her availability to anyone's attention. The fact that he'd brought it to his Captain's attention showed that he was trying to find out how much Keith wanted the Princess' undivided attention. And he'd fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. Lance had gotten him to pull the 'I outrank you so she's coming with me' card.
Keith sighed and rubbed a hand across his eyes. He shouldn't mind when someone on the team wanted to spend time with Allura outside of their training. It wasn't like he had a priority claim to Allura, except when it came to their defense duties. A good commander was one who was willing and able to share responsibility with his officers, and one who was willing to help one of his own attain their goals. When it came to rankings on their team, Lance and Allura were on equal footing. From a military standpoint, there was no reason his friend couldn't hang out with her on a social basis.
If it had to be anyone getting this chance, he'd rather it went to his best friend. Lance would take it if offered, and that was probably best.
He would check in with the Princess. He'd tell her where to find Lance and be on his way.
Just like that. Not a problem.
He stabbed a finger at the summons switch with more force than necessary and waited. As it was answered, he opened his mouth to identify himself, but Allura beat him to it.
"Lance, thank Arus you're finally here!"
The joyous abandon in her voice and the radiant smile that was revealed as the door opened were grenades lobbed to the wall of noble intentions.
He watched her smile fade from radiant to polite.
His wall now had holes.
"Oh hi, Keith." She said. "I thought you were Lance."
Huge, gaping holes.
He knew he was glaring, but didn't care. "Obviously."
She had the grace to blush. "But...you were going to Althene, did the run get cancelled?"
It was an innocent question, wasn't it? So why did it annoy him this much?
"The run's still on." He stepped past her, bag in hand. "I just had something I needed to discuss with you before I left."
She wasn't just a village girl. A guy couldn't take her riding or fishing or for a picnic in the meadow with no defenses or backup when Lotor's whereabouts remained unknown. That was why taking her to Althene in Black Lion was the only bet for a safe outing. Allura had a very personal connection with the area, and they could get in some extra lessons for her on flying Black Lion. Heck, the region also tied in with the much of the Arusian ancient history Coran had taught them all as well, so Keith doubted that he would have to press the point with the older man. From previous discussions he knew Coran trusted him to do the right thing by and for the Princess.
But Nanny, now that was a different story. She trusted no one but her own self to decide how the Princess' free time should be spent.
Keith frowned, then gave a mental shrug. Nanny would always have objections. He would cross that bridge later.
His boot heels clunped on the polished floors as he took hallway after hallway with the forceful stride that was a part of his nature. But as he turned the final corner and found the door to the Princess' recreation room looming before him, his steps slowed. Adrenaline gave way to logic, realization crept in.
The guy might not act like it, but when it came to defending Allura, Lance was dead serious, focused and dedicated. He didn't mess around, he knew exactly when to draw the line when it came to fun versus protecting the Princess' safety, and had successfully done so, several times. Saying he was going to flout the rules to get her alone was a red flag that he'd just fallen for the most effective trick in his sly friend's arsenal- a provocation to action.
If Lance had been truly serious about getting the Princess all to himself, he wouldn't have brought her availability to anyone's attention. The fact that he'd brought it to his Captain's attention showed that he was trying to find out how much Keith wanted the Princess' undivided attention. And he'd fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. Lance had gotten him to pull the 'I outrank you so she's coming with me' card.
Keith sighed and rubbed a hand across his eyes. He shouldn't mind when someone on the team wanted to spend time with Allura outside of their training. It wasn't like he had a priority claim to Allura, except when it came to their defense duties. A good commander was one who was willing and able to share responsibility with his officers, and one who was willing to help one of his own attain their goals. When it came to rankings on their team, Lance and Allura were on equal footing. From a military standpoint, there was no reason his friend couldn't hang out with her on a social basis.
If it had to be anyone getting this chance, he'd rather it went to his best friend. Lance would take it if offered, and that was probably best.
He would check in with the Princess. He'd tell her where to find Lance and be on his way.
Just like that. Not a problem.
He stabbed a finger at the summons switch with more force than necessary and waited. As it was answered, he opened his mouth to identify himself, but Allura beat him to it.
"Lance, thank Arus you're finally here!"
The joyous abandon in her voice and the radiant smile that was revealed as the door opened were grenades lobbed to the wall of noble intentions.
He watched her smile fade from radiant to polite.
His wall now had holes.
"Oh hi, Keith." She said. "I thought you were Lance."
Huge, gaping holes.
He knew he was glaring, but didn't care. "Obviously."
She had the grace to blush. "But...you were going to Althene, did the run get cancelled?"
It was an innocent question, wasn't it? So why did it annoy him this much?
"The run's still on." He stepped past her, bag in hand. "I just had something I needed to discuss with you before I left."
As Keith stepped past her, Allura cast a wary glance at his profile. What could he possibly want to talk to her about? For that matter, how had he known she was here?
Her eyebrows lowered as the only possible answer occurred to her.
Lance was now in the running for biggest blabbermouth on Arus.
Keith dropped his bag and faced her, arms crossed over his chest. Not a promising sight.
Conscious that he was watching every move she made, she glided over to the chair she had so hastily vacated a few seconds ago, and indicated the chair opposite her. "Please, sit down?"
He shook his head. "Thanks, but this won't take long."
"Suit yourself." She sat, drawing her legs up to one side of her body. "So what's so important that you've put off leaving for your trip, Captain?"
The added emphasis to his title didn't nettle him as much as her marked lack of enthusiasm in seeing him. She wasn't even making eye contact, save for a lingering glance at his tightly crossed arms, a shout out to his need for maintaining control.
He let them drop to his sides. "Lance informs me you have a clear schedule for the rest of the day. Is that true?"
She nodded. "Coran thought I needed a break."
Lance was going to take advantage of that break, Keith thought. A day alone with the Princess...with no one there to interrupt...
"In that case, I was wondering if you'd like to go along on the supply run to Althene with me." He blurted.
Allura straighened as her heart gave a little jump. "Really? You'd do that?"
Her barely contained interest appeared to please Keith, because he unbent enough to give her a faint smile. "Yes."
Her mind was racing. "Why?" She asked impulsively.
He blinked, as if he'd been caught off guard by the question."Uh, well... you mentioned that you wanted to go back and visit sometime, and I thought it would be a great chance for you to rack up some hours in Black Lion as well."
So he wasn't asking for her company, he was asking put of practicality. Talk about a reality check.
"And it would get you totally away from the castle." He added quickly. "You wanted to get away, right? I think it'll go over all right with the powers that be if you're flying with me."
Wasn't there anyone in this godforsaken castle who just wanted to spend time with her simply because they desired her companionship? Allura thought, looking sadly at Keith. He had the best of intentions, but there was no relaxation or fun in knowing that while she took the day off, Keith would either be reviewing her training or standing Princess guard duty.
She wouldn't cry. She'd just say no. Lowering her head, she smoothed her skirt and checked it for imaginary pieces of lint as she spoke. Only the smallest wobble in her voice hinted of the disappointment she was feeling. "It's very kind of you to offer, Keith, but I think I'd be much happier knowing you were getting some relaxation, instead of having to worry about keeping an eye on me. There'll be another time for me to get those hours in. Go and have some fun."
Her eyebrows lowered as the only possible answer occurred to her.
Lance was now in the running for biggest blabbermouth on Arus.
Keith dropped his bag and faced her, arms crossed over his chest. Not a promising sight.
Conscious that he was watching every move she made, she glided over to the chair she had so hastily vacated a few seconds ago, and indicated the chair opposite her. "Please, sit down?"
He shook his head. "Thanks, but this won't take long."
"Suit yourself." She sat, drawing her legs up to one side of her body. "So what's so important that you've put off leaving for your trip, Captain?"
The added emphasis to his title didn't nettle him as much as her marked lack of enthusiasm in seeing him. She wasn't even making eye contact, save for a lingering glance at his tightly crossed arms, a shout out to his need for maintaining control.
He let them drop to his sides. "Lance informs me you have a clear schedule for the rest of the day. Is that true?"
She nodded. "Coran thought I needed a break."
Lance was going to take advantage of that break, Keith thought. A day alone with the Princess...with no one there to interrupt...
"In that case, I was wondering if you'd like to go along on the supply run to Althene with me." He blurted.
Allura straighened as her heart gave a little jump. "Really? You'd do that?"
Her barely contained interest appeared to please Keith, because he unbent enough to give her a faint smile. "Yes."
Her mind was racing. "Why?" She asked impulsively.
He blinked, as if he'd been caught off guard by the question."Uh, well... you mentioned that you wanted to go back and visit sometime, and I thought it would be a great chance for you to rack up some hours in Black Lion as well."
So he wasn't asking for her company, he was asking put of practicality. Talk about a reality check.
"And it would get you totally away from the castle." He added quickly. "You wanted to get away, right? I think it'll go over all right with the powers that be if you're flying with me."
Wasn't there anyone in this godforsaken castle who just wanted to spend time with her simply because they desired her companionship? Allura thought, looking sadly at Keith. He had the best of intentions, but there was no relaxation or fun in knowing that while she took the day off, Keith would either be reviewing her training or standing Princess guard duty.
She wouldn't cry. She'd just say no. Lowering her head, she smoothed her skirt and checked it for imaginary pieces of lint as she spoke. Only the smallest wobble in her voice hinted of the disappointment she was feeling. "It's very kind of you to offer, Keith, but I think I'd be much happier knowing you were getting some relaxation, instead of having to worry about keeping an eye on me. There'll be another time for me to get those hours in. Go and have some fun."
Keith stared at Princess' downcast profile. What had he said that would make her turn down a trip he knew very well she was dying to take?
A sarcastic voice inside his head provided the answer. ~Had to turn it into a training mission, didn't you? You couldn't let her know that you were asking because you wanted to spend some of your personal time with her. Ladies like hearing that they're wanted, you know. But of course, everything's duty with you, I forgot. As you were, Commander.~
Keith grimaced. His conscience sounded like Lance. And like Lance, it was annoying as hell and impossible to ignore when it was right.
~Why thank you, Keith, we aim to please. Now are you going to be a man and do this properly or are you going to allow someone else to come in and clean up the mess you made?~
Keith silently told the voice where it could go and then looked down at the Princess in time to see a single tear escape from beneath her shut eyelids.
Oh God. Not that. He couldn't stand seeing her cry...
~Wow, a new low, Captain! So now that you're not on duty, maybe it would be nice if you did your best to make Allura feel like she isn't a chore, or a ball and chain, or an undeliverable package, or -~
Keith stopped listening as he noticed a second tear following the first down her cheek. Allura made an impatient gesture to wipe it away, made an unsuccessful attempt to speak, then folded her lips tightly.
He needed to rectify his colossal blunder. Throwing caution and protocol to the wind, he knelt and reached out to his Princess. She gave a start when his calloused fingers enfolded the hand she had raised to hastily brush away the telltale tears.
"Allura, I'm sorry."
She swallowed hard. "No, it's all right."
"No it's not." He declared. "Look, forget what I said about the hours and being your bodyguard. They're only excuses for getting what I want."
She thought about it before asking. "Then what do you want?"
"If you look at me, I'll tell you."
A sarcastic voice inside his head provided the answer. ~Had to turn it into a training mission, didn't you? You couldn't let her know that you were asking because you wanted to spend some of your personal time with her. Ladies like hearing that they're wanted, you know. But of course, everything's duty with you, I forgot. As you were, Commander.~
Keith grimaced. His conscience sounded like Lance. And like Lance, it was annoying as hell and impossible to ignore when it was right.
~Why thank you, Keith, we aim to please. Now are you going to be a man and do this properly or are you going to allow someone else to come in and clean up the mess you made?~
Keith silently told the voice where it could go and then looked down at the Princess in time to see a single tear escape from beneath her shut eyelids.
Oh God. Not that. He couldn't stand seeing her cry...
~Wow, a new low, Captain! So now that you're not on duty, maybe it would be nice if you did your best to make Allura feel like she isn't a chore, or a ball and chain, or an undeliverable package, or -~
Keith stopped listening as he noticed a second tear following the first down her cheek. Allura made an impatient gesture to wipe it away, made an unsuccessful attempt to speak, then folded her lips tightly.
He needed to rectify his colossal blunder. Throwing caution and protocol to the wind, he knelt and reached out to his Princess. She gave a start when his calloused fingers enfolded the hand she had raised to hastily brush away the telltale tears.
"Allura, I'm sorry."
She swallowed hard. "No, it's all right."
"No it's not." He declared. "Look, forget what I said about the hours and being your bodyguard. They're only excuses for getting what I want."
She thought about it before asking. "Then what do you want?"
"If you look at me, I'll tell you."
The remorse reasonating in his voice was more effective in getting her to meet his gaze than his command. Her head turned towards that voice, and her eyes slowly opened to see Keith kneeling before her, clasping her hand within his two, and looking so very serious.
The knot in her throat eased and her stomach fluttered pleasantly.
"All right. I'm looking at you." She murmured. "What did you want to say?"
"What I want is to tell you that the reason I'm here is because you're free and I wanted your company. From what I've heard of this place, it's possible we could get away from rank and titles and regulations and just be two normal people for awhile. I would like that, and I would enjoy seeing Althene with you as my tour guide."
The way he was looking at her said that he was voicing his true feelings, and Allura could not look away. If eyes were the mirror to the soul, then she was connecting with Keith on a whole new level. Probing instinctively, she reached out to his inner being, as the thumb stroking her palm did crazy things to her pulse. This kind of connection was one she had felt with the few Arusians who were closest to her, but never with this degree of intensity. Considering he was not native to her world, and the short time they'd known each other, connection on this level was astounding.
~I want to know him, I have always wanted that.~
It was in her grasp. He was opening to her. But then she saw his eyes widen and awareness intruded, instantly breaking off the connection. She had almost committed a grievous breach of etiquette. Her need to know had become an intrusion rather than a shared ommunication. Until she knew Keith understood and accepted her feelings, she wouldn't attempt this again.
He was shaking his head as if coming out of trance. She hastened to divert him before he could ask questions. "It would make me happy to go along if you want my company."
"I really want you with me." A statement of fact that left no room for denial, but opened the door for other possibilities.
"And once the supplies are delivered, we're strictly off duty?"
"Yes ma'am. That's the idea."
"All right." She agreed. "I'll go."
His smile was heartstopping, but the moment was ended by the mutual realization that his thumb was stroking her palm.
Keith released her hand and stood up. "Right then. You're going to want to change and pack. Might want to bring some comfortable boots in case we do a little hiking."
"Yes." She frowned. "Lance and I had some tentative plans, I need to let him know-"
"You pack, I'll text him." Keith said. "Should we meet in the launch area in..." he lifted an inquiring eyebrow,"...fifteen minutes?"
His expression was bland, but she knew he was issuing a challenge. "I'll be there."
She watched him as he grabbed his gear and went to open the door. He walked with the smooth, sinewy grace of a confident, highly trained athlete.
It was mesmorizing.
"After you, Princess." He said, stepping back.
Realizing that she was staring, she collected her wits and glided from the room. She maintained that unhurried pace as she turned into the corridor that led to her dressing chambers while Keith went in the opposite direction.
Fifteen minutes. She had fifteen minutes to get ready for what she considered to be her very first date. She was excited and incredibly flustered. But she was darned if she was going to let Keith know that. A Princess was entitled to some secrets.
Only after she was sure she was out of his sight did Allura pick up her skirts and start to run.
The knot in her throat eased and her stomach fluttered pleasantly.
"All right. I'm looking at you." She murmured. "What did you want to say?"
"What I want is to tell you that the reason I'm here is because you're free and I wanted your company. From what I've heard of this place, it's possible we could get away from rank and titles and regulations and just be two normal people for awhile. I would like that, and I would enjoy seeing Althene with you as my tour guide."
The way he was looking at her said that he was voicing his true feelings, and Allura could not look away. If eyes were the mirror to the soul, then she was connecting with Keith on a whole new level. Probing instinctively, she reached out to his inner being, as the thumb stroking her palm did crazy things to her pulse. This kind of connection was one she had felt with the few Arusians who were closest to her, but never with this degree of intensity. Considering he was not native to her world, and the short time they'd known each other, connection on this level was astounding.
~I want to know him, I have always wanted that.~
It was in her grasp. He was opening to her. But then she saw his eyes widen and awareness intruded, instantly breaking off the connection. She had almost committed a grievous breach of etiquette. Her need to know had become an intrusion rather than a shared ommunication. Until she knew Keith understood and accepted her feelings, she wouldn't attempt this again.
He was shaking his head as if coming out of trance. She hastened to divert him before he could ask questions. "It would make me happy to go along if you want my company."
"I really want you with me." A statement of fact that left no room for denial, but opened the door for other possibilities.
"And once the supplies are delivered, we're strictly off duty?"
"Yes ma'am. That's the idea."
"All right." She agreed. "I'll go."
His smile was heartstopping, but the moment was ended by the mutual realization that his thumb was stroking her palm.
Keith released her hand and stood up. "Right then. You're going to want to change and pack. Might want to bring some comfortable boots in case we do a little hiking."
"Yes." She frowned. "Lance and I had some tentative plans, I need to let him know-"
"You pack, I'll text him." Keith said. "Should we meet in the launch area in..." he lifted an inquiring eyebrow,"...fifteen minutes?"
His expression was bland, but she knew he was issuing a challenge. "I'll be there."
She watched him as he grabbed his gear and went to open the door. He walked with the smooth, sinewy grace of a confident, highly trained athlete.
It was mesmorizing.
"After you, Princess." He said, stepping back.
Realizing that she was staring, she collected her wits and glided from the room. She maintained that unhurried pace as she turned into the corridor that led to her dressing chambers while Keith went in the opposite direction.
Fifteen minutes. She had fifteen minutes to get ready for what she considered to be her very first date. She was excited and incredibly flustered. But she was darned if she was going to let Keith know that. A Princess was entitled to some secrets.
Only after she was sure she was out of his sight did Allura pick up her skirts and start to run.
~Not a bad recovery.~ The Lance-voice said mockingly. ~Kinda killed the romance at the end though. My work is cut out for me.~
"I'll do fine on my own." Keith muttered.
~And therein lies the problem. You're afraid to let anyone near to the truth, even in your subconscious. Intimacy of any kind scares the hell out of you, doesn't it?~
"Don't know what you're talking about. We're just doing a supply run, not that it's any of your affair."
~Interesting choice of word there, Mr. Impassive. Sorry, but I'm afraid we're a package deal. You need someone to pull your head out of your-~
"Knock it off!" At the sound of his own voice, Keith stopped walking and then cast a sheepish gaze at the loitering castle guard who had snapped to attention.
"As you were." He said, as he returned the man's salute. "Sorry about that, I was sorta talking to myself."
"All's well. No harm done, sir."
"Thanks. It's a bad habit I need to break."
The guard regarded him with solemnity. "If I may be so bold, sir, I would venture to say that it's not so bad if it helps a man sort things out that are weighing on his mind."
Keith nodded slowly. "Good point."
"I'll do fine on my own." Keith muttered.
~And therein lies the problem. You're afraid to let anyone near to the truth, even in your subconscious. Intimacy of any kind scares the hell out of you, doesn't it?~
"Don't know what you're talking about. We're just doing a supply run, not that it's any of your affair."
~Interesting choice of word there, Mr. Impassive. Sorry, but I'm afraid we're a package deal. You need someone to pull your head out of your-~
"Knock it off!" At the sound of his own voice, Keith stopped walking and then cast a sheepish gaze at the loitering castle guard who had snapped to attention.
"As you were." He said, as he returned the man's salute. "Sorry about that, I was sorta talking to myself."
"All's well. No harm done, sir."
"Thanks. It's a bad habit I need to break."
The guard regarded him with solemnity. "If I may be so bold, sir, I would venture to say that it's not so bad if it helps a man sort things out that are weighing on his mind."
Keith nodded slowly. "Good point."
Fifteen and a half minutes later, Allura sped down the corridor and towards the open doorway that led to the inner workings of Castle Control and the mélange of sophisticated technology it contained. A smile appeared as she spotted the huge cylinder that dominated the middle of the room, and the sight of Keith standing next to it with Coran, obviously going over flight plans.
She was relieved to see the launch pad to the lions was already deployed- that had to be a good sign, didn't it? Her excitement of the last few minutes had been tempered by a new worry- Keith had not planned for her presence in advance, which was the normal 'princess protocol' for this sort of thing, which could lead to a delay or even a refusal to let her go.
Coran was a man of words rather than fists, a diplomat to the marrow of his bones. He was astute, kind and patient, loyal and dependable, and had earned the deepest respect of the good people of Arus.
His successes and diplomatic prowess, however, did not have influence on his personal life. His judgments of others were colored by the war. Betrayals, deceptions and trickery had made him wary of outsiders. That Coran had developed a high regard for the Captain and placed his trust in Keith was a huge accomplishment on both men's parts, Allura thought. The camaraderie between the two men was not unlike that of a father and son.
Keith smiled, pleased to see the Princess approaching, duffle bag in hand, and wearing her pink and white flight suit. He handed the older man the print outs, and shouldered his flight bag.
"All set then, Coran, thanks. We're ready to go." He turned to Allura, after a brief glance at his timepiece. "Fifteen minutes on the nose, right on time. I'm impressed, Princess."
Coran raised his eyebrows. "As am I. Would that she could become as motivated to be punctual for her lessons."
Even if it was impossible to tell if a smile lurked beneath the luxuriant red moustache, the deepening of the crinkles around his eyes gave him away. Allura blushed, wondering if Keith had caught the implication in her guardian's words. "I'll do better in future, Coran. I promise."
He nodded solemnly. "Thank you."
Allura smiled. Obviously there wasn't going be an objection from Coran if the flight plan had been approved and he was teasing her. "Okay, Keith, I'm ready!"
He eyed her. "You going to be okay going down with the bag?"
"Yes, I'll be fine." Shouldering the backpack, she started walking toward the launch tube, then stopped short as the half hysterical shout of her governess bounced off the walls of the room.
"Stop her, Coran! Haf you lost your mind?"
Allura turned and gaped in dismay as Nanny rushed up to the formally dressed Royal advisor, grabbing the arm of his greatcoat. Coran gently but firmly removed the hand, only to have it grab his arm once again, squeezing so hard he actually winced.
Keith turned on his heel and walked back to stand next to her. "Great." He muttered. "I should have known."
"A Princess in the jungle, unescorted by guards? You know that I vill not allow this! It's completely mad!"
Coran looked as if he had a headache, but his reply was steady and calm . "Hannah, it's a supply mission. The Princess and Keith will be in Black Lion. It will be fine."
"No it vill not! There are parasites in the jungle, not to mention those awful snakes. What if Princess is attacked by a beast? What if she becomes ill? What if-"
"They have their weapons and plenty of medicine. Althene is a peaceful place, as you very well know. Unless the wild beasts are frightened or threatened, they won't bother anyone. It's not Planet Doom!"
Allura glanced sideways at Keith, expecting to see irritation and impatience. But to her surprise, the commander was looked as if he were having trouble suppressing a laugh.
She looked back at the squabbling couple, and her lips twitched at seeing the long suffering look on Coran's face as he waited for Nanny to let him get in a word. How many times had this scene played out? How ridiculous this all was, considering she had been through worse things when defending her planet. Yep those little snakes were sure scary, compared to a RoBeast. And as for malaria...well gee she had survived being put under a spell, being shot and poisoned, being put to sleep and kidnapped by Lotor...
A soft chuckle escaped her. She shot a mirth filled look at Keith, and he crossed his eyes at her. That did it. Peals of laughter erupted from her throat, and he joined in.
Coran glanced over at them, surprised to hear laughter. ~That is how two young people their ages should look.~ He thought, gazing at them affectionately. ~Happy and carefree, instead of careworn and battle scarred.~
Seeing that she no longer had his full attention, Nanny stopped her tirade and glared at him.
"Hannah...look. Look at them." He said gently, turning her so she could. The laughing Princess was wiping her eyes and fishing about for a tissue in her backpack. As they watched, Keith solicitously took it from her and held it so she could use both hands to locate the item.
Nanny's expression softened. No matter if it was directed at her, it was good to see laughter in this place once again. Old habits died hard- she supposed she was being too protective, considering that Allura had shown time and again that she could take care of her loved ones and all of the people. And Keith, he was a true champion, he would not let anything happen to the Princess.
But the way Keith was looking at the top of her Posy's head set warning bells off in her mind.
There was a little interest there. No, a lot of interest, judging by the intensity of the Commander's expression. Although he'd protect the Princess with his life, who would protect her from him?
Ach, she had been remiss in this duty. She'd made sure that Allura knew the basic facts of life, but had not ventured to instruct her on the various feelings and urges that led one to the act of procreation. Keith was a very handsome man... and for the most part up until now had been well mannered and correct in his demeanor with the Princess. But now...seeing him with that expression made Nanny want to take Allura away and lock her in her room for the rest of the day.
The people of Arus respected their Princess as a paragon of virtue. They would certainly expect that she remain chaste until she had chosen a consort. They respected Keith as well, but a passionate affair with the dashing commoner Captain would not be viewed as appropriate for someone of Allura's high station. Allowing her baby to go to such a secluded paradise with this virile specimen of manhood was asking for trouble.
Nanny opened her mouth, and then found Coran's hand placed gently but firmly across it.
"Don't say anything more, Hannah. Trust me when I say Keith would never do anything to disgrace our Princess or himself." His weathered but still handsome face creased with a warm smile, and the clear hazel eyes shone kindly down on her. "And it is time that we both must put our trust in Allura. She has suffered terrible deprivation from a young age, and chose to walk the path of a warrior through a horrible war. Is it so wrong to let her enjoy this day? Doesn't it make you glad to see her smiling and having a little fun?"
"Yes." Nanny whispered. "It does, bless her heart."
Scurrying over to the Princess, she wrapped the young woman in a fierce hug, then abruptly departed, crossing herself and praying to the Spirit of Alfor to keep his daughter safe and her body pure.
A brief silence fell in her wake until Keith roused himself and said, "Guess we've gotten the green light from Nanny."
Allura nodded, bemused at the sudden turn of events.
"Let's be on our way then, I'll grab the bags and go down first."
Before she could protest, Keith shouldered her backpack next to his own and strode to the chute, gracefully reaching for the trapeze bar. He launched himself into the first tube, spiraling down out of sight.
Allura followed suit, after pausing to blow a kiss to Coran.
She was relieved to see the launch pad to the lions was already deployed- that had to be a good sign, didn't it? Her excitement of the last few minutes had been tempered by a new worry- Keith had not planned for her presence in advance, which was the normal 'princess protocol' for this sort of thing, which could lead to a delay or even a refusal to let her go.
Coran was a man of words rather than fists, a diplomat to the marrow of his bones. He was astute, kind and patient, loyal and dependable, and had earned the deepest respect of the good people of Arus.
His successes and diplomatic prowess, however, did not have influence on his personal life. His judgments of others were colored by the war. Betrayals, deceptions and trickery had made him wary of outsiders. That Coran had developed a high regard for the Captain and placed his trust in Keith was a huge accomplishment on both men's parts, Allura thought. The camaraderie between the two men was not unlike that of a father and son.
Keith smiled, pleased to see the Princess approaching, duffle bag in hand, and wearing her pink and white flight suit. He handed the older man the print outs, and shouldered his flight bag.
"All set then, Coran, thanks. We're ready to go." He turned to Allura, after a brief glance at his timepiece. "Fifteen minutes on the nose, right on time. I'm impressed, Princess."
Coran raised his eyebrows. "As am I. Would that she could become as motivated to be punctual for her lessons."
Even if it was impossible to tell if a smile lurked beneath the luxuriant red moustache, the deepening of the crinkles around his eyes gave him away. Allura blushed, wondering if Keith had caught the implication in her guardian's words. "I'll do better in future, Coran. I promise."
He nodded solemnly. "Thank you."
Allura smiled. Obviously there wasn't going be an objection from Coran if the flight plan had been approved and he was teasing her. "Okay, Keith, I'm ready!"
He eyed her. "You going to be okay going down with the bag?"
"Yes, I'll be fine." Shouldering the backpack, she started walking toward the launch tube, then stopped short as the half hysterical shout of her governess bounced off the walls of the room.
"Stop her, Coran! Haf you lost your mind?"
Allura turned and gaped in dismay as Nanny rushed up to the formally dressed Royal advisor, grabbing the arm of his greatcoat. Coran gently but firmly removed the hand, only to have it grab his arm once again, squeezing so hard he actually winced.
Keith turned on his heel and walked back to stand next to her. "Great." He muttered. "I should have known."
"A Princess in the jungle, unescorted by guards? You know that I vill not allow this! It's completely mad!"
Coran looked as if he had a headache, but his reply was steady and calm . "Hannah, it's a supply mission. The Princess and Keith will be in Black Lion. It will be fine."
"No it vill not! There are parasites in the jungle, not to mention those awful snakes. What if Princess is attacked by a beast? What if she becomes ill? What if-"
"They have their weapons and plenty of medicine. Althene is a peaceful place, as you very well know. Unless the wild beasts are frightened or threatened, they won't bother anyone. It's not Planet Doom!"
Allura glanced sideways at Keith, expecting to see irritation and impatience. But to her surprise, the commander was looked as if he were having trouble suppressing a laugh.
She looked back at the squabbling couple, and her lips twitched at seeing the long suffering look on Coran's face as he waited for Nanny to let him get in a word. How many times had this scene played out? How ridiculous this all was, considering she had been through worse things when defending her planet. Yep those little snakes were sure scary, compared to a RoBeast. And as for malaria...well gee she had survived being put under a spell, being shot and poisoned, being put to sleep and kidnapped by Lotor...
A soft chuckle escaped her. She shot a mirth filled look at Keith, and he crossed his eyes at her. That did it. Peals of laughter erupted from her throat, and he joined in.
Coran glanced over at them, surprised to hear laughter. ~That is how two young people their ages should look.~ He thought, gazing at them affectionately. ~Happy and carefree, instead of careworn and battle scarred.~
Seeing that she no longer had his full attention, Nanny stopped her tirade and glared at him.
"Hannah...look. Look at them." He said gently, turning her so she could. The laughing Princess was wiping her eyes and fishing about for a tissue in her backpack. As they watched, Keith solicitously took it from her and held it so she could use both hands to locate the item.
Nanny's expression softened. No matter if it was directed at her, it was good to see laughter in this place once again. Old habits died hard- she supposed she was being too protective, considering that Allura had shown time and again that she could take care of her loved ones and all of the people. And Keith, he was a true champion, he would not let anything happen to the Princess.
But the way Keith was looking at the top of her Posy's head set warning bells off in her mind.
There was a little interest there. No, a lot of interest, judging by the intensity of the Commander's expression. Although he'd protect the Princess with his life, who would protect her from him?
Ach, she had been remiss in this duty. She'd made sure that Allura knew the basic facts of life, but had not ventured to instruct her on the various feelings and urges that led one to the act of procreation. Keith was a very handsome man... and for the most part up until now had been well mannered and correct in his demeanor with the Princess. But now...seeing him with that expression made Nanny want to take Allura away and lock her in her room for the rest of the day.
The people of Arus respected their Princess as a paragon of virtue. They would certainly expect that she remain chaste until she had chosen a consort. They respected Keith as well, but a passionate affair with the dashing commoner Captain would not be viewed as appropriate for someone of Allura's high station. Allowing her baby to go to such a secluded paradise with this virile specimen of manhood was asking for trouble.
Nanny opened her mouth, and then found Coran's hand placed gently but firmly across it.
"Don't say anything more, Hannah. Trust me when I say Keith would never do anything to disgrace our Princess or himself." His weathered but still handsome face creased with a warm smile, and the clear hazel eyes shone kindly down on her. "And it is time that we both must put our trust in Allura. She has suffered terrible deprivation from a young age, and chose to walk the path of a warrior through a horrible war. Is it so wrong to let her enjoy this day? Doesn't it make you glad to see her smiling and having a little fun?"
"Yes." Nanny whispered. "It does, bless her heart."
Scurrying over to the Princess, she wrapped the young woman in a fierce hug, then abruptly departed, crossing herself and praying to the Spirit of Alfor to keep his daughter safe and her body pure.
A brief silence fell in her wake until Keith roused himself and said, "Guess we've gotten the green light from Nanny."
Allura nodded, bemused at the sudden turn of events.
"Let's be on our way then, I'll grab the bags and go down first."
Before she could protest, Keith shouldered her backpack next to his own and strode to the chute, gracefully reaching for the trapeze bar. He launched himself into the first tube, spiraling down out of sight.
Allura followed suit, after pausing to blow a kiss to Coran.
"This is Black Lion, Castle Control, I'm preparing for launch." Keith's voice filled the cabin, while Allura crouched behind him, doing her best not to block his view of any of the monitors and gauges he needed to peruse for his pre-flight check. She was grateful for that routine, because her cheeks were still burning from the final part of the ride to the lion.
Neither of them had thought about the fact there was only one seat in the transport and lift. Not wanting to lose any more time, Keith had stated that the safest and most efficient way would be for her to sit on his lap. There had been no sign of embarrassment on his part, and no suggestive inflection in his voice- he was completely matter-of-fact and professional about it- so what could she do but agree?
Straddling his thighs had been most disconcerting, as had the feeling that had pooled in her lower abdomen as she took note of the rock hardness of the muscular legs under hers and the leashed strength of the arm he had wrapped around her waist to hold her steady and secure. He had held her with just the right touch, she reflected, firmly, but with respect. The only bad moment was when she had to wiggle her hips a little to evenly distribute her weight. A sharply indrawn breath beneath her made her apologize profusely for any discomfort she might have caused him. She had risked a brief look at him from the corner of her eyes while she apologized and saw an expression that suggested he might be in some pain.
Worried, she had asked him again if he was all right.
"I'm fine." He had told her succinctly. "Please sit still."
She held as motionless as stone after that. She had not dared to turn her head knowing his cheek was even with her lips. And she'd taken shallow breaths through her mouth, because his wonderful scent filled her nostrils and stirred her senses in a way that made it hard to hold herself upright.
Despite her discomfort, she wasn't sure if she were thankful or disappointed that the lift to Black Lion's cockpit was a reletively quick ride.
Neither of them had thought about the fact there was only one seat in the transport and lift. Not wanting to lose any more time, Keith had stated that the safest and most efficient way would be for her to sit on his lap. There had been no sign of embarrassment on his part, and no suggestive inflection in his voice- he was completely matter-of-fact and professional about it- so what could she do but agree?
Straddling his thighs had been most disconcerting, as had the feeling that had pooled in her lower abdomen as she took note of the rock hardness of the muscular legs under hers and the leashed strength of the arm he had wrapped around her waist to hold her steady and secure. He had held her with just the right touch, she reflected, firmly, but with respect. The only bad moment was when she had to wiggle her hips a little to evenly distribute her weight. A sharply indrawn breath beneath her made her apologize profusely for any discomfort she might have caused him. She had risked a brief look at him from the corner of her eyes while she apologized and saw an expression that suggested he might be in some pain.
Worried, she had asked him again if he was all right.
"I'm fine." He had told her succinctly. "Please sit still."
She held as motionless as stone after that. She had not dared to turn her head knowing his cheek was even with her lips. And she'd taken shallow breaths through her mouth, because his wonderful scent filled her nostrils and stirred her senses in a way that made it hard to hold herself upright.
Despite her discomfort, she wasn't sure if she were thankful or disappointed that the lift to Black Lion's cockpit was a reletively quick ride.
Keith expelled a deep breath. Thank God he was behind the console of Black Lion.
The ride in the lift had been an exercise in self control under extreme duress. He had endured an all out seduction on his senses- hair that smelled of plum blossoms, a lush body astride his lap, a lovely mouth so tantalizingly close- without breaking.
But then she had to wiggle. The image of the sweet naked curves beneath her robe from that morning was conjured into his mind as he felt the reality of that same backside pressing against his nether region. It had breached his defenses before he knew what was happening. Thank God for the barrier of the flight suit codpiece, or he would have embarrassed her.
Biting his tongue had kept him from cursing as he felt the blood rush to his loins. Allura clearly had no ideahow her body had affected him, or that her innocent concern for his welfare had made it worse. He had already made a mental note to drop her off at the front door when they returned. He sure as heck wouldn't risk another ride when his self control was already fraying like an old rope.
He could feel her looking at him, but kept his gaze on his viewscreen. He was grateful he had the preflight checklist to keep his mind from thinking about what he really wanted to be doing.
He contacted Castle Control, and inserted his Lion key. He never tired of watching the familiar star shape pattern light up in sequence, or the symbiotic surge of raw power that rippled through his body as the lion ship literally roared to life. It was a connection that had to be felt to be believed. His lion fit itself to his mood as easily as if he were slipping on a pair of his favorite, comfortable jeans. The feeling was undeniably spiritual... and laced with wild, unstoppable excitement.
He often wondered if this link he had with Black Lion was like what Allura had described regarding her experiences with Blue Lion. He'd made a show of being skeptical along with the others when she'd made the revelations, while debating whether he should tell her about what he'd felt. He had come close to doing so...but he had always stopped himself with a reminder that it was too personal a feeling to share with someone he was trying to keep at arm's length.
His attention was diverted by cultured tones, crackling a bit with sub space interference and an image of Coran that flickered to life on his viewscreen.
"Keith, you're cleared for launch as soon as you've downloaded the coordinates for your destination. And Allura...Princess, do you copy?"
Allura leaned forward. "I'm here. What is it, Coran?"
"As you know, Althene was a special and important place in your parent's lives. Their story of the part it played in their romance was legendary, but no one truly understood what drew them to that particular place time and time again..." Coran's voice softened and grew clearer. "There are many Arusian legends about Althene that may explain its influence on them, Allura. I think it would benefit all of us for you to discover what was so important about that area, especially in regards to your mother."
"I'll find out all I can." She said, in a voice edged with emotion. "I promise."
"Thank you Princess. And if you would, please greet Governor Carlac and his wife Sarita on my behalf. They happen to be old school friends of mine and former members of your father's court. They are very wise and knowledgeable people, and they will do all they can to assist you in your research."
"I will be sure to give them your best!" Allura assured him. "And Coran...thank you for giving me this day. I will try my best to deservey your trust and your kindness."
Her guardian smiled. "You can thank me by enjoying yourself in learning about your heritage." He said, a bit gruffly. "Keep her safe, Captain. This is Castle Control, signing off."
"You can count on me, Coran. Black Lion out."
After the link was severed, Keith turned toward his companion. "Looks like this trip is turning out to be a field trip as well as a supply run, Princess."
"Yes." She answered, looking pensive. "I'm even more anxious to go there now."
Keith grinned. "That's what I was waiting to hear!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Black Lion leapt off its monument.
They were running- then the earth ended and the sky began. It was glorious, leaping, bounding, soaring towards the heavens, unhindered by the shackles of gravity and protocol.
Allura gasped at the new sensations coursing through her body that were unlike the fluid tranquility she experienced in flying the Blue Lion. This coupling of power and speed...it was smooth and yet feral. It simmered, rumbling like distant thunder, and then exploded like a bolt of lightning.
Passion, she thought in wonder. Black Lion was fueled by a passionate heart.
Keith's head turned, and the Lion slowed its pace to a level glide.
"Princess, you're awfully quiet. You all right?"
How could she explain the unexplainable...that she could feel the emotions within the heart of a mechanical beast? She'd tried once...but no one believed her.
"Just a moment of vertigo." She fibbed. "I'm fine now!"
Her companion continued to eye her with concern.
"It's okay." She insisted. "Please speed up again- I want to get there as soon as we can!"
She met his gaze with clear eyes and a smile that could not be refused. Keith nodded, and turned to pull back on the control stick.
"You heard her, Blackie! Don't keep the lady waiting!"
The Big Cat roared in response.
The ride in the lift had been an exercise in self control under extreme duress. He had endured an all out seduction on his senses- hair that smelled of plum blossoms, a lush body astride his lap, a lovely mouth so tantalizingly close- without breaking.
But then she had to wiggle. The image of the sweet naked curves beneath her robe from that morning was conjured into his mind as he felt the reality of that same backside pressing against his nether region. It had breached his defenses before he knew what was happening. Thank God for the barrier of the flight suit codpiece, or he would have embarrassed her.
Biting his tongue had kept him from cursing as he felt the blood rush to his loins. Allura clearly had no ideahow her body had affected him, or that her innocent concern for his welfare had made it worse. He had already made a mental note to drop her off at the front door when they returned. He sure as heck wouldn't risk another ride when his self control was already fraying like an old rope.
He could feel her looking at him, but kept his gaze on his viewscreen. He was grateful he had the preflight checklist to keep his mind from thinking about what he really wanted to be doing.
He contacted Castle Control, and inserted his Lion key. He never tired of watching the familiar star shape pattern light up in sequence, or the symbiotic surge of raw power that rippled through his body as the lion ship literally roared to life. It was a connection that had to be felt to be believed. His lion fit itself to his mood as easily as if he were slipping on a pair of his favorite, comfortable jeans. The feeling was undeniably spiritual... and laced with wild, unstoppable excitement.
He often wondered if this link he had with Black Lion was like what Allura had described regarding her experiences with Blue Lion. He'd made a show of being skeptical along with the others when she'd made the revelations, while debating whether he should tell her about what he'd felt. He had come close to doing so...but he had always stopped himself with a reminder that it was too personal a feeling to share with someone he was trying to keep at arm's length.
His attention was diverted by cultured tones, crackling a bit with sub space interference and an image of Coran that flickered to life on his viewscreen.
"Keith, you're cleared for launch as soon as you've downloaded the coordinates for your destination. And Allura...Princess, do you copy?"
Allura leaned forward. "I'm here. What is it, Coran?"
"As you know, Althene was a special and important place in your parent's lives. Their story of the part it played in their romance was legendary, but no one truly understood what drew them to that particular place time and time again..." Coran's voice softened and grew clearer. "There are many Arusian legends about Althene that may explain its influence on them, Allura. I think it would benefit all of us for you to discover what was so important about that area, especially in regards to your mother."
"I'll find out all I can." She said, in a voice edged with emotion. "I promise."
"Thank you Princess. And if you would, please greet Governor Carlac and his wife Sarita on my behalf. They happen to be old school friends of mine and former members of your father's court. They are very wise and knowledgeable people, and they will do all they can to assist you in your research."
"I will be sure to give them your best!" Allura assured him. "And Coran...thank you for giving me this day. I will try my best to deservey your trust and your kindness."
Her guardian smiled. "You can thank me by enjoying yourself in learning about your heritage." He said, a bit gruffly. "Keep her safe, Captain. This is Castle Control, signing off."
"You can count on me, Coran. Black Lion out."
After the link was severed, Keith turned toward his companion. "Looks like this trip is turning out to be a field trip as well as a supply run, Princess."
"Yes." She answered, looking pensive. "I'm even more anxious to go there now."
Keith grinned. "That's what I was waiting to hear!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Black Lion leapt off its monument.
They were running- then the earth ended and the sky began. It was glorious, leaping, bounding, soaring towards the heavens, unhindered by the shackles of gravity and protocol.
Allura gasped at the new sensations coursing through her body that were unlike the fluid tranquility she experienced in flying the Blue Lion. This coupling of power and speed...it was smooth and yet feral. It simmered, rumbling like distant thunder, and then exploded like a bolt of lightning.
Passion, she thought in wonder. Black Lion was fueled by a passionate heart.
Keith's head turned, and the Lion slowed its pace to a level glide.
"Princess, you're awfully quiet. You all right?"
How could she explain the unexplainable...that she could feel the emotions within the heart of a mechanical beast? She'd tried once...but no one believed her.
"Just a moment of vertigo." She fibbed. "I'm fine now!"
Her companion continued to eye her with concern.
"It's okay." She insisted. "Please speed up again- I want to get there as soon as we can!"
She met his gaze with clear eyes and a smile that could not be refused. Keith nodded, and turned to pull back on the control stick.
"You heard her, Blackie! Don't keep the lady waiting!"
The Big Cat roared in response.
Lance did his best to slouch lower into the ergonomic chair in the surveillance and reconnaissance sector of Castle Control as he watched photographs sliding out of the high tech developer.
The small cubicle he was in was screened from the main computer room by blackened glass partitions and a swinging door, and as the cubicle's overhead lights had been turned off, he was confident no one in the outer sections would notice anyone was sitting in it. Lance watched in sympathy as various members of the castle surveillance guard carried out their required desk duties with humorless faces.
~Those dudes really look like they could use a furlough- or least a field assignment in the light of day!~
Leaning back into the shadows of the corner he sat in, the Red Lion pilot furtively glanced around for any sign of the Ops Special technician, John Garrett, who normally manned this post. He was well aware that Coran had warned the soft-hearted Garrett several times in the past not to let anyone use the machine for personal snap. He didn't want to cause the poor guy any more trouble, so he had taken matters into his own hands.
The guy was on a break, luckily. Just a little more time, and he'd be out of here. Unless something went wrong. From this angle he couldn't really get a detailed look at his pictures but he could see enough to see they were in focus, which was a good start. Surveillance had really helped him hone his craft.
He had always enjoyed seeing the results of the different techniques and perspectives he tried for in his shots, techniques that often involved taking risks of physical harm. He had signed up for several elective photography classes at the Space Academy because he had found the art relaxing, and that it satisfied a craving he had to create something of value and beauty. He had succeeded admirably, if the top grades and citations he gotten from his professors were any indication, the Red Lion pilot thought with unconscious pride. That his talents had been found useful for military use was of secondary importance.
They had also come in handy in abetting his penchant for pranks. Lance grinned in anticipation of the many delightful uses he'd find for the shots on this particular film as the developer made a whirring noise and shut itself off.
He carefully gathered the photos and slipped them into a small manilla file. No time to check them now, he'd peruse them after he got his butt safely out the door. After skulking in the shadows, he chanced a look over the top of the cubicle, seeking to make sure he could slip out oft the small room undetected. Through the darkened glass barriers in from of him, he could see that a small conference had been called next to the supervisor's desk; it would be little trouble sneaking out, as everyone had his or her backs to him.
He was on the move, sliding stealthily along the far wall until he reached the door.
Which suddenly flew open, much to his dismay.
Technician Garrett lifted his steaming coffee cup in greeting to the surprised intruder. "Well if it isn't Lieutenant Hartwell! Good morning to you, sir!"
"Morning, John." Lance struggled to maintain carefree nonchalance in the face of an unexpected obstacle. "Haven't seen you in a while- how's it been going?"
The small cubicle he was in was screened from the main computer room by blackened glass partitions and a swinging door, and as the cubicle's overhead lights had been turned off, he was confident no one in the outer sections would notice anyone was sitting in it. Lance watched in sympathy as various members of the castle surveillance guard carried out their required desk duties with humorless faces.
~Those dudes really look like they could use a furlough- or least a field assignment in the light of day!~
Leaning back into the shadows of the corner he sat in, the Red Lion pilot furtively glanced around for any sign of the Ops Special technician, John Garrett, who normally manned this post. He was well aware that Coran had warned the soft-hearted Garrett several times in the past not to let anyone use the machine for personal snap. He didn't want to cause the poor guy any more trouble, so he had taken matters into his own hands.
The guy was on a break, luckily. Just a little more time, and he'd be out of here. Unless something went wrong. From this angle he couldn't really get a detailed look at his pictures but he could see enough to see they were in focus, which was a good start. Surveillance had really helped him hone his craft.
He had always enjoyed seeing the results of the different techniques and perspectives he tried for in his shots, techniques that often involved taking risks of physical harm. He had signed up for several elective photography classes at the Space Academy because he had found the art relaxing, and that it satisfied a craving he had to create something of value and beauty. He had succeeded admirably, if the top grades and citations he gotten from his professors were any indication, the Red Lion pilot thought with unconscious pride. That his talents had been found useful for military use was of secondary importance.
They had also come in handy in abetting his penchant for pranks. Lance grinned in anticipation of the many delightful uses he'd find for the shots on this particular film as the developer made a whirring noise and shut itself off.
He carefully gathered the photos and slipped them into a small manilla file. No time to check them now, he'd peruse them after he got his butt safely out the door. After skulking in the shadows, he chanced a look over the top of the cubicle, seeking to make sure he could slip out oft the small room undetected. Through the darkened glass barriers in from of him, he could see that a small conference had been called next to the supervisor's desk; it would be little trouble sneaking out, as everyone had his or her backs to him.
He was on the move, sliding stealthily along the far wall until he reached the door.
Which suddenly flew open, much to his dismay.
Technician Garrett lifted his steaming coffee cup in greeting to the surprised intruder. "Well if it isn't Lieutenant Hartwell! Good morning to you, sir!"
"Morning, John." Lance struggled to maintain carefree nonchalance in the face of an unexpected obstacle. "Haven't seen you in a while- how's it been going?"
The sandy haired man known as John Garrett smirked at the Voltron pilot. He knew very well that the good Lieutenant had been using the developer on the sly and was highly amused by it.
~At least he tried not to involve me this time.~
Aloud he said, "It's been going fine, thanks for asking." A quick glance went to the file Lance was holding. "Were you looking for me?"
"Nope. Just stopped by to tie up loose ends from my last assignment." Lance said with commendable coolness. "So how's Mara doing with the wedding plans?"
Garrett grinned, partly at the change of subject, and partly in chagrin because he knew that Lance knew that he was willing to be diverted by the subject of his beloved future bride. "She's great, a real trooper about my weird hours, even if the plans are giving her a headache. If you got a minute, I can grab some coffee from the commissary and we can catch up..." Once again, his gaze strayed to the folder his companion was holding. "Sure would like to hear what you've been up to these days."
He almost laughed as Lance moved it into a more secure position beneath his arm.
"Damn, coffee sounds great, but I have a previous appointment. Will you give me a raincheck?"
"Of course, and I'll even buy."
"Of course!" Lance replied, grinning. "Send me a message and we'll figure out a time."
"Sounds good."
"All right, Dude! I'll see ya then!" The Red Lion pilot exchanged fist bumps with his friend, and turned with the intention of sauntering away until Garrett's parting words stopped him in his tracks.
"Hey, Dude- I'm hoping you remembered to refill the toner and photo paper slots this time. It's an expectation around here as a courtesy for the next person using it...which would be me."
Lance turned around, wearing a look of a man resigned to his fate.
"All right, what's this going to cost me?"
The technician grinned as an idea popped into his mind, one that would solve a serious predicament for his bride-to-be. "Why, nothing but a bit of your time, Lieutenant..."
~At least he tried not to involve me this time.~
Aloud he said, "It's been going fine, thanks for asking." A quick glance went to the file Lance was holding. "Were you looking for me?"
"Nope. Just stopped by to tie up loose ends from my last assignment." Lance said with commendable coolness. "So how's Mara doing with the wedding plans?"
Garrett grinned, partly at the change of subject, and partly in chagrin because he knew that Lance knew that he was willing to be diverted by the subject of his beloved future bride. "She's great, a real trooper about my weird hours, even if the plans are giving her a headache. If you got a minute, I can grab some coffee from the commissary and we can catch up..." Once again, his gaze strayed to the folder his companion was holding. "Sure would like to hear what you've been up to these days."
He almost laughed as Lance moved it into a more secure position beneath his arm.
"Damn, coffee sounds great, but I have a previous appointment. Will you give me a raincheck?"
"Of course, and I'll even buy."
"Of course!" Lance replied, grinning. "Send me a message and we'll figure out a time."
"Sounds good."
"All right, Dude! I'll see ya then!" The Red Lion pilot exchanged fist bumps with his friend, and turned with the intention of sauntering away until Garrett's parting words stopped him in his tracks.
"Hey, Dude- I'm hoping you remembered to refill the toner and photo paper slots this time. It's an expectation around here as a courtesy for the next person using it...which would be me."
Lance turned around, wearing a look of a man resigned to his fate.
"All right, what's this going to cost me?"
The technician grinned as an idea popped into his mind, one that would solve a serious predicament for his bride-to-be. "Why, nothing but a bit of your time, Lieutenant..."
Forty-five minutes later Lance burst into his quarters and threw the file of photos down on his bed in frustration. How the heck had he missed that the extremely mild manner of John the technician provided cover for the wiles of a top notch extortionist?
Because of his bleeping careless and lack of an alibi, he was now stuck taking the pictures at Garrett's wedding on Saturday. He hated taking photos like that, with people all lined up like a bunch of cattle to market. It also meant he'd have to dust off his diplomatic skills, or risk a repeat of the last wedding he had photographed in which he'd had to play peacemaker between the bride and her mother in law, hogtie a drunken groomsmen who had reduced two bridesmaids to tears, and keep the two ring bearers, both little brats, from kicking his shins black and blue after he scolded them for running in and sticking their tongues out in every picture he attempted to take.
He'd sworn that he'd never subject himself to that kind of torture again. Not even for Sven, when and if the Norwegian and Princess Romelle ever set a date. But it was the only way to get access to that wonderful chunk of technology. Having a way to develop private pictures was worth an afternoon of dealing with acid reflux, family squabbling and cranky kids.
It was time to look at the fruits of his labor.
Lance sighed as he flopped into his favorite easy chair and flipped the file open to reveal the pile of photographs. He picked them up one by one, carefully avoiding smudges by keeping his fingers on the outside edges.
He smiled with pleasure at seeing the scope of the subjects that had been captured on the film, and sometimes with surprise at those that he had forgotten or had been taken on an impulse; a breathtaking sunset off the castle balcony, a panoramic view of the castle grounds taken from atop a castle spire, a few shots of the Lions sitting beside the castle's lake at dawn, and many snapshots of Arusian flora and fauna.
His quiet appreciation changed to snickering amusement when the photos changed from landscapes to the up close and personal. There was Pidge in his green tartan boxers, flexing like a bodybuilding while standing in front of a mirror in the locker room. Next, a scene of a Nanny sitting on the floor with gravy dripping off her white cap onto apron while she yelled up at a sheepish looking Hunk, who was gazing longingly at the overturned food cart at his feet.
Snickers changed to a gleeful chuckle when as he spotted the next shot. In a rare bit of stealth sucess, he had managed to sneak up on the Fearless One doing calisthenics at five in the morning never suspecting his lie-a-bed friend would haul ass out of bed that early just to play a joke. He had caught Keith in mid-lift with hand weights- his forearms were outspread, which gave a clear shot at his nearly naked body.
Lance grinned evilly at the Captain's shocked expression. Who knew that the conservative Keith liked to exercise in red bikini briefs! ~The Princess is going to like this one!~ He thought, silently congratulating himself on adding to his arsenal of blackmail.
Moving on, the mood of the photos changed once again. He felt a glow of satisfaction at having captured scenes of village life in less stressful times. Happiness and serenity radiated from every face, and if he hadn't known better and seen the evidence for himself, he could have sworn that Zarkon's thirst for conquest hadn't been able to touch these people's lives.
Many of the shots that followed were of children playing happily in the open air, laughing, singing, or simply gazing with fascination at the simple wonders of the world around them. After spending most or all of their young lives hiding in caves, it was easy to understand why a single blade of grass or a common cloverleaf would enthrall them- these little things that were taken for granted were miracles that they were seeing for the first time. Despite this terrible deprivation, the children of Arus had thrived in the darkness, and now reveled in the light with the kind of uninhibited joy that only children can possess.
It was gratifying to see... and very sobering. He was well aware of the staggering amount of Arusians who had given up their lives to ensure their children would keep theirs. Many of the kids in these pictures were orphans. Not one of them had been spared from suffering hunger and loss- yet they still knew how important it was to play, laugh, and sing.
Such was the eternal power of hope.
The picture in front of him blurred, and Lance ran a hand over his eyes, impatiently wiping away the moisture that had collected there before continuing with his search.
A series of pictures of the five lion ships gave him relief from darker thoughts. Taken with the intention of presenting them as gifts to his teammates, he had secretly captured each Lion ship during a short break in practice, hoping that the hastily taken snaps would be good enough to enlarge.
It was his good fortune that the Lions were photogenic. They were magnificent, sitting in formation, looking proudly out over the planet they guarded, their metallic bodies gleaming in the sunlight, crisply outlined against grass and sky...
~Hey, what's that?~
Lance blinked and brought the photo closer to his disbelieving expression. As he silently admired the images, he noticed an aura round each lion, making it look as if they were encased in fog. ~It can't be a double exposure…the picture is much too clear for that. What the heck is going on here?~
Fixing his gaze on his own beloved 'Red Kitty', Lance saw the haze taking shape, as if it were some kind of a spirit that had emerged from a body. It looked like a lion. A real lion.
As he watched in disbelief, the haze superimposed itself upon the body of Red Lion once more, then vanished.
Lance closed his eyes and opened them. No sign of the haze remained. The pictures were clear.
~Maybe I need an eye exam. Either that or Princess has finally convinced me they're real. Ha, wouldn't she love to hear me say that!~ Deliberately dismissing the thought and what he thought he'd seen as a trick of light, he moved on.
~Bingo!~ He thought in satisfaction a moment later, as he came across the pictures he most wanted to see.
The first picture was one he had taken of Allura spying on Keith. She looked so cute sitting amongst the big ferns, looking all worried that the Captain was going to see her. The next shot showed her leaning forward with wide eyed curiosity, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Sweet and chaste, pure and unspoiled, innocence with a dash of mischief showing through- the expression was totally Allura.
Her expression in the next picture, however, undermined the concept of chaste behavior. Those parted, just moistened lips, the taut body, those glowing eyes... Lance gasped, feeling the intensity of secretly witnessed desire hitting him square in the gut. ~My God, she better never have that look on her face in my actual presence, or Keith is gonna have one hell of a competitor on his hands.~
The two last pictures he held were the ones taken this morning, and he inhaled sharply once again as he saw what his friend had been feeling at the moment Allura had turned her back to them. Everything about the lines of his body and his expression spoke of barely controlled passion, a passion captured by him, and which went beyond his wildest hopes of capturing how Keith felt about their Princess. It was a portrait of truth, and a dangerous one for the Captain of Voltron. Nanny would certainly lock Keith in the castle dungeon if she ever saw it.
The last shot was of Allura in her new outfit, smiling uncertainly, her shy expression holding no hint that she was aware of how beautiful she looked, or how deeply she affected the man standing in front of her.
Lance stood and started to pace the room, pictures still in hand. Although he hadn't realized it went this far with Keith, he well understood the potential of having those feelings. It wouldn't be difficult to allow himself to fall in love with the Princess...in fact, the only thing that held him back was the strong suspicion that his best friend already was in love.
Yep, she was off limits. And now he had his proof as to why.
Allura wouldn't have a clue about Keith's true feelings. She was inexperienced in romantic game playing of any kind (one of the reasons Lance so loved to flirt with her) and thanks to her guard dog Nanny, she would never have any competent help in figuring out how to determine when someone truly cared for her, unless that someone happened to be a blueblood. He felt a sudden wave of anger at the thought of the loveliest person he knew, inside and out, having to settle for a loveless marriage for the sake of her title. Which would be over his dead body. If Allura wanted Keith, she should be able to have him.
As for his best friend, he couldn't tease him about this one. A simple crush was fair game for a little ribbing, but he didn't have the heart to torment the Captain about what was so obviously displayed in this picture. Keith had always been a one-woman-for-me man, but since they arrived on Arus, he had turned down every opportunity to get to spend time with anyone who wasn't Allura. Thinking it over now, the poor guy had probably fallen for her the minute she came down the stairs and he looked into those big baby blues. And maybe he would have noticed it, if he hadn't been so busy staring at Allura himself.
~Why hasn't he told me?~
Lance grimaced. The answer to that was apparent, from the times he had heckled Keith's adamant refusals to go into town with him for some 'social recreation', to how he had mercilessly teased the Princess about her little spying expeditions on Keith. That sort of behavior didn't exactly encourage confidences, he thought wryly. He couldn't blame them for not wanting to share their feelings with a guy who they thought was playing the romance game strictly for laughs.
He leaned against the wall, struggling to think of a way to get two people he loved to confess their feelings to each other. Then he crossed to his desk, slid the file of the photographs into an envelope,and placed it the back of a drawer, knowing no one would ever think to look and pry. No one would think that in this day and age he'd have stills lying around rather than loading images on a digital storage chip.
He stared down the half opened drawer for a thoughtful moment, as the seeds of an idea began to germinate, then shut it decisively.
He had never tried playing Cupid before, but if his idea worked, it would surely surpass all other matchmaking efforts. It would set two of his best friends on the path to the true happiness that they deserved. And he would be the hero, having recorded the proof for posterity as his biggest and best caper ever.
With his camera in hand, Lance went in search of a sidekick.
Because of his bleeping careless and lack of an alibi, he was now stuck taking the pictures at Garrett's wedding on Saturday. He hated taking photos like that, with people all lined up like a bunch of cattle to market. It also meant he'd have to dust off his diplomatic skills, or risk a repeat of the last wedding he had photographed in which he'd had to play peacemaker between the bride and her mother in law, hogtie a drunken groomsmen who had reduced two bridesmaids to tears, and keep the two ring bearers, both little brats, from kicking his shins black and blue after he scolded them for running in and sticking their tongues out in every picture he attempted to take.
He'd sworn that he'd never subject himself to that kind of torture again. Not even for Sven, when and if the Norwegian and Princess Romelle ever set a date. But it was the only way to get access to that wonderful chunk of technology. Having a way to develop private pictures was worth an afternoon of dealing with acid reflux, family squabbling and cranky kids.
It was time to look at the fruits of his labor.
Lance sighed as he flopped into his favorite easy chair and flipped the file open to reveal the pile of photographs. He picked them up one by one, carefully avoiding smudges by keeping his fingers on the outside edges.
He smiled with pleasure at seeing the scope of the subjects that had been captured on the film, and sometimes with surprise at those that he had forgotten or had been taken on an impulse; a breathtaking sunset off the castle balcony, a panoramic view of the castle grounds taken from atop a castle spire, a few shots of the Lions sitting beside the castle's lake at dawn, and many snapshots of Arusian flora and fauna.
His quiet appreciation changed to snickering amusement when the photos changed from landscapes to the up close and personal. There was Pidge in his green tartan boxers, flexing like a bodybuilding while standing in front of a mirror in the locker room. Next, a scene of a Nanny sitting on the floor with gravy dripping off her white cap onto apron while she yelled up at a sheepish looking Hunk, who was gazing longingly at the overturned food cart at his feet.
Snickers changed to a gleeful chuckle when as he spotted the next shot. In a rare bit of stealth sucess, he had managed to sneak up on the Fearless One doing calisthenics at five in the morning never suspecting his lie-a-bed friend would haul ass out of bed that early just to play a joke. He had caught Keith in mid-lift with hand weights- his forearms were outspread, which gave a clear shot at his nearly naked body.
Lance grinned evilly at the Captain's shocked expression. Who knew that the conservative Keith liked to exercise in red bikini briefs! ~The Princess is going to like this one!~ He thought, silently congratulating himself on adding to his arsenal of blackmail.
Moving on, the mood of the photos changed once again. He felt a glow of satisfaction at having captured scenes of village life in less stressful times. Happiness and serenity radiated from every face, and if he hadn't known better and seen the evidence for himself, he could have sworn that Zarkon's thirst for conquest hadn't been able to touch these people's lives.
Many of the shots that followed were of children playing happily in the open air, laughing, singing, or simply gazing with fascination at the simple wonders of the world around them. After spending most or all of their young lives hiding in caves, it was easy to understand why a single blade of grass or a common cloverleaf would enthrall them- these little things that were taken for granted were miracles that they were seeing for the first time. Despite this terrible deprivation, the children of Arus had thrived in the darkness, and now reveled in the light with the kind of uninhibited joy that only children can possess.
It was gratifying to see... and very sobering. He was well aware of the staggering amount of Arusians who had given up their lives to ensure their children would keep theirs. Many of the kids in these pictures were orphans. Not one of them had been spared from suffering hunger and loss- yet they still knew how important it was to play, laugh, and sing.
Such was the eternal power of hope.
The picture in front of him blurred, and Lance ran a hand over his eyes, impatiently wiping away the moisture that had collected there before continuing with his search.
A series of pictures of the five lion ships gave him relief from darker thoughts. Taken with the intention of presenting them as gifts to his teammates, he had secretly captured each Lion ship during a short break in practice, hoping that the hastily taken snaps would be good enough to enlarge.
It was his good fortune that the Lions were photogenic. They were magnificent, sitting in formation, looking proudly out over the planet they guarded, their metallic bodies gleaming in the sunlight, crisply outlined against grass and sky...
~Hey, what's that?~
Lance blinked and brought the photo closer to his disbelieving expression. As he silently admired the images, he noticed an aura round each lion, making it look as if they were encased in fog. ~It can't be a double exposure…the picture is much too clear for that. What the heck is going on here?~
Fixing his gaze on his own beloved 'Red Kitty', Lance saw the haze taking shape, as if it were some kind of a spirit that had emerged from a body. It looked like a lion. A real lion.
As he watched in disbelief, the haze superimposed itself upon the body of Red Lion once more, then vanished.
Lance closed his eyes and opened them. No sign of the haze remained. The pictures were clear.
~Maybe I need an eye exam. Either that or Princess has finally convinced me they're real. Ha, wouldn't she love to hear me say that!~ Deliberately dismissing the thought and what he thought he'd seen as a trick of light, he moved on.
~Bingo!~ He thought in satisfaction a moment later, as he came across the pictures he most wanted to see.
The first picture was one he had taken of Allura spying on Keith. She looked so cute sitting amongst the big ferns, looking all worried that the Captain was going to see her. The next shot showed her leaning forward with wide eyed curiosity, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Sweet and chaste, pure and unspoiled, innocence with a dash of mischief showing through- the expression was totally Allura.
Her expression in the next picture, however, undermined the concept of chaste behavior. Those parted, just moistened lips, the taut body, those glowing eyes... Lance gasped, feeling the intensity of secretly witnessed desire hitting him square in the gut. ~My God, she better never have that look on her face in my actual presence, or Keith is gonna have one hell of a competitor on his hands.~
The two last pictures he held were the ones taken this morning, and he inhaled sharply once again as he saw what his friend had been feeling at the moment Allura had turned her back to them. Everything about the lines of his body and his expression spoke of barely controlled passion, a passion captured by him, and which went beyond his wildest hopes of capturing how Keith felt about their Princess. It was a portrait of truth, and a dangerous one for the Captain of Voltron. Nanny would certainly lock Keith in the castle dungeon if she ever saw it.
The last shot was of Allura in her new outfit, smiling uncertainly, her shy expression holding no hint that she was aware of how beautiful she looked, or how deeply she affected the man standing in front of her.
Lance stood and started to pace the room, pictures still in hand. Although he hadn't realized it went this far with Keith, he well understood the potential of having those feelings. It wouldn't be difficult to allow himself to fall in love with the Princess...in fact, the only thing that held him back was the strong suspicion that his best friend already was in love.
Yep, she was off limits. And now he had his proof as to why.
Allura wouldn't have a clue about Keith's true feelings. She was inexperienced in romantic game playing of any kind (one of the reasons Lance so loved to flirt with her) and thanks to her guard dog Nanny, she would never have any competent help in figuring out how to determine when someone truly cared for her, unless that someone happened to be a blueblood. He felt a sudden wave of anger at the thought of the loveliest person he knew, inside and out, having to settle for a loveless marriage for the sake of her title. Which would be over his dead body. If Allura wanted Keith, she should be able to have him.
As for his best friend, he couldn't tease him about this one. A simple crush was fair game for a little ribbing, but he didn't have the heart to torment the Captain about what was so obviously displayed in this picture. Keith had always been a one-woman-for-me man, but since they arrived on Arus, he had turned down every opportunity to get to spend time with anyone who wasn't Allura. Thinking it over now, the poor guy had probably fallen for her the minute she came down the stairs and he looked into those big baby blues. And maybe he would have noticed it, if he hadn't been so busy staring at Allura himself.
~Why hasn't he told me?~
Lance grimaced. The answer to that was apparent, from the times he had heckled Keith's adamant refusals to go into town with him for some 'social recreation', to how he had mercilessly teased the Princess about her little spying expeditions on Keith. That sort of behavior didn't exactly encourage confidences, he thought wryly. He couldn't blame them for not wanting to share their feelings with a guy who they thought was playing the romance game strictly for laughs.
He leaned against the wall, struggling to think of a way to get two people he loved to confess their feelings to each other. Then he crossed to his desk, slid the file of the photographs into an envelope,and placed it the back of a drawer, knowing no one would ever think to look and pry. No one would think that in this day and age he'd have stills lying around rather than loading images on a digital storage chip.
He stared down the half opened drawer for a thoughtful moment, as the seeds of an idea began to germinate, then shut it decisively.
He had never tried playing Cupid before, but if his idea worked, it would surely surpass all other matchmaking efforts. It would set two of his best friends on the path to the true happiness that they deserved. And he would be the hero, having recorded the proof for posterity as his biggest and best caper ever.
With his camera in hand, Lance went in search of a sidekick.
Authors note: Finally got back on track with this writing project! Those who might have read and remember the original version of Bonds will notice that I've combined chapters seven, eight and nine into one chapter. I've made some minor subtractions and additions that I hope will improve the flow of the story and make it more enjoyable to read.
Thank you for reading. I hope to get the next installment up very soon.
~KL
Thank you for reading. I hope to get the next installment up very soon.
~KL
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