Welcome to our first story written together…for now we wish to keep our identities a secret, but promise to reveal ourselves in the last chapter…see if you can figure out who we are. Many thanks to our beta readers…you know who you are.

We the Voltron Queens make no claims to any WEP characters…real or imaginary…such a pity.

My Knight, My Protector, My Love

Chapter 1: Sad Goodbyes, Bittersweet Return

Strength...such a descriptive word. It can be used to describe a person, an animal or a machine...just about anything. But what does it really mean to be considered strong? Does it mean you are strong of limb or strong of mind? In the case of a machine, does it mean it is unbeatable or is it only capable of being used for things that a normal human could not possibly do?

Strength...so descriptive yet it can be so misleading... What is a strong person? Someone who can physically carry more than the next person... Or is it someone who can weather a storm that would beat down the average person? When a person is considered strong...what happens if they fall? After all, everyone has their breaking point...even a strong person...


A daisy hangs, twirling in front of her eyes as she opens them. A bright smile crosses her lips as she looks up to find him smiling down at her, "Hello love..."

Reaching up for the flower, she takes it within her hands and holds it to her nose before whispering, "It smells pretty."

He continues to smile at her as he leans down to kiss her lips. A sigh escapes her as she reaches up with both hands to wrap them around his neck, the free hand tangling in his silky hair while he continues to kiss her. A moment later he breaks the kiss, his dark eyes intensely staring down into hers as he whispers, "I love you my Princess..."

"And I you...my knight...my protector...my love." Pulling him down to her, she kisses him once more.

Sighing as she feels the hand shaking her shoulder again, Allura finally quits her dream and opens her eyes. Finding an irritated Nanny in front of her, she sits up in bed while quietly saying, "Morning Nanny."

"Good morning Princess. You've overslept again and missed breakfast." The governess tells her as she places a tray over her lap.

Yawning, Allura glances disinterestedly at the food on the tray before setting it aside, "It's alright Nanny. I'm not very hungry."

Nanny straightens up from picking up an item of clothing off the floor to retort, "You didn't eat last night...you will eat this morning!"

Allura meets the stubborn expression in her governess' face before sighing as she looks back at the tray once more. Picking up a slice of toast, she nibbles on it while standing up and walking over to her window.

Her eyes drift down to the tarmac to the right side. Turning around, she asks Nanny, "Why is there a ship down there?"

Nanny finishes placing the bed pillows on the bed then starts pulling the blankets into place before answering, "That is the Commander's shuttle. He is leaving this morning."

"WHAT!?"

Turning toward the windows, Nanny is taken aback by how pale Allura suddenly is as she drops her toast on the floor while running forward. Grabbing the governess' shoulders she rapidly questions, "What do you mean? Keith's leaving? No one told me about him leaving!?"

Sputtering, Nanny replies, "He announced it last night at dinner, Princess. This place holds too many memories for him...he's transferring back to Earth. Commander Holgersson will be taking his place until Garrison sends another commander."

Allura barely listens to the last of Nanny's words as she cries out, "NO!" then turns away, running across the room for the door.

"PRINCESS! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING DRESSED LIKE THAT?!" Nanny screams after her as she quickly follows Allura out of the room.


Lance carries Keith's bag on one shoulder and Lila's in his hand as he follows his friend toward the shuttle. Hunk and Pidge follow along limply, their sadness evident. Keith cuddles Lila against his chest, his mind at war with his heart as the shuttle gets closer.

Sighing once they are in front of it, Keith smiles at Lance as he steps by and handing Keith's bags to the attendant inside. His eyes moving to the other two men, Keith smiles softly while saying, "I guess this is it."

Wiping tears from his eyes, Pidge whispers, "Bye Cap..."

"Don't forget to message us..." Hunk states as he wipes at his cheeks.

Keith smiles and nods at them, replying, "I won't..." He turns as Lance steps beside him to question, "Sure you can't wait another hour or so until Sven arrives?"

Shaking his head, Keith quietly answers, "No...I can't." Meeting Lance's eyes, he adds, "This is hard enough now."

Lance sighs deeply as he says, "I wish you wouldn't go..." At the look on Keith's face, he adds, "But I understand why you need to leave."

Nodding at him in reply, Keith whispers, "Thanks."

Trying to smile at him, but failing, Lance swears then pulls Keith to him in a one armed hug, being careful not to crush the baby in Keith's arms. Pulling back, Lance wipes at the tears forming in his eyes then states, "Take care of that beautiful little girl...don't let her date guys like me."

A true smile crosses Keith's face as he nods then replies, "You better believe it..."

Hitting him on the arm, Lance smiles sadly back then watches as Keith turns and walks onto the shuttle. As the door closes, all three men start back for the castle, stopping just before the entrance to watch as the shuttle starts its engines.

"NO! STOP THAT SHUTTLE!"

Lance turns as Allura comes running out of the castle entrance in her nightgown. She runs past them toward the shuttle still yelling, "NO! STOP!" Lance runs forward to stop her once he realizes her intent to run at the departing ship. He grabs her and she turns, starting to hit and kick at him as she screams, "NO!"

"Dammit Allura!" Lance starts as he tightens his hold on her, "Stop it!"

Allura isn't listening to him; her eyes are on the shuttle as it lifts up into the air then heads into the sky. Her eyes stay on it until she can't see it anymore as she continues to scream, "NO! KEITH...NO!" Turning she grabs onto Lance, tears streaming out of her eyes, "Stop him! Bring him back...I know you can bring him back!"

Shaking his head at her in confusion, Lance states, "Allura, he needed to leave..."

A deep, wailing shriek escapes her as she sinks to the ground. Bending down with her, Lance inquires, "Allura? What's wrong?"

Nanny rushes out of the castle toward them, "PRINCESS! PRINCESS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

But she isn't listening to anyone as she continues her screams.


An hour later, Lance watches from the observation window as Drs. Gorma and Smith bend over a prone Allura, trying to gain a response from her. His eyes move from the bed in which the princess lies unmoving to the face of the older man across from him.

Coran's eyes are teary as he watches the young woman in the room before him. He doesn't turn as he listens to Lance ask, "What the hell happened?"

Shaking his head in answer, Coran continues to watch as Dr. Smith stands up and speaks to Dr. Gorma for a moment before heading for the door. With the door to Allura's room opening, he turns to face Dr. Smith as she steps out, asking, "What is wrong with Princess Allura?"

She sighs deeply before responding, "She has had a total mental breakdown and has retreated into her mind."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Shifting her gaze from Coran to an agitated Lance, she replies, "Princess Allura can't deal with the fact that Commander Keith has left Arus...left her."

Lance's eyebrows arch in question so she continues, "Princess Allura is deeply in love with Commander Keith and can't deal with the fact that he has left. So instead of dealing with reality, she has retreated into her mind, into a fantasy world she has created for herself where he loves her as much as she loves him.

Speechless with shock, Lance looks from Dr. Smith to Coran. He ignores Lance, instead asking, "How do we pull her out of it?"

"I am not sure that we can..." She answers before turning away to look into the room once more. Her eyes move over the Princess of Arus as she lies prone in her bed. She only turns when she hears Lance reply, "There has to be some way to help her!"

Turning back around, her eyes drift over Lance before quietly replying, "Only if you can bring back the Commander."

"Keith...what can he do?" Lance questions as he studies the woman before him.

She releases a sigh as she states, "I think he will be the only one who can pull Allura out of her fantasy world...without him, you might as well start planning her funeral."

Shaking his head, Lance turns to Coran, "I'm going after Keith. Hunk, Pidge and Thomas will remain behind...Sven should be here soon."

At Coran's nod, Lance walks away quickly.


Holding Lila against his chest as he feeds her, Keith glances around at the other passengers on the shuttle before looking back down on his daughter. A sound outside of the ship briefly grabs his attention and he thinks, It can't be...What would one of the lions be doing here?

His attention goes back to the ship when the captain's voice echoes across the comm., "We are making an unscheduled stop... Would Commander Keith Kogane please come to the flight deck?"

Apprehension growing, Keith stands up with Lila in his arms, gathers her diaper bag then walks toward the front of the ship.


Sitting in Red lion, Lance swears under his breath before pushing the comm. button, "What is taking so long Captain?"

A deep sigh comes across the unit before he hears, "We have asked him to come forward and are waiting...one moment."

A moment later, Keith's voice echoes across, "What the hell is going on Lance?"

"Keith...nice to hear you too..." Lance retorts.

A growling sound comes across before he hears the very agitated voice of his commander saying, "You've got one minute to explain what is going on Lieutenant."

Grimacing at the tone of Keith's voice, Lance replies, "Emergency back on Arus that you are required for...sir."

"What kind of an emergency?"

Lance sighs before responding, "Not one I want to speak about over an open line..." He pauses for a moment then adds in a quiet voice, "I wouldn't have stopped you for just anything, Keith..."

Silence fills the cabin for a moment before he hears, "Very well...they will shuttle me across to the lion."

"I'll be waiting...Red lion, out." Lance turns off his comm. unit then sighs, "He isn't going to be happy..."


Stepping over the threshold, Keith pushes open the side door to Red lion and steps inside, handing Lance the baby before turning back to grab his bags from the pilot. Once everything is in, he closes the door and reaches for his daughter.

"Shuttle Tiberius detaching..." The sound of a pressurized door releasing outside echoes within the lion.

Lance sighs as he reaches for his comm., "Copy and thanks."

He watches on the monitor until the shuttle is a safe distance away then grabs the controls on the lion and turns to fly back toward Arus.

"What the hell is going on Lance?"

Turning his head, Lance looks into the very serious, very angry eyes of his best friend. He turns back to look at the monitor as he states, "I'm not entirely sure myself..." while thinking, I am not going to be the one to tell him that Allura is in love with him and is dying because he left...

"Lance..." He hears his name being growled before Lance starts again, "It has to do with Allura...when you departed...she...freaked out. Now she is lying in MedTech...unresponsive."

Keith is silent for a moment before asking, "So what does that have to do with me?"

Turning to look at Keith again, Lance quietly replies, "I wasn't told much...only that they think you are the only one that can pull her out of it." Turning back to look out the monitors once more he finishes, "So I did as asked and came for you."

Silence fills the cabin for several moments until Lila starts crying. Looking over at Keith, he watches as Keith pulls her up onto his shoulder, gently patting her back to calm her. Sighing once more, Lance turns back to the monitors, "We will be there in an hour."

The rest of the ride in the lion is silent until Lance enters Arus airspace, "Control, this is Red lion, requesting permission to land in front of the castle."

"Lance...is Keith with you?" Coran's worried voice carries inside the lion.

Lance sighs as he answers, "Yes...we will meet you in MedTech. Red lion out." He flips off the comm. before anything else can be said then works the controls to land in front of the castle.


Once on the ground, Lance leads Keith back into the castle. They walk quickly down the hallway and soon reach their destination. Following Lance into MedTech, Keith watches Coran quickly walk up to him, "Thank God...you are here." Keith doesn't respond to him as Lance asks, "How is she?"

"The same I'm afraid...if they poke her with a pin, she will move the limb, but otherwise will not respond." Coran states as he looks at Keith hopefully.

Keith maintains his silence until Lila starts crying in his arms. Changing her position, Keith pats her back gently as he whispers to her in a calming voice. His eyes look up when Romelle's voice echoes down the hall, "Keith?"

The woman who could almost be Allura's twin walks down the hallway on Sven's arm. Her blue eyes move to the infant in Keith's arms as they approach and she asks, "May I?"

Reluctantly, Keith hands his daughter over, his eyes watching Romelle closely as she coos to the baby in her arms while moving over to a chair in the waiting area. He only looks away when he feels a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, Keith finds Sven smiling softly at him, "She will be fine...Romelle won't let anything happen to her."

Nodding in reply, Keith glances over at Lance, who gestures him to follow him down the hall. Slowly Keith follows Lance, each step a bit slower than the one before it. Sighing when Lance pauses before an observation window, Keith glances inside to find Allura lying on her side in the bed. Nanny sits behind her, brushing her hair and seemingly speaking to her.

His eyes move to Allura's face, her eyes stare ahead unseeingly, blinking occasionally. Unable to look at her anymore, Keith turns away from the observation window to ask, "So what do you expect me to do about it?" Anger tinges his tone as he growls out, adding, "What does any of this have to do with me?"

"It has everything to do with you!" Coran's voice echoes down the hallway as he approaches them with Dr. Smith in tow.

Keith turns his glare onto Coran as he replies, "And how could I possibly be responsible for Princess Allura's condition?"

As Coran opens his mouth to respond, Dr. Smith places a hand on his shoulder, "Gentlemen please...fighting and bickering like this will not gain us anything." Her eyes move to Keith, "Commander if you would please follow me, I'll explain exactly why your presence is required."

Turning to Lance, Keith starts to ask, "Can you..." but Lance cuts him off, "Between Romelle, Sven and I, I think we can handle Lila for a while."

Nodding at him, Keith turns and follows Dr. Smith down the hallway.


Entering her office, Dr. Smith gestures to the chair in front of her desk. Keith sits down then watches the doctor closely as she moves around the desk and sits down. Before she says anything, Dr. Smith opens a desk drawer and pulls out a sheet of paper. Reaching across the desk, she states, "Read this."

Keith reaches forward and picks up the paper. His eyes move over it, widening as he reads:

I'm sorry...I hurt everyone I love...especially the one I love, Keith. My love hates me...he's left me for another...he loves another. Why do I always lose the ones I love?

With his eyes continuing to move over the lines of the paper, the frown lines along his eyes and mouth grow. Finally when he is finished, Keith looks back up, "What is this?"

"A page of Allura's journal...a journal Coran found after Princess Allura retreated into her subconscious when you left." Dr. Smith replies. She sighs as she reaches forward and takes the paper away from Keith to place it back in a file then puts the file back into her desk.

"What does this have to do with me?" Keith asks.

Dr. Smith studies him for a moment before asking, "What do you know of Allura's habits for the last six months or so?"

Keith shakes his head at her, "Nothing. It's none of my business what the Princess of Arus does."

Arching a brow at the tone of Keith's voice when he added the last bit, Dr. Smith finally states, "So you haven't noticed her spacing off during meetings only to be startled when someone says her name loud enough?"

Shaking his head once more, Keith remains silent as he studies the woman before him. Sighing, Dr. Smith replies, "She was going off in her mind..."

Sitting up in up in his chair, Keith studies the doctor before him, "What do you mean by that?"

"When Princess Allura can't handle the reality of a situation, she has retreats into her mind...into a world of fantasy where she can make things the way she needs them to be..."

Keith sighs as he sits forward, "Yes...but what does that mean?"

Dr. Smith grimaces as she crosses her fingers at the tips while studying the young man before her. After thinking things through for a moment, she finally starts, "Everyone has a breaking point...you understand this...the point that they can no longer handle something and mentally break down."

At his nod, she continues, "You are Princess Allura's breaking point."

As Keith looks taken aback, Dr. Smith explains, "Commander, please remember what this world was like when you first arrived. Princess Allura was alone with her advisor...had been for years. Her parents were dead, any childhood friends she had were either dead or enslaved by Zarkon. She had lost just about everything and everyone that had mattered to her...yet she endured. Most people would have broken at that point. Instead, she became a strong young woman who fought for her planet beside the men that had come to save her."

With the look in Keith's eyes turning to one of deep thought, the doctor continues, "I can tell you from my sessions with her that in that first year she thought herself in love with you, but kept it to herself. Part of that was fear...she had lost so much already that she was afraid to let someone in that close once more and risk losing them."

At the slightly shocked look on Keith's face, Dr. Smith smiles at him, "Coran taught her well how to hide her emotions and play the politician." Clearing her throat she continues, "She wasn't aware that you were seeing Jocelyn until you announced your engagement. You can imagine what that did to her...she saw all her dreams ground to dust as you kissed your fiancée amidst the applause of the rest of the Force. The politician in her stepped up though and she tried to be happy for you even as a part of her was dying inside. Even though she hadn't spoken of her love for you, she felt it deeply."

"Allura really did try to be happy for you...but as she saw her life ahead of her, empty and alone...void of the love she had always dreamed of having, something inside her broke. She told me how she went to you, begging you not to marry Jocelyn the night before your wedding and it ended in a fight that ruined your friendship."

At Keith's curt nod, Dr. Smith sighs, "Even then...the damage to her frame of mind started. She lost not only the love she dreamed of...but your friendship." Keith says nothing as the doctor studies him closely for a moment before starting again, "But you were still here. She could see you every day, hear the sound of your voice and even talk to you at times...when it was related to the security of Arus, since that was the only time you would speak to her."

Keith's silence continues. Dr. Smith sits back in her chair, her mind going over everything said and done in the last year before she starts again, "Allura started at that point to go into that fantasy world in her mind. It wasn't all the time...only when the pressure was too much for her. She would claim headaches or being exhausted and go to her room, lying in bed, day dreaming about what she thought she should have had...namely you, holding her, loving her, living your life with her."

"Then Jocelyn died during child birth..." Dr. Smith stops for a moment when Keith's eyes flash his rage. Clearing her throat, she starts again, "Please understand that Allura was very conflicted in her emotions. On one hand, she felt terrible for the pain she knew you were in...the loss of loved ones was something all too familiar to her. But deep inside...she also saw this as her second chance. To her, Jocelyn's death was God telling her that now...after all of her suffering and waiting, you would be hers.

She watches the emotions moving across Keith's face as he tries to cope with the reminder of what he lost and what that loss meant to Allura. His voice is broken when he replies, "So...when she...approached me..."

Dr. Smith nods, "She was offering two things...comfort because she knew you were hurting from your loss and her love."

"And I rejected both..." Keith whispers as he looks away, wiping tears out of his eyes.

Smiling sympathetically at the man before her, Dr. Smith replies, "Yes...well, Allura's timing wasn't the best there."

A soft snort escapes Keith and Dr. Smith forces away the smile threatening to widen on her face. Sitting forward in her chair once more, she starts again, "So...you rejected her for a second time. This time for Allura, was worse than the first...because the first time you had Jocelyn, whom you loved, which she could understand. But she couldn't understand why you would turn her away the second time, when you were hurting and alone with a baby to raise."

Keith opens his mouth to say something then shuts it again. Dr. Smith nods at him, "Believe me...I understand why you rejected her Commander. You don't need to explain it to me." At Keith's nod, she continues, "She retreated farther into her fantasy world at this point. Allura wasn't eating much, was barely doing her job as princess. Her depression became obvious to everyone around her...at least to those that paid attention. I spoke to Coran many times about pulling her away from everything so I could work with her in a secluded place, much like having her committed. But he refused..."

Shaking her head at the memory of those conversations, Dr. Smith finally finishes, "Last night when you announced you were leaving Arus the following morning, Allura wasn't at dinner, so didn't learn of it until this morning as you were boarding the shuttle with your daughter. She raced down to the tarmac, getting there in time to see the shuttle take off. Everything inside her shattered...you were gone, never to return and Allura would spend her life alone, without even being able to at least see you or hear the sound of your voice. After she stopped screaming, Allura retreated fully into her fantasy world, because she can't handle a world without you in it at all."

Keith runs his hand through his hair as Dr. Smith finishes, unable to fathom that his decisions had so affected Allura. After a long silence, he finally looks back up, "What am I supposed to do?" Without waiting for the doctor to answer, he stands up and begins pacing the room, pausing to add, "Spend my life with her to keep her happy? What about what I want...what I need?"

Dr. Smith sighs as she watches the agitated young man before her. Standing up, she moves to the window and looks out of it, not seeing the landscape but the problem before her. Turning back around, she notes that Keith had finally stopped pacing and was watching her intently. "I don't know what you are supposed to do Commander. I only promised to explain to you why your presence was requested and they forced you back."

Stepping forward, she looks imploringly on him, "Princess Allura's problems do not lie strictly in her need for you to be here, they go back much farther to the loss of her parents and loved ones. I don't know if she ever fully dealt with their loss and her sense of losing you only brought everything forth once more. She needs to be able to deal with people she loves, whether it is a friend, family or lover, leaving...and she can't."

Her eyes hold his as she adds, "I would ask you to stay at least long enough for us to pull her out of that fantasy world she has escaped to and give us some time to treat her underlying problems. I don't expect you to tell her you love her or be with her as a man who is in love with a woman would. Be her friend...help us to heal her."

Keith sighs deeply as he runs his hand through his hair. After a moment of silence, he finally looks up to state, "I haven't been her friend in almost a year...what would happen if I decline and leave?"

Dr. Smith moves over to her chair and sits once more. Her eyes move over Keith slowly before she brutally states, "In my opinion...we won't be able to pull Allura out of that fantasy world in her mind without your help. She will slowly wither and die in that bed in MedTech."

Her eyes move over Keith as he clenches and unclenches his fists while gritting his teeth, his eyes showing how angry he truly is over everything. When he speaks a moment later, Dr. Smith has to ask, "What?" as she didn't hear his quiet response.

"I need to think about this..."

Dr. Smith nods quietly in response and watches as Keith walks out of the room.