Written for Sapphire for the Voltron Spring Gift Exchange based on her prompt "Princess Allura has been reading a book of fairytales from Earth, a gift from her friends and teammates. It seems her enemies on Doom have been spying on her and found inspiration in the stories because she soon finds herself in the middle of one! A Voltron inspired retelling of any fairytale of the writer's choice."
"Happy Birthday, Princess," Keith said, as he pulled a brightly wrapped gift from behind his back and handed it to Allura. She looked up at him in surprise before accepting his offering with a smile.
Lance, Hunk, and Pidge stood just behind their captain, eagerly watching as the princess carefully tore the paper open to reveal a thick book. Her fingers gently caressed the leather binding and cover as she admired the illustrations embossed onto its surface.
"It's a book of fairy tales," Pidge pointed out, shoving his way past Keith to stand before Allura. "We thought you might like to have it to read to the kids at the orphanages when you visit them," he added in a rush, his cheeks flaring brightly as he spoke.
"It was the biggest one we could find," Hunk told her. "So you'd have lots of different stories to pick from."
"It's wonderful! Thank you all," she replied quietly, standing and hugging each of the boys in turn. She sank back down onto the sofa and slowly paged through the book admiring the pictures printed on the pages of each story. "I love it and will treasure it always." She gently turned back to the table of contents, marveling at the long list of titles she found there. "I don't know where to start. They all sound so interesting. Do you have any favorites to recommend?"
Lance took a seat beside Allura and skimmed the titles listed on the contents page. "I've always liked this one about the fisherman and the magic fish," he said, tapping the page with one long, tapered finger. "It helped me learn to appreciate the simple things in life and about the importance of working for the things you want."
"I'm partial to 'Little Red Riding Hood'," Keith offered shyly. "It's a great cautionary tale to teach children about the dangers of blind trust."
Lance rolled his eyes and smirked, but otherwise refrained from commenting on the captain's choice.
"I dunno. I think 'Hansel and Gretel' is better. Just think how great it must have been when those kids found a full sized gingerbread house and got to start snacking on it. Sure, there was a witch there who wanted to cook and eat them, but it all worked out in the end," Hunk said, grinning broadly, visions of iced gingerbread obviously dancing before his eyes.
"I like 'Peter Pan' best. After all, who wants to grow up if they don't have to?" Pidge offered and his toothy grin reminded Allura that he was the youngest of the group, barely more than a child himself.
"They all sound wonderful. I can't wait to start reading them to the children," Allura said, closing the book and hugging it to her chest.
"I'd suggest reading them through beforehand, Princess. Some versions of those stories can be violent and even tragic. If you read them first, you'll have a better idea about which ones are more suited to the ages and temperaments of the children you'll be reading to," Keith advised.
"Would you mind if I read them aloud to all of you? That way if I have any questions, one of you can answer them for me."
Her suggestion was met with wholehearted approval by the boys who then made themselves comfortable on the sofa. With her audience settled around her, Allura began to read, starting with each of their favorites in turn.
Over the next few weeks, the Voltron Force settled into a nightly routine. After supper, they would all gather round Allura and listen to her regale them with tales of princes, princesses, witches, fairies, greed, humility, and all manner of adventures and lessons. Even though none of them were children any longer and they had heard all the stories before, the boys looked forward to this new ritual. Keith loved to listen to Allura's voice as she got caught up in the emotions of the characters. Lance enjoyed the look of glee on her face when a story ended happily. Pidge looked forward to the times when Allura would let him snuggle up beside her like he used to do with his mother. Hunk liked the way they all felt like a family as they spent the evenings together.
In this manner, Allura read through all the stories in the book paying special attention to which ones each of her teammates liked best and reading those a second, and sometimes, even a third time. When she finally reached the end of the last page of the book, she had chosen a few favorites of her own and come to know which stories would be best suited for what kinds of audiences.
"Allura, if you won't wait a few hours so that I can go with you, will you at least let Lance go to the orphanage with you?" Keith pleaded with the princess, exasperation creeping into his voice.
"Keith, it's a beautiful day outside. There's no reason that I can't go by myself. I may be going to read to the children, but I am not a child!" she answered in indignation, her voice growing shrill and petulant. "Besides, with all the judo lessons you've been giving me, I should be able to walk from here to the orphanage without an escort." The princess threw her shoulders back in defiance, her head held high as she faced off with the captain.
He met her icy glare without flinching, his own stubborn streak surfacing. "Allura, no one should be wandering off alone while Zarkon is still a threat."
"I will NOT live in fear, Keith. If I have to be guarded at all times, he wins. How can I tell my people to live their lives without fear if I don't? I have to lead by example. You, of all people, should understand that. If our roles were reversed, would you hide in the shadows and live under guard or would you insist on being independent and live your life without fear, defiant to the threat posed by the forces of Doom?" she demanded, her volume increasing as she spoke.
He stood for a moment, his eyes locked on hers, her words echoing in his head. His shoulders slumped slightly even as a wry smile turned up the corners of his lips. "Alright, Princess, you win," he began, raising his hands before him in a conciliatory gesture. "You're right. We can't live in fear and we can't expect you to stop being the independent, headstrong woman we all have come to know and love," he said, his voice softening. "But, how about a compromise?"
"A compromise? What kind of compromise?" She asked one eyebrow arching as her suspicion was aroused.
"You walk to the orphanage on your own like you want to, but," He paused, fully expecting an outburst from Allura, resuming a moment later when she didn't rise to the bait, "when I finish my patrol I'll come meet you there and bring you back to the castle in Black Lion."
She opened her mouth to protest, only this time Keith continued before she could get a single word out.
"After all, why should you get to be the only one visiting with the kids? I bet they would love a chance to see Black Lion for a little while after you finish reading to them," he added with a smile.
She searched his face, looking for an ulterior motive, but his eyes were wide and innocent, his expression sincere, and she couldn't deny that he had a point.
"You're right as usual, Keith. The children would love to get up close to Black Lion," she returned his smile, their disagreement resolved. "And I guess it would be pretty silly for me to walk home alone after that instead of riding with you."
"Then I better get started on my patrol. I'll see you at the orphanage soon, Princess." He tossed off a quick wave as he raced to the launch area and his lion.
Allura pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders as she made her way through the small forest separating the nearby village from the castle. The afternoon had been bright and clear when she began walking to the orphanage. However, once she entered the woods, clouds started to gather, blocking out the dim sunlight that had managed to make it through the treetops to dapple the narrow path. A chill wind whistled through the branches and the princess fought against the sudden urge to shiver. Hugging the book tightly against her chest, Allura continued along the trail. Within minutes, the clouds had darkened further and rain began to fall, pelting the ground with large, wet drops.
Recognizing that the heavy foliage would provide some degree of shelter from the sudden downpour, Allura left the path and began picking her way among the trees. It didn't take long for her to lose her way in the rainy conditions. Frustrated, she considered admitting defeat, pulling out her communicator, and calling Keith to come rescue her. She had even reached one hand into her pocket and rested it on the device when she noticed a small cottage nestled amongst the trees. Hunching forward to protect the precious book she carried, the princess raced to the house and knocked on the door.
"Hello?" she called out. "Is anyone inside? I was hoping to find some shelter from the storm."
"The door is open, child," an aged voice replied from within the dwelling. "Come in, come in."
Allura pushed the door open gently and slowly entered the small room it revealed. It took a few moments for her eyes adjust to the dim light before she could find the source of the voice. A frail looking old woman rested beneath a pile of blankets on a rickety wooden bed.
"Thank you for inviting me in. The weather changed suddenly and I got lost in the forest. I didn't even know that anyone lived out in these woods," she said, removing her cloak and laying it out to dry beside the fire that crackled merrily in the room's hearth.
The old woman patted the bed beside her. "Come, sit beside an old woman, child. It's been too long since I last had a visitor."
Allura sank down on the mattress, facing the woman. "You live here alone? Don't you have someone to care for you? It's not safe for you to live here by yourself. What would happen if you needed a doctor?"
"I make due well enough on my own. My daughter and granddaughter visit me from time to time and bring me supplies when I need them."
"But you must be lonely living here my yourself."
The woman sat up a bit in her bed, pulling the blankets tightly across her lap. "Sometimes, but visitors tend to stop by just when I need them to." She leaned forward, smiling gently at the princess as she spoke, a wicked gleam in her eye.
Allura frowned, noticing the unusual timbre to the woman's voice, the odd golden color of her eyes, and the slightly oversized canine teeth that poked from between her lips. Something bothered her about the situation. It felt naggingly familiar in a way that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "Maybe it's time I was on my way again. I think the rain is letting up and I don't want to overstay my welcome. You must be tired. I should let you rest." The princess started to rise from the bed, when the old woman suddenly lunged at her. Allura managed to narrowly evade her grasp, only to find herself backed into a corner with the woman standing before her menacingly.
"There's no need to rush off, pretty princess. Your prince should be here shortly," the woman said in a familiar voice.
"Haggar! I should have known…" Allura ground out through clenched teeth.
Cackling loudly, the witch dropped her disguise and revealed herself to the princess. "In the flesh. Now come along like a nice captive."
"Never! I'd rather die than go with you," she spat out.
"That can be arranged, Princess. Now, either come along willingly and serve Lotor as he wishes, or I'll make short work of you." Haggar pointed her gnarled staff at her intended prisoner. As the knob began to glow with magical power, the door to the cottage slammed open, sending a loud bang reverberating around the room. The noise distracted the crone and Allura let out a shriek as the magical blast whizzed past her to leave a smoking crater in the wall beside her.
"Let her go!" Keith demanded from the open doorway. "If you've harmed so much as one hair on her head, I swear-"
He was interrupted when Haggar turned her attention to him, taking aim and setting loose a pulsing orb of energy in his direction.
The captain leapt from the doorway and barely avoided getting hit by the dangerous projectile. He landed protectively in front of the princess. "Are you hurt, Allura?" he asked over his shoulder, concern evident in his voice.
"I'm fine, Keith. You got here just in time."
He pulled his laser blaster from its holster and took aim at the witch. Haggar looked from the captain to the door and back again, quickly making up her mind. She fired off one final magical bolt from her staff forcing the two Voltron Force members to duck further into the corner before darting out of the small house and disappearing from view.
Keith raced out behind her, but he was too late. The witch was gone. With the immediate danger over, he re-entered the cottage. Allura had just slipped her cloak around her shoulders and was flipping up the hood as he walked in. He stopped short, staring at her.
"Keith?"
"Sorry, for a second there it seemed…" he broke off, shaking his head. "Nevermind, it was a silly thought. Are you ready to go?"
"It seemed what, Keith? You don't have to worry about sounding silly in front of me. We're friends. You can tell me anything and I promise not to laugh," she coaxed.
"Well, I know that your cloak is pink and not red, but for just a split second there, I felt like we were in the 'Little Red Riding Hood' story."
"That would explain the feeling I had earlier," she said absently, almost under her breath.
"What feeling?"
"The whole situation felt so familiar. The small cottage. The old woman in the bed. The odd quality to her voice. The strange color of her eyes. The unusual size and shape of her teeth. Even your entrance was like when the woodcutter saved Red at the end of the story…"
"Sure makes you wonder what Haggar and Lotor will plot next, doesn't it?"
Allura nodded and picked up her book. She crossed the room slowly, stopping next to Keith and looking him in the eye, her head tilted slightly to one side. "So how did you find me, or even know that I needed to be found at all?"
"I was in the middle of my patrol and just had this feeling. So, I took a detour to the orphanage and when they said you hadn't arrived yet, I came looking for you. It was the strangest thing though. When I got close to the forest, I noticed some dark clouds, but they were isolated over a small area and there were no other clouds in the sky. I flew toward them and they immediately dissipated. Right below where they had been was a small clearing that I didn't remember ever seeing before with a tiny house nestled against the tree line. There was just enough room left for me to land, almost as if a space had been left specifically for Black Lion," his face clouded slightly as he recalled the unlikeliness of the scenario. "I decided to see if anyone was inside who could help explain what was going on. But before I could even knock on the door, it flew open and there you were," he finished shrugging helplessly.
She took a step closer to him, invading his personal space as she rose onto her toes and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek. "My hero," she breathed, her lips beside his ear. "Thank you for rescuing me," she continued as she pulled back, restoring the slight distance between them. His cheeks were bright red, his breathing quick and shallow, his mouth hung open. She couldn't help but smile at the captain's discomfiture, finding him endearing in this ruffled state.
"Keith?" she called to him, her tone of voice indicating a change in her train of thought. "You said that 'Little Red Riding Hood' was one of your favorite stories, right?"
He nodded, not quite recovered from her unexpected show of gratitude.
"And you said that some of these stories," she continued, indicating the book she held, "have more than one version, right?"
He nodded again, unsure about where her questions were heading.
"Is there a version where Red and the Woodsman get to live happily ever after together?"
"Uh, not that I know of, Princess," he replied honestly, shaking his head. "But in all the versions I've ever read, Red was always a little girl and the woodsman old enough to be her father. I've never heard of a version where she was grown."
A wry smile twisted her lips as she responded. "That's too bad. After today, I think that version would have been my favorite story."
He gulped, hoping he was interpreting her meaning correctly. "Really?"
"Really."
"Then maybe we should write our own take on the story and see what happens," he offered huskily, moving in, cupping her jaw and kissing her gently.
"I think I'd like that, Keith," she murmured against his lips before answering his kiss with one of her own.
They spent the next few minutes exchanging kisses before he finally pulled away, regret etched into his features. "And as much as I am enjoying this, everyone is still waiting for you at the orphanage," he pointed out reluctantly.
They left the cottage hand in hand and slowly made their way to the lion awaiting them in the small clearing. Later, after spending the rest of the afternoon with the children, Keith and Allura flew over the forest on their way back to the castle. But, no matter how hard they searched, there was no sign of either the clearing or the cottage to be found. Even so, from that day on, she never ventured through the woods alone again.