HOD 2: Aftermath

by Julie Horwitz

Part two of my "Hell on Doom" duology. The sequel to "Nightmare." After her ordeal on Doom, Allura returns to Arus and begins her new life with Keith.

1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:

The following is a work of fanfiction. All characters and situations belonging to "Voltron: Defender of the Universe" and "Voltron Force" are copyrighted to World Event Productions. Everything else is of my own creation.

Author's Notes:

Welcome to part two of my "Hell on Doom" duology, "Aftermath." This is the sequel to "Nightmare." It picks up exactly where the first story left off. It is strongly recommended that you have read "Nightmare" before you start this story.
"Nightmare" and "Aftermath" were originally intended to be a single story called "Aftermath," but once the first half started getting bigger than I anticipated, I chose to divide it into two stories intead. "Aftermath" is a much lighter story than "Nightmare." The characters will have to deal with the consequences of the darker themes of the first story, but none of the uncomfortable material itself will be found within.
I primarily use the information provided by the cartoons for character history. Anything not recognizable has been invented for the purposes of the story. Some information is borowed from the "Voltron: Year One" comic mini-series, written by Brandon Thomas and Craig Cermak.
All questions and comments may be sent to me at my e-mail address. Please see my author profile for details.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.

Aftermath
by
Julie Horwitz

"Keith, wait," Allura spoke, stopping him as he started to lift her from the cot.

"What is it?" he asked her, settling back down onto the mattress with her in his arms.

They had just received word from Lance that they were five minutes out from Arus and Keith wanted them to be in the cockpit when he contacted Castle Control, so Allura herself could tell everyone that she was coming home.

"Can we...I mean, I'd like to stay in here another few minutes," she told him, touching his face. "Please. As much as I can't wait to be home, I'm not ready to leave this place just yet. Because once we do..."

She didn't think she could find the words to explain how difficult it was going to be for her to go back to hiding her feelings for him after what they had shared. She had loved him in secret for so long and that love had only intensified after he had told her he loved her too. And then it had grown even stronger after he had made love to her...

Making love with Keith had been the most magical and amazing experience of her entire life. It had been so much more incredible than Lance had told her it would be. She'd never felt so loved and so special before. She couldn't wait until they could be together that way again.

Her only regret was that their lovemaking had been marred by pain. What Lotor had done to her... The medication could only dull her numerous injuries so much. (She hadn't told Keith, but the medicine had started to wear off about fifteen minutes ago. She'd kept the knowledge to herself because she didn't want to worry him. The last thing he needed to know was that every small movement of her body hurt her terribly.) But it hadn't been enough to tell Keith to stop.

She hadn't wanted him to stop...

She had needed him...

He responded by kissing her deeply.

"Everything's going to be fine, I promise," he gently assured her, pressing another kiss to her forehead. "To be honest, I don't foresee us having any time alone once we get back. In fact, I don't think you'll have any time alone period, my love. There are four people eagerly awaiting your arrival and two of them especially are not going to want to leave your side. Me and the guys are going to have to fight them tooth and nail just to even get a glimpse of you."

Allura giggled at the image of the Voltron Force fighting a battle against Nanny and Coran just to visit her.

Despite the pain, it felt so wonderful to laugh. It seemed like she hadn't had a reason to even smile in an eternity.

It was hard to believe that only hours ago she had been Lotor's prisoner...

"I can tell you right now that Nanny is just going to move in to your room with you," Keith continued, kissing her again. "And anyone who wants to visit you will have to go through her. The area outside of your door is going to become a war zone. You're a very popular lady you know, Princess, and everyone is going to want to check on you constantly. But of course Nanny is going to try to chase us all away. And knowing her, she may very well succeed!"

She couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. Keith had a wonderful sense of humor that he so rarely showed. She loved his playful side and it was a shame he kept it hidden most of the time. She hoped that one day, after Doom had been completely defeated and Arus was finally at peace, he'd feel comfortable enough to stop being so serious all of the time.

"And with all of that craziness happening right by your door, I have a feeling that Doctor Gorma is going to have to schedule a mandatory 'no visitors allowed' time just so you can get some peace and quiet," he went on. "Rest is very important to your recovery. Though I'm not sure he'll have much luck getting Nanny to leave."

She laughed again, reveling in the silly direction the conversation had taken. It was so much fun and she was enjoying it immensely. How had he known she needed this? "Maybe if I make it a royal command?"

Keith snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that. Since when has Nanny listened to anyone?"

"Good point. But if Nanny doesn't have to leave, neither will you," she asserted. "I want you to be able to come and see me whenever you want."

"And what reason would my princess give to allow me this privilege?"

"Umm, my commanding officer needs to constantly check on the status of my recovery?" she suggested.

"Uh-huh. And why would I need that information several times a day?"

"Umm... Give me a few minutes to come up with something believable," she shot back, loving the simple back and forth banter.

"I don't think that's possible, but by all means, my love, go ahead and try."

"I will!" she declared, trying and failing not to laugh as she did so.

Keith laughed with her and her heart swelled at the sound.

How she loved this man!

"Of course," he said in a more sober tone after he had finally regained control, "once you start physical therapy, it's not going to matter anyway."

"Why's that?" she asked, wondering why he was being serious again. She knew nothing about physical therapy other than Keith telling her that she would need it.

"Because you, Princess, are going to want to do nothing more than sleep a lot between sessions," he informed her. "You've never gone through therapy before, so take it from someone who's had it a few times: it's not easy. It's both painful and exhausting. In the beginning, you will hate every second of it because it will hurt. But in the end, you'll know it was worth the discomfort."

Allura's elated mood vanished at the description. Physical therapy sounded so unpleasant! But if Keith said she needed it, she needed it. Her love had no reason to lie to her, especially about something like this.

"I just want to walk again," she simply told him. "I'll do whatever it takes."

"I know you will, my love," he smiled at her. He pressed another gentle kiss to her forehead. "You-"

"You two better not be going at it again," Lance's voice interrupted over Keith's Voltcom. "You've got two minutes before we're in communications range of Arus. So if you don't want me blabbing about your, eh-hem, extracurricular activities to Coran and whoever else is in Control, I suggest you get your butts up here ASAP."

Keith rolled his eyes and Allura giggled as he raised his wrist. "We're on our way."

"Funny, that's exactly what you said three minutes ago," Lance pointed out. "Yet, lo and behold, you're not here. Should I be wondering why?"

"We're coming, Lance," Keith pointedly told him and he ended the connection. Looking at Allura, he added, "He has no idea how lucky he is that he's my friend."

She laughed again.

Adjusting his hold on her, he stood up from the cot. "Ready?"

"Yes," she nodded, doing her best to ignore how much the gentle jostling was hurting her. "I'm ready.

"Let's go home."

((()))

Romelle slowed her worried pacing just enough to glance at the nearest time display.

A quick mental calculation told her that it had been twelve hours since Keith, Sven, and the others had left for Doom.

Twelve hours since they'd left to rescue Allura.

Why weren't they back yet?

She resumed her previous speed as she continued to pace back and forth across Castle Control.

She needed for her cousin to be safely home back on Arus and out of the clutches of that...that monster.

If poor Allura's experience was anything like her own...

She shuddered at the thought.

The things Lotor had done to her... All while calling her by Allura's name. Fighting him had only made things worse. (He had enjoyed punishing her for her "misbehavior.") He truly was a monster in every sense of the word.

Death would be too good for him.

But he had never claimed to love her the way he "loved" Allura. He hadn't even treated her as "well" as one of his harem girls, keeping her locked inside a cell rather than in his part of the palace. (She was just the poor substitute, after all.) He'd come for her when he either wanted to use her body or to use her as bait for the Voltron Force. Thankfully, she'd spent more time in that cell than in his company.

She doubted Allura would have been that lucky.

A sudden loud alarm from one of the consoles yanked her out of her private thoughts.

"Something's just entered Arusian space," Coran announced as he worked the controls in front of him. "I'm putting it on the monitor."

"Oh, please let it be my baby!" Nanny wailed from her place beside Coran.

Larmina was standing by her side, a hopeful expression on her face.

Romelle moved to join them as an image appeared on the large display.

Dead-center was the familiar shape of a Doom cargo ship.

And flying in escort formation around it were the Black, Yellow, and Green Lions.

"Thank all of the gods!" Nanny tearfully cried. "They did it! They got my princess!"

Romelle knew better than to point out that Nanny was getting ahead of herself. Just because the team was returning to Arus, it didn't mean that Allura was with them.

Or even worse, she was but in the most horrible condition imaginable.

As terrible as those two possibilities were, she was only being realistic. It was hard to be hopeful when she knew all too well that Allura hadn't been held as either a prisoner or slave. She was intended to be Lotor's queen.

If his treatment of those he had no "feelings" for was any indication...

"They should be entering communications range momentarily," Coran informed the gathered group. "Let me open a-"

"Princess Allura to Castle Control," the much-missed voice broadcast over the speakers. "Please respond if you hear me. Princess Allura to Castle Control."

Nanny began to sob her relief and pulled Larmina into a tight embrace.

Romelle felt her entire body unclench. They had done it. They had brought Allura safely home.

The worst was over.

Now would come the long and difficult recovery.

"Princess, this is Coran," he answered her. "It is so wonderful to hear your voice. Are you all right?"

"I'm..." she began, trailing off as she seemed to search for the right words.

"This is Keith," Keith took over. His voice was calm and matter-of-fact. "The Princess is in need of immediate medical attention. Please notify Doctor Gorma and have a stretcher meet us in the hangar. Among other injuries, her legs are broken and she's unable to walk."

"My poor baby!" Nanny cried out in response to the news.

Romelle didn't dare guess how she had received such an injury. When Lotor had brought her to his quarters, she had seen many of his harem slaves bearing the marks of his attentions. She herself had been lucky to receive nothing more serious than an array of cuts, scratches, and bruises. (It spoke of how little he cared for her.)

"I'll give you a detailed report as soon as Her Highness is taken care of," Keith continued, making it clear that he did not want to discuss her full condition in front of her. (Knowing her innocent cousin, she was probably incredibly embarrassed by what had been done to her body. Allura was highly modest and the idea that anyone had seen her naked was most likely overwhelming. The fact that Keith was trying to protect her modesty despite everything spoke of the incredible love he felt for her.)

"Of course," Coran replied. "We'll be waiting for your arrival. Control out."

He ended the connection and turned to face the three people behind him.

"Nanny, please go to the infirmary and have Doctor Gorma meet us in the hangar as Keith requested," he instructed. "Take Larmina with you."

"At once!" Nanny accepted. "Come along, young lady," she said, taking Larmina by the arm.

The girl did not protest as she was dragged out of Control.

When they were alone, Coran turned to Romelle.

"Your Highness, if you'd prefer not to be-"

Romelle held up a hand. "Since I am truly the only person here who has any idea what she's gone through, Allura is going to need me," she firmly informed him. She appreciated Coran's concern, but helping Allura was more important than protecting herself. "What Lotor did to me is nothing compared to what he must have done to her. I won't abandon her because seeing her might bring up some bad memories."

"She is very lucky to have you," he said as they began to walk towards the doors of Control. "It is a shame our planets were estranged for so long. The princess would have benefited from your friendship after she lost everything. It would have made growing up easier for her."

"I would have liked to have known her sooner too," she told him. "Allura is very special. She has a way of seeing the good in everything."

Though, she sadly realized, that may be no longer be true.

Because there was nothing good in what she had just experienced...

They reached the doors to the control room and Coran keyed them open.

"Your Highness," he began as they stepped into the hallway. "If I may, I have a personal question I need to ask you."

"Of course," she accepted, knowing he wouldn't ask unless it concerned Allura.

Coran was as kind-hearted as the princess he had raised and he would never do anything with malicious intent.

"You went through something very similar to what Allura has," he said as they started walking. "Yet you seem to have been able to move past it. How were you able to put it behind you so completely? Allura is not as strong as you and I fear that she'll never fully recover."

"Believe me Coran, I'm not as strong as I appear to be," she let him know, thinking about how her memories still came to her as nightmares despite it having been almost a year since her escape. She didn't know if they'd ever completely go away. "I was only able to move forward with my life because of the love and support of those closest to me. Sven. Bandor. Allura. They were all infinitely patient with me and let me work through the pain in my own way."

And her way had been to devote herself to freeing the slaves from Doom. By immersing herself in her personal mission, she hadn't given herself the time to dwell on what she'd been through. She was too busy to feel sorry for herself.

"And while the memories fade, they never fully go away," she informed him. "What happened to me is always with me, just as it will be with Allura. It will take time, but they won't dominate her every thought forever. She will get better."

"But will she have that time before Lotor tries to take her again?" he wanted to know. "I fear he won't wait long before he comes for her. Her rescue is worse than any defeat he's ever faced before. I can't imagine how enraged this has left him."

"All we can do is be ready for him," she told him, shuddering at the thought of poor Allura ending up his clutches again.

If he were to recapture her before she had completely recovered...

"Sven will continue to pilot Blue Lion as long as you need him," she added for reassurance. "He and I agreed on that before we even left Pollux. We can manage without him as long as we have to. Arus will never be without Voltron."

"You have no idea how much that means to our people," Coran said. "Thank you, Your Highness. While I still do not approve of it, I know the princess will want to rejoin the team as soon as she is able, which may not be for some time due to her injuries."

If at all, she silently commented.

Shortly after she and Sven had arrived, Lance had taken them aside to share with them what Haggar had said during his short imprisonment with Allura. He had asked them not to tell anyone else. (Keith was the only other person he had told and his reaction had been horrible.) Coran and Nanny were especially not to know.

On one hand, it had surprised her that Lotor wanted a child with Allura. After all, during her time as his prisoner, she had undergone the same numerous examinations as his harem slaves to make sure she had not conceived. (She had been very fortunate that she hadn't.) He had been adamant that he did not want any offspring who might one day attempt to usurp his power. But on the other, what better way to permanently bind her to him than to father a child with her? Allura would never be able to keep him from his child since it would be a member of the Doom royal family. Because of her own honor, she'd be trapped.

"The most important thing for Allura to do is focus on getting better," Romelle stated firmly to redirect the conversation away from this dangerous topic. "And the most crucial part of her recovery will be Keith's love."

The love Keith and Allura had for each other had been a frequent topic of discussion between Coran and herself since the rescue team had left. Ever since the last planning session where Hunk had blurted out that everyone knew about their feelings, Romelle had worked hard to get Coran to understand how important Keith's love would be to her recovery. Allura would need someone she trusted completely and felt safe with to open up about what she had been through. (For her, that person had been Sven.) She would never start to truly heal otherwise.

She thought about Sven and how he'd served that same role for her. (There was no one else who understood what she'd been through the way he did. Talking to him had helped her more than anything else.) But their close relationship was not a romantic one.

Or was it?

Although she had not admitted it to anyone, not even Sven, she was starting to develop feelings for him that were more than friendship.

She wondered if he felt the same way...

"I agree," Coran said as he guided her to turn down another hallway. "He is already so good with her. She responds to him in a way she won't for anyone else, myself and Nanny included. If anyone can get her through this, it is Keith."

"Nanny is not going to react well when she finds out about them," Romelle pointed out.

"True," Coran agreed, "but when she sees the good Keith is doing for her, she'll come to accept it. As much as she complains that the princess does not follow proper royal protocols, she only wants what's best for her.

"How long will you yourself be able to stay, Your Highness?" he asked, changing the conversation's direction. "I know Prince Bandor relies on your assistance a great deal."

"There are other advisors who can assist him as well or better than I can," she informed him. "And the slave rescue missions practically run themselves. I plan on staying as long as Allura needs me. I can be there for her in ways Keith cannot."

"Again, I cannot thank you enough," he said as they turned down another hallway. "We owe you a debt of gratitude we can never repay. You are such a good friend to her."

"We're more than friends," she corrected him. "She's my family. All of you are. Sven and I consider Arus a second home."

"Come, we're almost there," Coran said with a smile that told her how much her words meant to him. "I would like to be in the hangar before the ship arrives."

Romelle nodded her agreement and they continued towards their destination.

((()))

Keith returned Allura's passionate last minute kiss as Lance set the ship down in the castle hangar.

He understood how upset she was over the fact that they had to go back to hiding their feelings. But it was a situation that could not be helped. The turmoil the revelation that they were in a relationship would cause would have a negative impact on her recovery and that was the last thing he wanted for her. She didn't need to waste her time and energy arguing with Nanny and Coran over her lovelife. Her full focus needed to be on getting better.

Besides, there were other more pressing issues to deal with.

Such as the strong possibility that she was pregnant with Lotor's child.

If she was, and Haggar had made it sound like it was a certainty (and if anyone would know, it would be the witch), it wouldn't be long before Lotor came after her again. (Which, unfortunately, he was going to do regardless. His sick obsession with her knew no bounds.) He would want Allura back in possession before she gave birth to his heir. It would be the only way to make sure the child wasn't hidden from him. (Which was exactly what Keith planned on doing. Allura's baby would be protected from that monster at all costs.)

The only chance of a reprieve would be if she wasn't pregnant.

Which given the amount of time she was in Lotor's possession was highly unlikely...

"Just so you know, I'm about to open the hatch, so you two lovebirds might want to, oh, I don't know, come up for air or something," Lance cheerily announced, breaking into Keith's thoughts.

He used the interruption to end the kiss.

The disappointment on Allura's face was heart-wrenching.

"I love you, my princess," he quietly assured her. "I'll see you as much as I can. I promise."

"I love you too," she replied, her eyes filled with tears.

"Ugh, the two of you are sickening!" Lance informed them good-naturedly as he went over to the hatchway. "I think I liked you better when you weren't all over each other."

Allura smiled despite herself. "Jealous?" she gently teased him.

"Of him?" Lance made a dismissive sound. "Don't be ridiculous. Remember, I'm the one you kissed first! In fact, I'm the one you did everything with first!"

Allura's face turned a bright shade of red at the reminder.

"Just open the hatch, Lance," Keith exasperatedly ordered, mentally shaking his head at Lance's brazen remarks to the princess.

Lance was very lucky that his crude sense of humor amused rather than offended the highly-sensitive and modest princess. (Keith knew that Allura knew that Lance didn't mean any harm with his tasteless jokes.) That was the only reason Keith had never put a stop to it. However, it was now entering dangerous territory and if Lance wasn't careful, one wrong word spoken in front of the wrong person...

He would have to take him aside and ask (aka, order) him to refrain from teasing Allura about her experiences and relationship when they weren't in private.

"As the princess's plaything commands," Lance said with a mock salute. "Prepared to be swamped in three...two..." He hit the hatch's control panel. "One!"

"My baby!" Nanny screeched as she burst onto the ship and practically ran over to Allura. She grabbed the hand Allura held out. "My poor princess! Just look at you! What did that beast do to you! Thank all of the gods that you're home!"

"Hello, Nanny," Allura quietly greeted her with a tiny smile. "I've missed you."

With that, Nanny burst into tears.

"Please don't cry," Allura urged her. "I'm all right. I promise."

"We'll let Doctor Gorma be the judge of that," Coran interjected as he entered the ship.

Larmina and Romelle came in behind him, the older woman holding the girl's hand.

"Coran! Larmina! Romelle!" Allura joyfully cried, her smile growing huge at the sight of them. "I've missed you all so much!"

Keith could feel her happiness radiate through her body and as he silently observed her interact with her four very worried loved ones, he couldn't keep from smiling himself.

The circular conversation was a humorous thing to behold. Allura, in typical Allura fashion, only wanted to know how they were doing. Every time they tried to ask her how she was feeling, she waved them off and informed them that she was "perfectly fine" (only his princess would consider having numerous injuries that included broken bones as being "perfectly fine") before once again trying to find out how they had been in her absence. They would then ignore her and try to ask her questions about her own well-being, which led to Allura reassuring them in a very serious tone that she was "perfectly fine" and the whole thing would start again. It took all of his self-control not to burst out laughing. (No one but his Allura could go through what she'd gone through and still feel the need to put others ahead of herself. It was an utterly adorable trait.)

Finally, after what felt like an hour of the five of them going back and forth and getting nowhere, the conversation dissolved into mutual tears as Allura, Romelle, and Larmina joined Nanny in her relieved crying. Only Coran maintained his composure, though his eyes were as wet as the rest.

Keith could only mentally shake his head.

After a while, Coran finally shifted his attention to Keith.

"Commander, the stretcher you asked for is here," he told him. "Doctor Gorma has been notified that the princess is coming in with extensive injuries."

"Thank you, Coran," he acknowledged and he felt Allura bury her face against his chest.

He instantly knew what was causing Allura's sudden distress. The time for them to separate had arrived and with it had come the need to go back to hiding their love for each other.

Adjusting his hold on her in his arms, he carried her out of the ship and onto the ramp.

As he walked down the ramp, he whispered to her, "Everything's going to be all right."

She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from her tears.

"Remember everything we've talked about," he instructed, purposely avoiding the words he could not let be overheard. If the wrong person was listening... "Nothing is ever going to change. I promise."

Allura gave him a tiny smile.

He wished with all his heart he could tell her again how much he loved her, but it was too dangerous with all of the people around them. (Nanny, who was very close by, would more than likely shoot him dead on the spot.) It would just have to wait until they were alone.

As promised, the stretcher was waiting for her at the bottom of the ramp. With it were the two castle maids who doubled as infirmary nurses as well as Pidge, Hunk, and Sven, who had landed their Lions in the hangar.

"Doctor Gorma has everything ready and waiting for her," one of the maids, whose name was Delina, greeted him. "Is there anything else we need to know about her condition?"

"She was given pain medication back on Doom, but it's already worn off," he informed her. "I don't know what they used, but it was very effective stuff."

It had to have been in order for Allura to have enjoyed their lovemaking...

He'd noticed the moment she had begun to feel all of her aches and pains again despite her attempts to hide it from him. He knew her too well to be fooled by her act, but he'd played along because there had been honestly nothing he could do to help her. The rudimentary first aid kit they'd brought along with them lacked anything powerful enough to ease her agony.

Allura threw her good arm around his neck as he bent over to gently deposit her onto the stretcher.

"Stay with me," she murmured. "Please. I'm not ready..."

"Everything's going to be all right," he repeated, once more resisting the urge to comfort her the way he knew she craved. "I promise."

When he was certain she was completely laying against the stretcher, he gently pulled her arm from around his neck.

"I'll see you soon," he assured her. "As soon as Doctor Gorma's finished checking you out and you're settled, I'll come see you. All right?"

With tears running down her cheeks, she nodded in acknowledgement.

"My poor princess is in so much pain!" Nanny burst out, thankfully oblivious to the true reasons for Allura's crying. "Get her to the doctor at once!"

Keith stepped back as Delina and Sanielle, the other maid/nurse, got to work raising the rails on the stretcher so they could get her to the infirmary.

"Would it be easier if one of us pushed?" Lance asked them.

Keith hadn't even noticed him come out of the ship and join the group surrounding the stretcher. (He had been admittedly distracted.)

"Yes, thank you," Sanielle accepted the offer. "It will go much faster if you do."

"I'll do it," Hunk volunteered. "I can get her there the quickest."

"Keith," Coran's voice spoke up from next to him and he turned away from watching the stretcher to see the advisor standing beside him, a serious look on his face. "If you have a moment, I need to speak to you in private."

Keith instantly knew what the topic of their discussion was going to be.

"Of course," he told him as Allura was wheeled away into the main castle.

"Lead the way."

((()))

Keith followed Coran into a conference room that wasn't too far from the infirmary, trying to decide the best way to describe Allura's horrendous injuries without giving away his detailed knowledge of her most intimate ones.

Although Coran was accepting of the fact that he was in love with Allura and knew that she loved him in return, the advisor had made it clear that the princess was never to know of his feelings for her. He was fine with it as long as Keith only loved her from afar. But all of that would change the moment he found out that Keith had made love to her.

He didn't even want to know what kind of reaction Coran would have.

He just knew it would be bad. For both Allura and himself.

"Please, have a seat," Coran said, gesturing for Keith to sit in one of the many chairs surrounding the table.

Keith pulled one out and sat it in.

Coran, however, remained standing.

Turning to face the room's back wall, he announced, "Nanny and I have been lying to Her Highness for her entire life."

The unexpected declaration took Keith by surprise. Why was Coran telling him this and what did it have to do with Allura's condition?

"While it is true that there are marriage laws," Coran continued, "none of them have any bearing on her ascendance to the throne. Once she came of age, she could become queen at any time."

Keith did not say a word, not understanding why he was being told any of this information. Why would Coran want him to know this? And for what reason had Allura been misled all of her life?

"But you and I both know that Allura is too trusting and too naï ve to rule effectively on her own," Coran went on, turning back around. "She allows her compassionate nature to cloud her judgment. Hence the lie that she needs to marry in order to become queen. It was for both her own good and the good of Arus. Which is the reason why we lied to her a second time."

Keith still didn't see where Coran was going with this, so he continued to stay silent. But Coran had a point about Allura ruling on her own, one that he had never really thought about. She was too trusting, among many other things. (She had a charming innocence about her. Or, at least, she'd had before Lotor had touched her...) Going by the situations she had gotten them into over the past two years because of her inability to see the bad in people, she would need constant supervision as queen. And who better to keep her in check than a king by her side? (And as long as the man she married loved her and was good to her, he would be able to live with his own pain. Allura's happiness meant more to him than his own.)

"We told her that she could only marry a prince."

Keith's heart stopped at the revelation.

Allura didn't have to marry a prince?

Did that mean...?

"Her husband must either be of royal or noble blood of course," Coran clarified, instantly dousing Keith's brief flare of hope that he and Allura had a chance to marry, "but that it must specifically be a prince was our own invention. Our reasoning was that only a prince could bring the knowledge and experience of being a fit ruler as well as come with the financial resources to truly rebuild our world."

Everything Coran was saying made perfect sense. The lies had been told to Allura with the best intentions for both herself and Arus. Even the one about her marrying a-

Suddenly Keith knew what this entire conversation was about.

"You don't think there's going to be a prince willing to marry her because of what just happened to her," he said, remembering with disgust how Allura had considered herself "ruined."

And if she turned out to be pregnant as well...

"No, I don't," Coran agreed, finally joining him at the table. "But finding a prince for her to marry is no longer necessary."

"It's not?" Keith questioned, once again at a loss why he was being told any of this. Coran knew how he and Allura felt about each other. It wasn't in his nature to be cruel, so why was he discussing Allura's potential future husband with him? What was the point of telling him who she could and could not marry? He was the last person who needed to be hearing this.

"No," Coran confirmed. "In fact, I've already found the perfect husband for her.

"You, Commander."

What?!

Keith stared at him in shocked disbelief. None of this made any sense. Hadn't Coran just finished telling him that Allura could only marry someone royal or noble, of which he was neither? How in all of the galaxies had the advisor come to the conclusion that he was the "perfect husband" for her when he clearly didn't meet any of the criteria?

"You love her deeply, Keith," Coran said. "You've demonstrated your devotion to her time and time again. And there's no question that Allura feels the same way about you. It's obvious every time she looks at you. I honestly can't think of a better match for her than you."

Keith was completely dumbfounded by Coran's sudden reversal. Less than a week ago, the same man had basically thanked him for keeping his love a secret. Now he was telling him that he could marry her? What had changed? And how?

"Would you be willing to marry Princess Allura?"

Looking him straight in the eye, Keith honestly told him, "There's nothing I've wanted more for a very long time. But I've always known that it was an impossibility. I-"

"But what if it wasn't?" Coran countered. "What if I told you that there was nothing keeping you from marrying her? Would you?"

"In a heartbeat," he assured him, more than anything wanting this to be real. To marry the woman he loved... "But I don't see-"

"Before you say another word, I want you to read this," Coran interrupted, sliding the tablet towards him that had already been on the table when they'd arrived.

"What is it?" he asked, accepting the device and picking it up.

"Just read," Coran instructed as Keith scanned the displayed information.

The imaged document, which looked fairly old, was titled "The Knights of Arus." And it appeared to be nothing more than a compiled list of names.

"What am I looking for?" he tried again as he started to go down the list.

"You'll know it when you see it," was Coran's cryptic reply.

Both puzzled and intrigued, he continued to read name after name.

When he was nearly halfway down the list he finally saw it.

And nearly dropped the tablet in shock.

"This-this is impossible," he murmured, shaking his head in utter disbelief. "How can...? I don't understand."

On the screen, written in the same hand as the rest of the list, was his own surname, Kogane.

"What is this, Coran? Who are the Knights of Arus and how did my name get on this list?" he demanded to know.

"The Knights of Arus were once the defenders of this world," Coran began explaining. "They were said to be among the greatest warriors in the universe. Their skills in both physical combat and magic were legendary. For generations, all Voltron pilots were chosen from among their ranks. It was they who protected Arus from the forces of evil.

"That is, they did until they and their families suddenly vanished a century ago."

"Vanished?" Keith repeated, intrigued by the revelation. It didn't sound possible. "How?"

"No one knows," Coran told him. "One day they were here and then suddenly they were gone. All twenty families disappeared from Arus and they were never heard from again."

The advisor met his gaze.

"Until two years ago."

"This doesn't make any sense," Keith protested, struggling to understand what this meant. How could his family name be on an ancient list? There was nothing special about his family. No magic or extraordinary skills. (If he was related to one of these Knights, it must not have been a very important or powerful one.) His life growing up had been as ordinary as anybody else's. "I've never heard of anyone on my father's side of the family coming from another world. As far as I know, they've always lived on Earth. In fact, I was the first family member to go to the academy."

He remembered the time very well. He had been eighteen-years-old and he had been in the midst of a feud with his mother. His father had recently died after a long battle with an illness and his mother had revealed, the very day after her husband's death no less, that she had been seeing someone else. Keith had been devastated to learn of his mother's unfaithfulness, especially during a time when his ailing father had needed her the most. Her behavior had gone against everything he had ever been taught by both of his parents. (She had tried to justify what she had done by bringing up the fifteen year age difference between Kenneth and herself and claiming that she was "too young" to be alone.) To make matters worse, she had left on a trip with her lover almost immediately and missed her late husband's funeral. To this day he had never completely forgiven her for what she had done, though he'd made numerous attempts to reconcile with her over the years, all of which had been ignored. (She'd turned her entire family against him as well, leaving him without a single relative to keep in touch with.) Entering the academy had been a welcome escape from all of his personal troubles.

"If the families did not want to be found, it would make sense that they did not share their origins when making new lives for themselves," Coran pointed out. "Perhaps, your father and his immediate relatives were unaware of their Arusian background. The Knights covered their tracks well when leaving Arus. Not a single record exists from the time of their disappearance. Everything we have and know predates it."

Keith didn't know what to think. He had spent his entire life being so sure of who he was and where he had come from. His family had been small on both sides, his father being an only child and his mother having only one brother. (He'd spent most of his childhood wishing for siblings. His father had always joked that it was a "Kogane family tradition" to be an only child since his father and grandfather had been as well.) If what Coran was telling him was true and his family had originally come from Arus...

"Just exactly how did you happen to find this?" he at last questioned, knowing in his heart of hearts that this was real. Coran had no reason to lie about this.

His family had come from Arus.

His family was of noble blood.

And noble blood meant he would be allowed to marry Allura...

"I was searching for a copy of the royal marriage laws," Coran told him, surprising him once again. "It had been so long since I've actually read them that I wanted to make sure that I was remembering them correctly. I was hoping that I wasn't and that there was an exception that would allow the princess to marry someone neither royal nor noble. But before-"

"Wait, you had already decided that you wanted me to marry Allura?" he interrupted, needing to know this more than anything. "How? Why?"

Coran looked down at the table. "I've always been aware that you possessed all of the qualities that would make a great king. They were clear to me from almost the first moment we met. And then the way you connected with Her Highness in a way that no one else ever had... But I was too caught up in my own lie to consider the possibility of you marrying her. I was only thinking of the future and what Allura's marriage would mean for Arus.

"I was wrong when I gave you my gratitude for keeping your love a secret," he confessed, lifting his head to meet Keith's gaze once again. "I should have encouraged the two of you as soon as I recognized your mutual feelings. Allura's happiness should have been more important to me than gaining another planet's wealth. It took Princess Romelle pointing out to me the important role your love would play in Allura's recovery to realize how blind I've been. I'm ashamed of my behavior. Allura is like a daughter to me and I've ignored her wants for far too long. Can you ever forgive me?"

Keith was once again blindsided by Coran's unexpected words. Coran was apologizing for doing what he felt was best for Allura? Why couldn't he see that he'd done nothing wrong?

"You have nothing to apologize for," he waved him off. "Marrying Allura was something I'd never thought would happen. I've always known a future with her was out of the question. What you said to me that day only reinforced what I already knew. So for you to tell me now that I can marry her... You now have my undying gratitude."

"Does that mean you will marry her?"

"Only if she'll have me," he answered, already knowing how happy Allura was going to be when Coran told her. Until that moment, the fact that they had already entered a relationship had to continue to remain a secret. "I love her too much to force her into a marriage she may not want."

It was of course a lie, but one designed to protect Allura. Coran couldn't know that she had already confessed to wanting to give up everything just to marry him.

That they'd made love several times...

"Believe me, Keith, she wants to be with you as much as you want to be with her," Coran said. "And I think you-"

"Um, Keith, sorry to interrupt," Lance's voice suddenly broadcast over his Voltcom. "I know you're busy with Coran, but we've got a bit of a situation here in the infirmary."

Allura!

Had her injuries been worse than he'd thought?

"What's happened? Is Allura-?"

"She's, um, well... According to Delina, she's having a bit of a meltdown."

Oh, no!

He supposed he shouldn't be too surprised. She had been through so much in such a short time that it was probably all just catching up with her now. Add to that the fact that she had been so upset that they had to separate so she could be checked by the doctor. It all combined to equal one overwhelmed princess.

Giving a meaningful look to Coran, he told Lance, "I'll be right there. Keith out."

"Go," Coran simply said.

Nodding his thanks, Keith leapt from his chair and raced out of the conference room and headed towards the infirmary.

His Allura needed him.

((()))

"No more! Please!" Allura pleaded as Doctor Gorma started to set up the stirrups on the end of the bed. "Please! I-I can't! I hurt too much! Please!"

She knew exactly what the stirrups meant, what he was going to want to see. And she just couldn't go through that now. She was already in so much pain. (As Doctor Gorma had explained, because he needed to know the exact level of pain associated with each injury, he could not give her any more pain medication before he was finished examining her.) Placing her legs in the stirrups would be bad enough. But when he started checking her there...

She moved her thighs closer together in an attempt to protect herself in the only way she could. (Curling up into a ball was physically impossible right now.)

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Doctor Gorma apologized, "but I need to see all of your injuries. It won't take long, I promise."

"Please..." she tried again. "I can't!"

"Child, you will stop this nonsense at once!" Nanny commanded from her place near the head of Allura's bed. "Allow the doctor to do his job. Start acting like the princess you are! This behavior is unacceptable!"

"Her Highness is fine," Doctor Gorma waved her off. "Her reluctance is understandable. But, Princess, I urge that you let me proceed with the pelvic exam now. It's best to ascertain the extent of your internal injuries before they begin to heal. It will help determine the best course of treatment."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just can't. I hurt-"

"Why are you being such a foolish girl?" Nanny cut her off. "You heard what the doctor said! You need to let him check you! The sooner he finishes examining you, the sooner he can give you something for the pain! Stop this ridiculous behavior!"

"I hurt too much!" Allura protested, wishing Nanny would understand. The pain she was already in... Allowing Doctor Gorma to move her legs and then touch her...there... She wouldn't be able to take it. "Please!"

"Allura," came the calm voice of Romelle as she reappeared on her other side, taking her good hand in both of hers. (Her cousin had moved away from her bedside a short while ago. Allura was glad of her return.) "I've just sent Delina to find Keith. He'll be here soon."

Keith! Allura thought happily, momentarily forgetting everything else.

He would be able to make Nanny and Doctor Gorma understand that she was in too much pain.

He would make everything all right again.

"He will do no such thing!" Nanny bellowed. "The princess is in no state to have any visitors, especially male ones! She is inappropriately dressed and too exposed! He cannot be allowed to come in here!"

"Oh, please, Nanny!" Allura begged. "Let Keith come! I'll be good if he's here! I swear!"

When Keith was with her, she knew all was right in her world. He made her feel safe and protected. She would do almost anything to have him near her.

"Absolutely not!" Nanny informed her. "Now, while I'll allow that the commander is-"

"The commander is what?" Keith interrupted as he entered the examination room.

"Keith!" Allura happily cried as he immediately came over to her.

Romelle released her hold on her hand and moved so that Keith could take her place.

"You can't be in here!" Nanny screeched as Keith, much to Allura's delight and surprise, leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Are you all right, my love?" he softly asked her as he took the hand Romelle had released, clearly ignoring his own decision to hide their relationship. "Lance said you were very upset."

"I'm-" she started to answer.

"What are you doing?!" Nanny ranted. "How dare you be so familiar with Her Highness! You have no right to-"

"Enough, Nanny," Romelle interjected. "Let them be."

Allura shuddered as Nanny's face reddened with anger.

"Ooh, just wait until I tell Coran about this!" she raged. "He'll be furious! I won't be surprised if he-"

"Nanny, I'm here because Coran gave me permission," Keith calmly told her, once again surprising Allura.

Coran had allowed Keith to come into the examination room knowing that she would not be presentable? She couldn't believe it. The only ones who would be permitted to see her this way were...

Had Keith told Coran about their relationship? It was the only explanation that made sense, especially given that he had kissed her in front of everybody, but if he had, why wasn't Coran keeping them apart? (Keith had told her that while Coran knew of their mutual feelings, he had made it clear that they were never to be acted upon. Wouldn't entering into a relationship with her be a clear violation of his wishes?) Why was he instead allowing Keith to be with her? What was she missing?

"I don't believe it!" Nanny huffed. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"If you calm down, I'll explain everything to you," Keith answered. "But not here. In private."

Allura wondered at the "in private" part. What could Keith possibly have to say that he didn't want her to hear? If it was about their relationship, shouldn't she be a part of the conversation?

"Very well, Commander," Nanny finally relented, much to Allura's relief. She hated it when Nanny was so upset. (Which, unfortunately, had become a frequent occurrence ever since the space explorers had come into their lives.) "I will go with you so you can explain your impertinent behavior."

Keith leaned down and kissed Allura's forehead a second time.

"I'll tell you everything when we're alone," he promised.

"All right," she replied, again wondering why he didn't want her to hear now.

But she knew Keith never did anything without a good reason, so she would be patient until he told her.

He released her hand.

"Romelle, I'd like you to hear this too," he said as he stepped away from the bed and motioned for the two women to follow him.

The three of them disappeared from her field of vision and if it weren't for the sound of Keith's quiet voice, she would never had known they were still in the same room.

"Princess," Doctor Gorma, who had not said a word since right before Keith's arrival, spoke up, "have you made a decision yet? Will you allow me to perform the pelvic exam?"

The mention of the exam reminded her of why she had been pleading with him to postpone it.

But now that she was feeling calmer, thanks to Keith's nearness, she realized that the doctor was right. It would be best to just get it over with.

"Can we wait for Keith to return?" she asked hopefully, knowing she'd be able to better handle the pain if he were by her side.

"Certainly, Your Highness," Doctor Gorma agreed, "but are you sure you will be comfortable with him being here during the exam? You will be completely exposed."

"Lotor kept me naked for almost the entire time I was his prisoner," she matter-of-factly informed him, realizing as she said it that she had gotten used to being undressed at all times. It felt like an eternity since she had worn real clothes. It would be strange to be dressed again. Good, but strange. "I was seen by numerous servants and I was still that way when Keith and Lance rescued me. I don't care if he sees me again while you examine me. I'll just feel better having him here."

"All right, Your Highness," the doctor agreed and Allura closed her eyes in relief.

Suddenly, Nanny let out a loud cry of displeasure.

"No, no! I refuse to accept it!" she shouted. "I don't care what that supposed document claims! My baby will only marry a prince!"

Allura tried to sit up to see what was going on, but she was in a bad position and could not maneuver herself.

Why was Nanny carrying on about who she was going to marry? What did that have to do with anything? What could Keith have possibly said to her?

"Princess Allura will marry whoever she chooses," Keith countered in a calm, quiet voice. "All I am saying is that because of what Coran has shared with me, I am now eligible to marry her. And that gives me every right to openly show her how I feel."

Allura gasped, shocked by what Keith had just said.

Coran had said he was eligible to marry her?

Keith could really become her husband and king?

Oh, she prayed to all of the gods it was true!

It would be a miracle!

"I am going to speak to Coran about this nonsense!" Nanny declared. "You obviously heard him wrong! I will get to the bottom of this and set you straight!"

"You should go do that," Romelle spoke up. "The sooner, the better. In fact, right now would be perfect."

"You are absolutely right, Princess!" Nanny agreed and Allura silently giggled at the fact that Nanny was oblivious to the fact that Romelle was only saying that to get rid of her. "I will go speak with him this instant! The very idea that a commoner can marry a princess! Well, I never!"

Allura listened as Nanny's clomping footsteps faded along with her voice.

Oh, please let what I heard be true!

Suddenly, Romelle's face appeared above hers once again.

"Well, Cousin," she said with a smile, "I'm going to leave you in the capable hands of your intended. I need to make sure that Nanny doesn't throttle Coran when he tries to set her straight." She leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later."

"All right," Allura replied, her eyes filling with happy tears as Romelle's words confirmed that everything she had heard was true.

She and Keith could get married!

Romelle stepped away and less than a second later, Keith took her place.

"It's really true," she breathed, her tears falling down her cheeks. "We can-"

"Yes, my love," he confirmed, gently cutting her off as he caressed her cheek. "Apparently, someone on my father's side of the family was a Knight of Arus."

Her eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the long-lost guardians of the world.

Keith was descended from one of the Knights?

Keith's family was from Arus?

And he wasn't just from any Arusian family.

It was a noble Arusian family.

And a noble family was practically a royal family...

She couldn't believe it! It was the miracle she had been praying for!

"We can get married!" she happily cried, not even caring how Coran had found out about Keith's heritage. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that she could marry him! "I love you so much! I want to get married as soon as we can!"

Keith gave a soft laugh at her declaration. "So do I, my princess, but I believe you have some unfinished business with Doctor Gorma first."

Allura reddened from embarrassment as she realized that in her excitement she'd forgotten all about the patiently waiting doctor.

"I'm so sorry, Doctor," she apologized. "I know I've been an awful patient today. Can you ever forgive me?"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Your Highness," Gorma assured her. "I realize how much pain you must be in and I again apologize for causing you more, but I can't treat you properly unless I know where you hurt and what's causing the associated pain. The pelvic exam is the last part I need to perform before I can start you on a pain regiment. Are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes, Doctor," she told him as Keith took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I'm ready."

((()))

At the sound of the waiting room door opening, Lance jumped to his feet.

He, Sven, and Coran were the only ones still sitting there. (He and Sven had been there the entire time while Coran had just shown up around fifteen minutes ago.) Shortly into the first hour (which Lance had figured to now be over an hour ago), Larmina had started getting restless, so Pidge and Hunk had taken the eleven-year-old somewhere else with the intention of finding something to keep her occupied. Keith, of course, was in with Allura while Nanny and Romelle had not been seen or heard from since Nanny's dramatic exit thirty minutes ago (which, coincidentally or not-so-coincidentally, came less than five minutes after Keith had gone in). Romelle had followed shortly after and was presumably still with her. (He assumed Coran's late arrival was related to whatever had gotten Nanny so fired up.)

Doctor Gorma emerged into the waiting room, his expression as unreadable as always.

"How is she, Doctor?" Coran asked for all of them.

"Her Highness is resting comfortably now," Gorma answered. "I administered her a sedative along with the pain medication to ensure that she sleeps for the next several hours. The princess is suffering from severe malnourishment, which has greatly weakened her. She's been given an IV with nutrients to start rebuilding her strength. She probably won't be ready for solid food for several days.

"Her main injuries are her broken bones," he continued. "The tibia and fibula in both legs were snapped in half. Her Highness told me that Prince Lotor ordered one of the robots to break her legs, which would account for the clean breaks. And the head of her right humerus is fractured, which the Princess informed me happened when she was knocked from her bed. I've put her arm in an immobilizer and a sling and both legs have been placed in casts. Because of the leg injuries alone, she is going to be confined to beds and chairs for the majority of her recovery, which is generally six to eight weeks for broken bones.

"Her broken shoulder presents another issue," the doctor went on. "Her Highness is right-handed and she will not be able to use her arm for the duration of recovery. She will need assistance with almost every day-to-day task. To make things easier for her, I have placed her on a catheter for now. When she's stronger, I will offer her the option of using a bed pan instead."

Lance inwardly winced at the information. Allura was not going to be a very happy princess. She loved to be active and on the go, not to mention the fact that she was fiercely independent. It had been bad enough that she had been immobilized like this while she was Lotor's prisoner. It was going to be much worse now that she was home. Being trapped in bed and requiring help with every little task was going to drive her crazy.

He knew that having Keith by her side would make things a whole lot easier for her. Thank goodness he had finally come to his senses! (He honestly had never seen Keith as happy as he'd been when he'd found him sleeping with Allura in his arms. And he'd known him for a very long time!) As he, Sven, and Romelle had been telling him all along, his love was going to make a world of difference in Allura's recovery. She would thrive on it.

"I would like to keep her here in the infirmary for at least a week before I even consider releasing her to her own chambers," Doctor Gorma added. "She needs to regain her strength before I can assess her ability to perform any tasks associated with daily living. There are some things she won't be able to do on her own period, but there are others she can learn to do with minimal assistance. Once she can do those, I will allow her to move outside of the infirmary.

"The rest of her injuries were all minor and required very little care on my part," he concluded his report. "They will all heal over time."

"Thank you, Doctor Gorma," Coran said. "I know she's sleeping, but would it be all right to go in and see her now?"

"I don't see why not," Gorma told him. "The commander is already with her. But if you don't mind, Coran, there is one other issue that I need to discuss with you in private."

"If you're talking about the fact that she was repeatedly raped by that bastard Lotor, we already know all about it," Lance spoke up, not wanting to be kept in the dark about anything regarding Allura's condition and knew Sven felt the same way. (They'd fill Hunk and Pidge in later.) If the doctor had just discovered that she was pregnant... "So let's have it, Doc. Is she carrying his baby?"

Gorma's usually impassive expression changed to one of surprise. "That is... Um, well, that's not something... Coran-"

"It's all right, Doctor," Coran soothed him, giving Lance a look of disapproval. "Lance's concern may have been poorly worded, but I do understand his sentiment. We are all family here and he has as much right to know about Her Highness's condition as anyone. Anything you have to say can be said in front of the Voltron Force."

Gorma looked uncomfortable, but nodded. "Very well. The truth is I have not conducted a pregnancy test as of yet. And even if I had and she has conceived, the pregnancy will not be detected until her body begins to produce certain hormones and that will not be until around a week after conception. Based on the timetable of her kidnapping, we are still a day or so away from being able to begin to check for those hormones. And that is only if she conceived immediately after being taken."

Which would mean the baby could be mine, Lance realized, on one hand knowing that it wouldn't be the end of the world (it would mean that all of Lotor's efforts were wasted and Allura would be able to love her child without the constant fear of him or her being taken away by Doom), but that it would cause a whole lot of problems for everyone (he would have to confess his actions to Coran, which would not go over well, and probably get him kicked off of the planet to boot).

"And there's no other way to check for pregnancy?" Sven asked.

"Nothing that is normally done, no," Gorma answered, surprising Lance.

Haggar had seemed so certain of Allura being pregnant when they'd rescued her. But it was possible that she had just been bluffing to keep them from blowing Lotor away, which Lance would have been more than happy to do. (Lotor was the lowest kind of scum there was and killing him would have brought Lance a whole lot of pleasure.) Maybe she hadn't really known and there was a chance that Allura wasn't pregnant at all, which would be a win for everyone.

No one would be happier than Allura herself...

"There is one possibility, but it would require Her Highness's consent," Gorma continued. "It's an invasive procedure that would involve a visual search for the blastocyst within the Princess's reproductive system. It can be done in one of two ways, both equally time consuming. But as her physician, I highly recommend against it at this time. She is very fragile right now and I don't think it would be a good idea to bring up the possibility of pregnancy so early in her recovery. It would be better to wait for her to start experiencing the symptoms."

"To be honest, the sooner we know if Her Highness is with child, the better," Coran soberly stated. "If she is indeed pregnant, it will be imperative that she be married before the pregnancy becomes noticeable to avoid scandal."

Lance bit his tongue to keep himself from saying something that would probably get him banned from visiting Allura.

He couldn't believe that the first thing that came to Coran's mind during this horrible time was marrying her off to prevent a scandal! Ugh! He'd thought Coran was better than that, especially since he knew that Allura was in love with Keith and vice versa.

"I don't think the commander would mind getting married immediately," Coran added, shocking Lance and, from the expression on his face, Sven too.

Only Doctor Gorma didn't flinch.

"Wait, back up," Lance interjected. "Would you mind saying that again because I swear you just said that Keith, as in the Voltron Commander Keith, wouldn't mind marrying the princess."

"That is exactly what I said," Coran informed him. "While you were away on the rescue mission, I made the discovery that Keith's family was originally from Arus. He is descended from one of the noble Arusian families, making him eligible to seek the princess's hand."

"No way!" Lance shot back. "You've got to be kidding me!"

If this was true, and there was no way that someone like Coran would make up something like that, then that would mean that both Keith and Allura had been torturing themselves for the last two years for absolutely nothing. They could have gotten together immediately!

"That is wonderful news," Sven spoke up. "I take it that Keith already knows?"

Coran nodded. "I told him almost immediately after you arrived with Allura."

And that explains Nanny practically running out of the examining room as if her pants were on fire, Lance smirked to himself.

He could just imagine the look on Nanny's face when Keith had informed her that he was in fact a noble and that he was going to marry Allura. (It's a shame he hadn't been there to see it! It would have been one of those moments that would have gone down in the annals of history!) But for all of her carrying on, there would be nothing she could do to stop it.

Who's a hooligan now? Lance silently shot at her.

"Back to the issue at hand," Coran redirected the conversation. "If I can get Her Highness to consent to the procedure, would you perform it as soon as possible?"

"I would have to have some of the necessary equipment delivered from Planet Ebb, but yes, I would," Gorma informed him. "It would take less than a day for them to arrive. I would probably receive them early tomorrow morning."

"Please go and order the items now, Doctor," Coran instructed. "I will speak to Keith and he will be able to convince Her Highness to consent."

"As you wish," Gorma nodded. "Please excuse me."

He went back into the infirmary, leaving the three men in the waiting room.

"If you gentlemen will come with me, we will check on the princess and speak with Keith," Coran told Lance and Sven.

"After you," Lance gestured.

And Coran turned towards the door that Gorma had just gone through and opened it.

Lance and Sven followed him as he entered the infirmary.

((()))

Keith quietly sat at Allura's bedside, holding her left hand between both of his.

She was in a deep, drug-induced sleep and he couldn't tell whether or not she was dreaming. (He hoped that she wasn't. He worried that because she had been so distracted by her rescue and their new relationship while awake that thoughts of her horrific experience at Lotor's hands would surface as nightmares.) Doctor Gorma had assured him that she would sleep for the next several hours, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her side quite yet. He wanted to spend as much time with his fiancée as he could.

His fiancée.

He was still having trouble getting his head around it. It was overwhelming enough to learn that his family had originated on Arus and, on top of that, were part of the nobility. But then to find out that he was allowed to marry the woman he had loved for so long because of it... It didn't seem real.

But Coran had assured him that it was and of anyone, Coran had the least reason to lie about anything affecting Allura's future. So he chose to accept everything the royal advisor had told him and embrace a life where he was married to Allura.

Soon-to-be queen Allura.

Which meant that he was the soon-to-be king.

That alone was the most overwhelming part of becoming Allura's husband. In an instant, he would go from the commander of a small team of space explorers to the ruler of an entire world. It was a mind-blowing realization. Being a planetary leader didn't even compare to running a team of five. But he knew he'd be able to handle it as long as Allura was by his side.

He smiled as he remembered how he had made their engagement "official" by proposing to her while Doctor Gorma was treating her shoulder. He knew she'd be in such terrible pain that he quickly had to come up with a distraction to take her mind off of it. He had spoken the most flowery and poetic words he could think of on such short notice and his princess had loved every one of them. The only thing that had been missing was a ring, but Allura hadn't minded. (He wasn't even sure if they wore engagement rings on Arus. He'd only seen wedding bands when the team had visited the towns and villages.) The proposal had had the intended effect and she'd been too busy kissing him to notice that the doctor had finished putting her arm in the sling.

He couldn't wait to begin their life together. Allura was going to be his wife! And the mother-

The thought of children stopped him cold as the reality that she could already be pregnant with Lotor's child came to the forefront of his mind. If she was, her nightmare was far from over. Lotor would stop at nothing to possess his child. And Allura would always have a reminder of her horrible experience. (But that didn't mean that they wouldn't love the child and that he wouldn't be the child's father. The child did not deserve to be punished because of who his or her biological father was.)

A small part of him hoped that if she was in fact pregnant, that it was a result of her one time with Lance. That she would be able to handle and Lotor would have no reason to try to take the child. (He'd still want Allura of course, but at least a child that wasn't his would be of no use to him.) It was the more desirable outcome of an unplanned pregnancy.

An even smaller part hoped that it was his, but he knew that it was unlikely. They'd only been together those few times on the ship and if Allura was with child, she would have already been pregnant by the time they'd rescued her.

But they had their whole lives ahead of them to have children of their own. (He didn't know how many they'd have, but all he knew was he didn't want an only child like both he and Allura had been. He was sure Allura would agree. And since they both loved children...) There was no hurry. He wanted to enjoy his life with her one day at a time.

He took his right hand away from her left and brushed her hair back from her face. He then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"So, I hear congratulations are in order, Your Majesty," Lance's voice came from behind him.

Keith sat up and turned around to see Lance, Sven, and Coran all coming into Allura's room.

"Actually," Sven spoke up as they gathered around her bed, "you won't address him as 'Your Majesty' until after he's been crowned king."

The others all looked at him.

"And how exactly did you come to know that?" Lance wanted to know, folding his arms across his chest.

Sven shrugged. "I've picked up a few things from my time on Pollux. You try living among royals and see if you don't learn how they address each other."

"Really? You mean Romelle isn't giving you private lessons?" Lance teased.

Keith mentally rolled his eyes. Now that he and Allura were together, it appeared that Lance had found a new target for his compulsive meddling.

"As I keep saying, it isn't like that between us," Sven waved him off. "We're just friends."

"Sure you are," Lance commented. "Just like these two were 'just friends' until this morning," he went on, holding his hands up in air quotes. "So what happened, Commander? You finally noticed that Allura had the hots for you and decided to do something about it? It's about time! I was starting to think you were blind or something."

"Hello to you too," Keith shot back, resisting the urge to actually roll his eyes. Leave it to Lance to disguise his knowledge of how far their relationship had actually gone in the most annoying way possible. "I know I can always count on you to say something flattering."

"Just calling it as I see it," Lance declared. "Though marriage so fast? Methinks someone's more than a little bit impatient."

Keith just shook his head. Lance was clearly having way too much fun with this.

"Remind me to keep you away from our children," Keith matter-of-factly replied.

"And deprive them of my stellar influence?" Lance mock-gasped. "You are a cruel, cruel man. I fear the kind of king you're going to be."

"The commander will make a fine king," Coran interjected, his exasperation at the banter clear in his voice. (Keith could understand why he wasn't in a mood to put up with Lance's warped brand of humor. The woman he had practically raised himself was laying in a hospital bed after surviving a hellish ordeal. It was unsurprising that he couldn't find humor in anything right now.) "How is Allura doing?"

Keith turned back to his beloved and gently touched her cheek.

"Sleeping peacefully," he said before returning his attention to the visitors. "Doctor Gorma said the sedative should keep her that way for several hours."

"The rest will be good for her," Coran determined. "And it will give us time continue our discussion from before and make the decisions that need to be made before she wakes."

"Of course," Keith agreed, gesturing for Coran, Sven, and Lance to sit down in the other chairs spread throughout the room.

"Would you prefer it if Lance and I left?" Sven questioned Coran.

"We already know what they're going to talk about," Lance pointed out before Coran could answer. "I for one want to hear what Keith has to say."

Personally, Keith didn't care if they stayed or left. As far as he was concerned, they were his family and what they did was up to them. Coran, on the other hand, could see things differently.

But since he needed Coran on his side to ensure his future with Allura...

"I will leave it up to you," Coran replied, surprising Keith. "As you so...bluntly put before, you have every right to know everything that is going on."

Keith wondered what he had missed before they had come into the room. Lance had obviously opened his mouth. (What else was new?) But Coran was clearly letting the issue go, probably because he was more concerned with Allura.

"Keith, as our earlier discussion was cut short, we didn't get to talk about the possibility of Allura being pregnant," Coran began. "I hope that-"

"Any child of Allura's will be my child as well," Keith bluntly interrupted him. He knew what Coran had been about to say and wanted to immediately nip that concern in the bud. He was surprised Coran would even think that of him. He thought the advisor already knew that his love for Allura was unconditional. A baby that wasn't biologically his wouldn't make a difference. "I meant it when I said I'd marry her in a heartbeat."

Coran looked relieved. "I thought as much, but you understand why I had to ask."

Keith tightened his grip on Allura's hand. "Of course. But just know that Allura is the love of my life. I would never do anything to hurt her."

He remembered how worried she'd been when she herself had asked him if he'd still love her if she was pregnant by Lotor.

"If she is in fact pregnant, would you be willing to marry her within the next couple of days?" was Coran's next question.

"I would marry her right now if I could," he assured him. "But I think Allura is the one who ultimately has to make that decision. I want to do whatever will make her the happiest."

Truthfully, Allura was the one that needed to decide where and when her marriage took place. While he wouldn't care if their marriage ceremony was nothing more than the signing of a piece of paper, Allura might feel differently. (He'd always heard that a wedding was one of the most important days in a woman's life.) She was a princess, after all, and might want the pomp and circumstance that afforded her. (Knowing her love for her people, she'd most likely want a very large and very public affair so she could share her happiness with as many Arusians as possible.) He wanted what she wanted. He would not go forward without her participation.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you," Coran said. "If Allura is pregnant as we all strongly believe her to be, she must be married before she begins to show. Her reputation among the Arusian people must be protected. You've lived among us long enough to know how inflexible many can be when it comes to our traditions. If it is discovered that she was with a man outside of marriage..."

Keith understood. Arus was a very traditional world, which was probably part of the reason why the people had not completely given into despair since the coming of Doom. The rules and customs of their society gave them something to focus on rather than what had been taken from them. The marriage of and ascendance to queen of their princess was probably the most important of all.

For Allura to be seen as breaking one of these traditions...

"Even if it wasn't her fault?" Lance interjected.

"Lance, do you really think it would be a good idea to make the kidnapping and violation of Allura by Lotor public knowledge?" Sven interjected.

"Of course not," Lance assured him. "But who's to say she couldn't have been grabbed by some local creep here on Arus? The people may be mostly peaceful, but there are bound to be a couple of lowlifes around. I mean, she's not under surveillance at all times. I'm just saying there are ways of explaining a pregnancy without making her a floozy."

"Which would make us look incompetent instead," Keith pointed out. "The people will lose faith in our ability to keep them safe from Doom if we can't even protect the princess. No, Coran is right. Allura can't be seen as having a baby until after she's married. If she's pregnant, we have to get married right away."

He turned back to Allura and gently touched her cheek.

While he knew that Allura was eager for them get married, he doubted she had really thought things through. Although she had declared that she wanted the two of them to be wed "as soon as we can," she had been very emotional at the time and not thinking clearly. She hadn't given any thought to the process of marrying itself. (Neither of them had. It was just something they had both wanted for a long time.) What kind of ceremony would she want? What kind of dress? He hated the idea of having to deprive her of her dream wedding. But what choice did they have if she was pregnant? Her reputation and standing had to be protected at all costs.

"But what if she isn't pregnant at all?" Sven asked. "We could very well be jumping the gun here, Coran. There might not be any need to rush the marriage along."

"I honestly believe there is," Coran countered. "Lotor wants nothing more than to force Allura to marry him. If she's already married, he will not be able to do so. She'll truly be out of his reach once and for all."

But will she really? Keith silently questioned, studying the fading bruises on her face.

The ones Lotor had given her for simply not being a virgin.

Lotor's obsession with Allura went far beyond psychotic. Keith doubted a little thing like her being married to another man was going to deter him. He saw Allura as his possession. A husband would simply be an obstacle to get rid of. Knowing Lotor, his plan would be to first kill him, which was something he had already been trying to do for a long time, and then to brutally punish her for her "unfaithfulness."

And it would be far worse than what he'd already done to her...

"Keith, do you think you'll be able to get her to agree to a quiet ceremony within the next day or so?" Coran wanted to know.

Keith returned his attention to him. "I believe so. But what reason should I give her for the hurry? I don't want it to be anything that would upset her."

He'd have to tell her something that would make her not mind that it was a private event. More than anything, he wanted her to be excited about getting married to him. She didn't need to know the true reasons why they had to be wed so fast.

"I'll leave that up to you," Coran told him. "You'll know what she'll be the most receptive to."

He nodded. He had until she woke up to come up with something that Allura would easily accept.

He once again returned his attention to his sleeping love and, leaning over, pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She stirred in her sleep at the gentle touch.

"You said there were decisions that had to be made," he spoke as he straightened back up and released her hand, unwilling to disturb her further. "This was just one. What's another one?"

"We will need to come up with an official story to explain why your engagement and marriage were conducted in private," Coran told him. "It won't be long before the people begin to notice Her Highness's absence from the public eye and when she finally reappears, it will be as a queen married to her king. Given the nature of her visible injuries, I was thinking we could perhaps attribute them to a mishap during Lion practice. We can exaggerate the extent of her injuries, saying that the reason the two of you got married was because there was a time that it appeared that she wasn't going to completely recover and she wanted to make sure that her people were left in capable hands. We can say that her condition allowed her to finally express her love for you and it was a happy coincidence that not only did you feel the same way, but you discovered your Arusian heritage as well."

"It's clear that you've thoroughly thought this through, Coran," Keith said with a nod. It was a reasonable explanation that no one would question. It covered everything, including a possible pregnancy. "I say we use it. What else?"

"Doctor Gorma says that there is a way of determining if she is pregnant long before the conventional method would reveal the condition," Coran let him know. "But it is an invasive procedure and he won't perform it without Her Highness's consent. I would like you to get it from her tonight if you can. The doctor said the equipment will be here early tomorrow and it would be best if Allura is examined as soon as possible. I'm sure you agree that that it is very important that we know definitely whether or not she is carrying a child."

"She wants to know as badly as the rest of us," Keith assured him. "She's already expressed her concerns about a pregnancy to me. A child is something that will affect the rest of our lives, especially if Lotor is the father. The quicker we know her condition, the better."

What Coran didn't need to know was that Allura's worries were more over Keith not loving her because of a pregnancy than anything else.

"I know I've said it before, but you are a good man, Keith Kogane," Coran stated as he got to his feet. "Her Highness chose wisely when she fell in love with you."

Keith was unsure how to respond to that kind of praise, so he chose to say nothing, rising to his feet as well.

Sven and Lance followed suit.

"I will let the doctor know that the procedure is approved," Coran continued. "If you gentlemen will excuse me."

Keith nodded at the advisor and Coran made his way out of the room.

He sank back down into his chair, reflexively taking hold of Allura's hand.

He exhaled as the overwhelming realization of what had just been discussed fully hit him.

In less than a day or two, he was going to not only be married and the king of Arus, but he was possibly going to be a father as well.

It was a lot to take in.

"Are you okay with everything that's happening?" Lance asked in a quiet voice.

He looked up to see that both Lance and Sven had not returned to their seats and were still standing.

"Yeah, I am," he truthfully answered.

As overwhelming as it all was, he was happy. He was about to marry the love of his life and possibly start a family with her.

It was more than he could have ever hoped for.

"You know that we've got your back," Lance added. "All of us. Hunk and Pidge would tell you the same thing if they were here."

"Perhaps now that you're going to be a king, Lance will finally listen to you," Sven lightly added.

"Nah," Lance decided with a dismissive gesture. "Where's the fun in that?"

Keith couldn't help but laugh.

"We're going to go now," Sven pointedly stated. "You should go and try to get some rest yourself. Because if everything goes the way I think it will, tomorrow is going to be a big day for you and Allura both."

"I will," he promised, "but not yet." He slightly tightened his hold on Allura's hand. "I'm going to stay here a little bit longer."

He didn't know how to explain his desire to stay near Allura. It wasn't that he was afraid something would happen if he were to turn his back for an instant. (He kept clinging to what Haggar had said just before he and Lance had been allowed to leave with Allura. The witch had insisted to Lotor that they wait until a baby is born before coming for Allura again. That would give them at least nine months to prepare even if she wasn't pregnant.) He just felt...peaceful in her presence. Just being in the same room as her... He just wasn't ready to walk away from it.

"We'll check in on both of you later," Sven told him.

"Take care of yourself," Lance added. "I mean it."

He smiled at both of them. "Thanks."

"Let's go, Lance," Sven said and started walking away.

"In a minute," Lance let him know. To Keith, he said, "I know I gave you a lot of crap about keeping your feelings for Allura hidden from her, but you gotta admit I was right. Happiness looks good on you, Commander."

Keith gave another small smile.

"I'm really happy for the both of you. Yeah, the circumstances that got you together suck, but hey, you're together. And that's really all that matters."

"I wish that were the case," he sighed, returning his attention to the still-sleeping Allura. "I just want this whole ordeal to be over, but it won't be as long as Lotor is still out there. He's never going to stop coming for her."

Especially if Allura is carrying his baby, he silently added.

He would do anything to keep her and any of her children safe.

Even sacrifice his own life.

"He won't get her again," Lance assured him. "He got lucky this last time. It won't ever happen again."

"I hope you're right," Keith said, resisting the urge to touch her face again. He didn't want to risk waking her. "Because I don't know if she'd survive being his prisoner a second time."

"Don't worry. You're never going to have to find out," Lance asserted. "Allura is never going anywhere again."

Keith couldn't help but smile at Lance's certainty.

"I guess I'm just going to have to take your word for it."

"You'd better! Because I don't make those kind of promises to just anyone."

"Your minute is up," Sven called from the doorway. "Time to leave the man alone."

"Yeah, yeah," Lance mock-grumbled. "You can take the command away from the man... I'll see you later, Keith."

"You too."

Keith listened to the sound of the receding footsteps.

When they faded, he was once again alone with Allura.

"I love you," he whispered to her sleeping form.

And then he allowed his mind to wander to thoughts of a blissfully happy future with the love of his life.

The woman he would do anything to keep safe.

Anything.

((()))

With a contentedly purring Coba in her arms, Haggar stood at the front of the gathered throng that had come together to greet the returning Zarkon. (He had gone to "visit" with several governors of some of the more outlying worlds of his empire whose performance of their duties had been found to be lacking.) Beside her, Lotor was still fuming from the, as he put it, "temporary loss" of Allura and it was difficult to keep her amusement hidden.

Ever since the space explorers had "rescued" (if it could truly be called that since they had been allowed to leave) the princess, the prince had been in the throes of a temper tantrum. Despite his seeming acceptance of Haggar's plan to wait for a baby to be born before retrieving Allura, he had flown into a rage almost immediately after she had been taken away. He had then locked himself in the quarters he had given to Allura and all but destroyed the contents. (She had watched him through her crystal, finding his childish behavior highly entertaining.) He had not allowed anyone in until he was finished taking out his anger on every inanimate object he could get his hands on. (Haggar had been surprised that he had not punished the three slaves he had assigned to the Arusian princess as servants, but she supposed since they had been sleeping at the time of the "rescue," Lotor had no basis on which to blame any of it on them. After all, there was no need to deprive himself of their services until he had his "queen" back.) He had only emerged after being informed that his father had returned.

Zarkon of course knew everything that had transpired. Haggar had been sure to keep him informed of her progress since it was with his "permission" that she had enacted her plan to capture Allura. (It was so ironic that he had no idea that he had signed his own death warrant.) They had spoken at length during Lotor's self-confinement and devised a scheme to keep the prince occupied while waiting for his spawn to be born. (It would not do for him to attempt to recapture the princess beforehand.)

Haggar still had no proof that Allura was with child, but it was impossible for her not to be. Not after Lotor had spent all hours of the day, day after day, for nearly a week attempting to impregnate her. She would be able to confirm her assumption soon enough. She had no doubt that a pregnancy test would be one of the first tasks done once they had the princess back in her castle. Finding out was simply a matter of going to Arus and sending Coba into the castle to be her eyes.

Her attention was pulled back to the present as the hatch of Zarkon's ship opened and the king emerged, a pleased expression on his face.

"Welcome back, Sire," she greeted him as she was expected to. Lotor could have no idea that his father already knew that Allura was gone. "I trust your business was successful?"

"Of course it was, old witch!" Zarkon boomed as he made his way down the ramp. "Those spineless underlings learned that there is a price to be paid for their laziness. And although I was lenient with them this time, none of them will dare lose control of their domains again. Because if they do..."

He let the threat hang in the air, a move Haggar knew was calculated. Zarkon wanted everyone who served under him to know that it was very rare that he gave second chances. And that he would not take it lightly if those chances were squandered.

Haggar knew that she was very fortunate that both her and the prince were the sole exceptions to that rule. (She had lost track of the number of "second chances" they had collectively accumulated.)

"So, my son," Zarkon continued, coming to a standstill right in front of both Lotor and Haggar. "I see that your bride-to-be is not with you. Has your frequent bedding of her left her so exhausted that she cannot come out to greet her soon-to-be father-in-law?"

Haggar held down the laugh that rose in her throat at the infuriated sound Lotor made at the crude remark. He was extremely sensitive to any presumed slights of his "love."

"No, Father," Lotor answered, trying and failing to disguise the rage in his voice. "Allura is no longer here. She was...removed by the accursed Voltron Force."

"Voltron?!" Zarkon seethed, pretending that this was news to him. "You mean to tell me that those puny humans broke into my castle and you were unable to stop them? How incompetent can you be?!"

To his credit, Lotor did not flinch.

"Lotor made the only choice that would ensure the future of your dynasty, my king," Haggar smoothly interjected before Lotor could open his mouth in his own defense. "Any action on his part may have resulted in the death of the princess.

"And the child she carries within her."

Neither Zarkon nor Lotor knew that she was just assuming that Allura was pregnant. They believed she knew it to be a fact. But there was no need to correct them since it allowed her to manipulate them into doing exactly what she wanted.

"The old witch speaks true, Father," Lotor said. "The space explorers already had her in their possession when I finally caught up with them. I could not exterminate them without killing my love in the process. But I will not rest until she is back where she belongs. No matter how long it takes."

"I have advised my prince, wisely I might add, that it would be in his best interests to allow the princess to carry her baby to term before going after her," Haggar continued. "Arus is a more suitable environment for the princess during her pregnancy. Once the child is born, both of them can be easily retrieved and returned here."

"Yes, yes," Zarkon pretended to muse. He had already agreed to Haggar's plan to keep Lotor out of the way for the next several months. "You have a point, old witch. It makes sense to let the princess bear the brat before bringing her back here with it."

Haggar could feel Lotor's fury growing. Not only was he enraged that his need to have his future bride returned to him now was being ignored, but he hated being told that he couldn't do something, even if it was indirectly. It only made him more determined to do it anyway.

"Sire, you understand that means there can be no attacks on Arus during this time," she pointed out, enjoying Lotor's impotent rage. This was literally the only way to keep him away from Arus. He had yet to disobey one of his father's direct commands. (It was her hope that this would change once Allura was his wife and she called on him to fulfill his end of their bargain.) "We must do everything we can to ensure that Lotor's heir is born healthy. We cannot risk either the child or the princess dying in an attack."

"A very good point, Haggar," Zarkon agreed. "Arus is such an insignificant world. I can wait a little longer before adding it to my empire once and for all."

"And Voltron will not be a threat to us as long as we stay away from Arus," Haggar added. "The weak humans only use the robot as a defensive weapon. They will not come after us on their own."

To her, this was the most brilliant part of her overall plan to appease Lotor with the princess. The Voltron Force, who was permanently down one pilot (they would never let the princess fly while she was with child or after she gave birth), only ever acted in a defensive capability. Even when they appeared on other worlds, it was at the behest of the people. They never took it upon themselves to attack first. As long as Zarkon prevented Lotor from sending robeasts and troops to attack Arus, the giant robot would have no reason to be formed. In one simple act, she had neutralized Voltron. (Which she strongly believed to be for good. Because after Lotor finally married the princess and Arus was permanently made a part of the empire...)

"I despise this idea of waiting to get my bride back!" Lotor burst out, unable to contain his fury any longer. "I want her back here now!"

Haggar took a moment to compose herself before responding. It would not do to simply laugh in his face. Not if she wanted him to serve as her puppet ruler after Zarkon's demise.

"My prince," she said as calmly as possible. "I have repeatedly told you why that is unadvisable. If you want Allura to bear your child, she needs to remain on Arus until it is born."

A child who will most likely be more intelligent than its father at birth, she mused.

Lotor was so laughably incompetent. It was a sad fact that one of the greatest leaders she had ever known had produced such a worthless heir.

Which, of course, was ultimately to her advantage. (Lotor was the perfect pawn to use against his father. His unintelligence and his ego made him so very easy to manipulate. However, the only truly important task she had for him was to produce the royal heir she needed to completely control the empire with. Beyond that, he was no longer actually necessary, but then again, she needed him to hold the throne until his child was of age. True, she could always find someone else for that role, but there was no telling how long it would take to find someone as pathetic as Lotor himself. It was best just to keep the prince appeased and in her debt.)

"A child no longer matters," Lotor declared. "Now that Father has returned, it is simply a matter of having him perform the marriage ceremony as soon as I bring her back here. Once she is my queen, we can have children in our own time."

Shockingly, it was a valid point. (It was one of those rare moments where Lotor exhibited a modicum of intelligence. She doubted she'd witness another one any time soon.) Because once the Arusian princess was married to Lotor, she could not be "rescued" by the space explorers or anyone else. She would belong to Doom.

"While that is true, my worthless son, I have no intention of performing that ceremony," Zarkon smoothly interjected.

"What?!" Lotor shrieked and Haggar had to struggle to keep from revealing her delight at his reaction. "But-"

"Not until you have proven yourself worthy of such a privilege," his father finished. "You want the princess as your queen, you must earn the right to have her."

"But Father-"

"But nothing!" Zarkon cut him off. "You may have succeeded in capturing her and bedding her, but you were unable to prevent her from being taken from you yet again."

"I had no-"

"Excuses!" the king interrupted him again. "All I ever hear from you are excuses! You have never once shown me the slightest bit of competence. You, my pathetic son, have done nothing but fail me time and time again! If you want me to marry you and the princess, you are going to have to prove to me that you deserve her."

Haggar silently watched Lotor as he struggled with the dilemma presented by his father. Zarkon had quickly and decisively shut down any attempt of an immediate retrieval of Allura. (She was impressed with how he was going about enacting her plans for her. She had simply told him Lotor needed to be kept occupied for the next several months. The details had been left to him.) And, even better, he had refused to marry them unless Lotor "proved" himself to his father. (A seemingly impossible task given Lotor's track record.) The king had truly left him little choice in the matter.

If he wanted to marry the princess, he had to do exactly as his father commanded him.

"Tell me what I need to do," Lotor finally conceded.

"You, my son, are going to go on a trip," Zarkon began and Haggar fought the urge to smile at Lotor's shocked expression. "My own recently ended journey has left me worried that none of the planets in my empire are being properly run. I want you to visit a selection of them and, if you have to, correct the situation you find on each one. Do not show any leniency unless you feel it would be inadvisable to do otherwise. Competent help being so hard to find and all that. I will not tolerate my evil will not being completely enforced. You have my full authority to remove any one of my representatives who are not...representing me as they should. Make examples of them. You do this and the Arusian princess will be made your queen immediately after you return."

To her surprise, Lotor did not protest the assignment. In fact, he seemed pleased by it.

"Father, you will trust me with this task?"

"You are the only one with the royal authority to do this," Zarkon said without actually answering his son's question. (Which, to Haggar, meant that no, he didn't actually trust him.) "Complete this for me and I will never doubt your worth as my heir ever again."

Haggar didn't like the turn the conversation had taken, but she could not protest without giving away her true intentions. She needed Lotor away from both Doom and Arus for several months and it seemed this was the only way Zarkon had decided it could be done. But Lotor's eagerness to please his father worried her. If he completed this task to Zarkon's satisfaction and received the praise it seemed he craved, then her plans to use Lotor would be ruined.

Perhaps it was time to start looking for another who would rule for her in his place after all...

"I will leave at once!" Lotor vowed. "You have my word that I will not fail you."

"Your word means nothing!" Zarkon shot back and the prince instantly deflated. "I've had your word before and you have failed to live up to it."

Then again, maybe there wasn't any reason to worry at all.

((()))

"The image should finish processing momentarily," Keyat, the Ebbian physician who had invited herself to Arus along with Doctor Gorma's ordered equipment, informed the occupants of the examination room as she glanced down at her monitor.

Allura tightened her grip on Keith's hand. Once that image was projected into the air, there would be a definitive answer as to whether or not she was pregnant.

"It's going to be all right no matter what the results," Keith quietly told her from where he sat in a chair beside her examination bed. "I promise. Everything's going to be just fine."

She wished she could believe him, but if she was pregnant, nothing would ever be the same again.

While she had often fantasized about having children with Keith, the reality that she could already be a mother right now terrified her. What was she going to do if she was? She knew next to nothing about babies except for what was common knowledge, such as the fact that they cried for just about everything. (She'd heard that the only times they didn't cry were when they were asleep or eating.) She had been so young when she'd lost her own mother that she barely remembered her. What if she wasn't ready to be one herself? What if she did everything wrong? What if she wasn't cut out to have children?

And then if that wasn't bad enough, there was the fact that Lotor was the father.

Which meant she and her child would never be left in peace as long as he was out there. He'd want both of them back. And he'd never rest until he had them.

How was she ever going to keep her baby safe from him? Would she have to raise her child in hiding to protect him or her from his clutches? What kind of life was that going to be?

And of course she'd one day have to tell her poor child about his or her horrifying heritage.

Just the thought of that future conversation alone made her sick.

"Ah, here we go," Keyat cheerily announced, cutting into her wild, fear-fueled thoughts. "Let's see what's going on inside that body of yours."

Allura had taken an immediate liking to the young Ebbian female upon meeting her. She radiated friendliness as well as a never-take-no-for-an-answer attitude. (Keyat had seen Doctor Gorma's order for equipment when it had passed through her department at the central Ebbian medical center and decided it was a perfect opportunity to try out her newly developed nano-scanners in the field. Although her superiors had told her that she was not cleared for off-world assignments, she had boarded the delivery ship anyway. She had been very nonchalant about the trouble she was going to be in when she returned home.) She had quickly put Allura at ease about the procedure, explaining it step by step. (Instead of using a micro endoscope to examine her reproductive system, hundreds of nanoprobes would be released to map the interior on both a normal and microscopic scale.) In the end, the procedure had only taken less than twenty minutes to complete.

Within seconds, a holographic 3D image was projected into the air. It was strangely shaped and while Allura knew it was a recreation of the inside of her body, she honestly had no idea what part was what. (Her studies had never included biology, a subject that both Nanny and Coran had felt was irrelevant to her future role of queen.)

"I'm now adding the microscopic overlay," Keyat continued. "If Her Highness is pregnant, the morula or blastocyst, depending on how many days along she is, will be indicated."

Allura squeezed Keith's hand even tighter as the image changed.

This was it. The moment of truth.

A tiny blinking dot appeared in the image.

Her stomach dropped as her worst fears were confirmed.

Oh, no...

Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"No, no," she murmured, shaking her head. "Oh, gods, no."

Keith pulled her into his arms as much as his position allowed him to.

"It's going to be all right, my love," he soothingly spoke, stroking her back. "We're going to get through this together. I'm going to be with you every step of the way. You have nothing to worry about. I promise."

She clung to him as she cried, feeling overwhelmed and frightened despite his calm reassurances. It was all too much.

What was she going to do?

"That's interesting," Keyat suddenly commented and she began to type into her keyboard.

Curious despite herself, Allura looked up from where she had buried her face against Keith's chest.

"What is it?" Doctor Gorma, who had been present for the procedure, wanted to know.

The image disappeared and was replaced by another. Within it, was a strange spherical object that appeared to be made up of round pieces.

"Did you notice how high up in the fallopian tube these blastomeres are?" Keyat pointed out. "And based on the number of cleavages, this mass clearly hasn't reached the morula stage yet. If I had a guess, I would say that Her Highness is perhaps a day, possibly two days along."

Allura couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd only been pregnant a day or two? But she'd only been rescued...

By all the gods!

"What is it?" Keith questioned in a low voice.

She shook her head, not wanting to tell him because she knew how he'd react.

It would kill him to know that if he'd only come for her one day sooner...

"You said you were guessing how far along she was," Keith spoke up. "Is there any way to know the exact timeline?"

"No, unfortunately, there is not," Keyat let him know. "The only way to even approximate a nearly exact date would be to count the individual blastomeres and, based on the most common rate of cellular division, try to calculate backwards to determine the time of conception. But even then it wouldn't be an exact figure. Every zygote begins to divide at different times."

Allura's heart clenched as she realized Keith had come to the same devastating conclusion she had.

"It is an interesting question though," Keyat commented. "Why do you ask?"

Allura felt Keith's arms tighten around her.

"Do I have your word that you won't repeat what I'm about to say to anyone outside of this room?"

"Of course, Commander," Doctor Gorma assured him. "You have full confidentiality from the both of us."

"All right," Keith acknowledged. "The reason I'm asking is because Allura and I were...intimate on the return home. Is there any chance at all that I'm the father of her baby?"

Keith's words took her completely by surprise.

It was something she hadn't even considered. She had been so certain that she was already pregnant when she had asked Keith to make love to her that the possibility hadn't even crossed her mind. Had she been wrong? Could he be the father?

She prayed that he was.

"Anything is possible, of course," Keyat told him. "There have been cases where conception has occurred as early as thirty minutes after intercourse. But there's also the fact that spermatozoa can live up to three days in a woman's body. To be honest, the probability of the child being yours is extremely low."

"But the possibility is still there," Keith pressed.

"Yes, the possibility is still there," Keyat conceded. "When Her Highness has entered her second trimester, we will be able to check the fetus's DNA. Until then, there's no way to determine paternity."

Allura looked up at Keith.

"I want you to be the father more than anything," she told him.

"Biologically related or not, I will always to the father to any children you have," he reminded her. "But I want this baby to be mine too." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "For more reasons that I can say."

"Why don't we leave the two of you alone to talk," Doctor Gorma suggested. "When you're ready to go back to your room, press the call button and someone will come to help you."

"Thank you, Doctors," Keith said. "We both appreciate everything that you've done for us so far."

"I'm far from finished with Her Highness yet," Keyat informed them. "I'd like to remain as her doctor for the duration of her pregnancy. If that is all right with you, of course, Your Highness."

Allura smiled. "I'd like nothing more. Thank you."

Keyat smiled in return. "I'm going to ensure that this pregnancy goes as smoothly for you as possible."

With a final nod from Doctor Gorma, the two physicians left.

"So," Keith began after a few moments, "tell me what you're feeling."

"A million things," she answered. "Too many things. But mostly I'm scared."

"What are you the most afraid of? That Lotor's the father?"

She shook her head.

"Then what, my love?"

"That I'll be a terrible mother," she confessed. "I don't know the first thing about having a baby."

He gave her one of his gentle smiles that she loved so much.

"First of all, you are going to be an amazing mother," he informed her. "And the reason I know this is because you are the most amazing person I've ever known. And second, you aren't going through this alone. You not only have me, but everyone in this castle. Your entire family is with you. We all love you and we're all going to help you any way we can. All right?"

She gave him a tiny smile of her own. "Even Nanny?"

He laughed out loud.

Nanny had yet to speak to either one of them since finding out that Keith had not lied to her about his Arusian heritage and his eligibility to marry the princess. Coran had assured them that she would be fine in a few days. She just needed some time to "adjust".

"Even Nanny," he said.

And then he kissed her.