The New Order
Part One
By Cheezey

Princess Allura was not sure what to expect when she first walked into the majestic throne room of Castle Doom on the arm of Lotor, her new husband. When she had married Lotor only hours ago—though it seemed so much longer—it had been because she thought it was the only way to spare his life. He had been a prisoner in the Galaxy Garrison complex, condemned to death by a Galaxy Alliance council after she had turned him over to them for trial. She had expected him to get a fair sentence of imprisonment, and had felt heartsick that they had chosen to execute him instead, especially when the only reason she had Lotor to turn over to them to begin with was because he had saved her life. Granted, it was from a creation he had unleashed himself, but the fact remained that he had put himself at great risk to save her, and she could not let that be repaid with a death sentence when it was in her power to stop it.

But just when the situation had seemed most dire for Doom's prince, for the agreement to turn him over to the Galaxy Alliance was ironclad and there was no appeal process for prisoners of war, she had found a loophole in their laws that allowed her to reclaim any family member of hers to be sequestered on Arus. By marrying Lotor it was a way to save him, but such a marriage had serious and far-reaching consequences beyond that for both worlds. The Arusian princess knew that, so she had taken the precaution of outlining the most important issues pertaining to that merge in a contract, and she had gotten Lotor to agree to terms she believed fair. Still, she had been nervous about going through with it, both because of what changes it would bring about and because she had not discussed it with any of her friends. Not only was she certain they would have been adamantly against the whole idea, but it had come about quickly and she thought it best to act decisively and without delay. She had hoped once it was all said and done that her friends would understand.

What Allura had not anticipated was what had happened next. Unbeknownst to both her and Lotor, the witch Haggar had been in the complex disguised as Lotor's guard, in the midst of executing a plan of her own to free Doom's prince. Seconds after the ceremony that wed Allura to Lotor was complete, the old crone shed her disguise and teleported herself, Lotor, and Allura into a battleship that subsequently made a fast escape for Doom. Allura did not even have the chance to contact her friends on Arus and explain before Lotor was a free man again, and she his new bride—even though she no longer needed to be. Naturally their marriage was still quite valid, officiated by a Legal Advisory Droid, or LAD as they were called, and it was recorded and filed in the Galaxy Alliance memory banks even as they flew to Doom. Allura knew that the odds of Lotor willingly granting her an annulment in light of what happened were nil, for although he professed to love her and in the past had declared that he would do anything for her, she knew without question that did not include letting her go.

As soon as they had landed on Doom, a royal guardsman summoned them to see King Zarkon. Lotor wasted no time in granting his father that audience, and the two of them, along with Cossack and Haggar, went to the throne room as bidden. When they entered, Zarkon stood from where he sat in his throne—a throne now positioned alongside another, one less grand and opulent—and descended the golden staircase with his own new bride: Queen Merla.

"So it's true," Lotor growled under his breath as the imposing figure of his father and the haughty one of his new stepmother and queen approached them. Cossack and Haggar knelt obligingly to the royal couple while Lotor bowed and Allura stood there frozen to the spot, words utterly failing her at that point.

A strangely pleasant smile was upon Zarkon's face as he regarded them. "Well, Lotor. Now this is a pleasant surprise. Last I heard, you were making friends and influencing people at Galaxy Garrison." The smile twisted to a smirk. "Nice defiant up-yours speech at your trial, by the way. I'm glad to know that despite all your other failures, you at least do me proud in not groveling to those sanctimonious twits." His gaze then fell on Allura. "And what's this? A little token of your stay in Alliance territory?"

"Indeed Lotor," Merla interjected smoothly, "It looks like you've bounced back nicely since I last saw you."

Lotor's features darkened, and he instinctively tightened his hold on Allura's arm, addressing Merla first. "You mean when you came to watch me languish in misery and tell me how you'd love to help, but couldn't? Oh yes, you've really changed. I'm sure your friends in the Alliance will be just as impressed with your taste in men as I am." He then turned to Zarkon. "And you, Father, how loyal of you to sit there and watch the news feeds of my trial instead of assembling a force to free me, negotiating by force for my release, or even retaliating to Arus for the insult dealt our planet by my capture!"

Unimpressed with Lotor's indignant roars, Zarkon only laughed, a cruel and sarcastic one that echoed throughout the chamber. "Insult? Your repeated failures are more of an insult to my empire than your idiotic capture and that joke of a trial." His expression turned stern, and he stared his son down harshly. "If you weren't so distracted in your idiotic pursuit for your little princess there, you wouldn't have wound up there to begin with. Letting you stew was an easy lesson, my nitwit son."

"So you would've let them kill me?"

"Well it did occur to me that if you aren't smart enough to keep yourself from getting captured and tried at enemy hands and weren't clever enough to get away, you probably wouldn't be very good for my empire anyhow. And with your bungling, you've certainly earned no rescue."

Lotor felt a fresh stab of rage. "And you sit back and do nothing." He frowned at Merla. "Except arrange for my replacement, perhaps."

"Like I said, no less than you deserve," Zarkon countered coldly. "But no, my beloved fool, I didn't 'do nothing' to assist you, otherwise you wouldn't be here now."

"Haggar and Cossack told me about how you forbade them to do anything to help me. Had it not been for their loyalty—"

"Exactly!" Zarkon cut him off, while the witch and commander straightened proudly where they stood. "Since when have those two managed to get a single order I give them right?" he declared with a wave of his hand. "I tell them to destroy Voltron; they come back here beaten by the mighty robot instead. I tell them not to free you, and sure enough, here you are." He sneered triumphantly while Cossack and Haggar frowned in irritation, their rush of pride fizzled out at the king's words. "Reverse psychology, my son, good thinking for one day when you're king!" He twirled his scepter.

Hopefully much sooner than you think it'll be, old man, Lotor thought bitterly. He did not believe one word of his father's flippant explanation.

"Now," Zarkon interrupted his angry thoughts, "It's my turn to ask you a few questions, Lotor. Starting off with the quiet little princess on your arm?" As he fixed his reptilian eyes upon her, Allura straightened with a start.

A prideful smile crossed Lotor's lips as he faced his father. "Allura is now my bride."

Unimpressed in light of the fact that Lotor had claimed he was going to make Allura his bride a number of times and not a one of them had actually come to pass, Zarkon eyed the Arusian dubiously. "Is that so? Are you sure she'll go through with it?"

"She already has, Sire," Haggar spoke up, and waved the marriage certificate. "She married him back at Galaxy Garrison, right in the prison."

"Really?" Although the king's tone held a hint of genuine surprise, he still took the paper from the witch and scrutinized it with a critical eye. A quick look-over indicated it was not a forgery, for it held an official raised seal and was printed on the same quality and make of paper he had seen other Alliance documentation published in. "Now this is a surprise," Zarkon said to Allura. "Frankly I always thought you were smarter than that, to marry a fool like him. Maybe Lotor was right and you are meant for each other after all."

"I married him to save his life, Zarkon," Allura told him in a matter-of-fact tone. "I believed he was going to be executed, so I found a clause in the laws to get around it. I don't expect someone like you to understand my reasons, and I don't care if you do." She looked away for a moment, unable to hide the distress she felt. "All I want right now is to go home. I never wanted to be here. Lotor was supposed to return to Arus with me as my ward."

Haggar cackled. "That was our little surprise."

From beside her, Cossack nodded. "Yeah, a first class high-speed ticket home from that dump, not bad for a wedding present."

Upon hearing that, both Zarkon and Merla exchanged looks, but that time it was the queen that spoke up. "Sharp thinking, Princess. Not everyone knows about that law. There's rarely cause to use it." She paused as she looked over the marriage certificate. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that this is still binding, even if the reason you married Lotor is no longer an issue."

Allura nodded. "I know that, Merla, and I'm prepared to deal with it."

A very cruel and triumphant sneer crept across Zarkon's fishlike features. "Are you? Because legally, you just handed me your planet on a silver platter."

"As if laws ever mattered to you," the princess retorted icily to him. "You've been trying to take my planet ever since my father—"

"Forfeited it to me?" Doom's king argued in a booming voice. "Alfor lost any rights he had to Arus back in the Valley of Zohar when I struck my blade through his heart. You were barely out of diapers, little girl, when I earned those spoils." His tone took on a bitter snarl as he stared her down. "But your people wouldn't bow to me, wouldn't admit that they were beaten. Let me make one thing clear, Princess Allura, that rock of a planet you call home is now mine. Lock, stock, and space barrel." He clenched his fingers around his scepter tightly and leaned over her in a menacing manner. "And there is nothing further you can say or do about it, my dear daughter-in-law."

Though his imposing size and powerful voice were frightening to her in that proximity, Allura refused on principle to let Zarkon intimidate her. "Lotor signed an agreement prior to the marriage," she stated defiantly. "You won't be enslaving or abusing the people of Arus any longer. He agreed to stop all attacks, grant my people the rights of citizens, leave the Voltron lions in custody with me, and free all the Arusian slaves."

"Did he?" Zarkon said, and cast a questioning look at Lotor, who nodded subtly. "Well my dear, much as he would like to be, Lotor is not king of Doom. I am," he emphasized with a glare at Lotor before turning back to Allura. "And I'm not bound to abide by any of his agreements."

The Arusian princess' face hardened in outrage and she fought a small feeling of dread that welled up inside her. She had not foreseen that Zarkon might simply disregard Lotor's agreement with her, and she cast her new husband an imploring look. "Lotor, you promised." Though that was all she said, the way she looked at him said much more.

The message was not lost on Lotor. He knew that he stood to lose the best chance he would ever have to truly capture Allura's heart and make her his in all senses of the word if he did not stand up to Zarkon, and he did not intend to allow his father to ruin the sweet victory of making Allura his after all he had been through to get it. "Father, I gave her my word as a crown prince. I may not respect the Alliance or the rest of the Voltron Force, but I will honor my word to Allura." It was clear from his tone that he would not accept any argument. "Why not just free the Arusian slaves, Father; what will it cost you? They can be replaced. What's important is that we've got Arus and that Voltron won't ever trouble us again."

"True enough," Merla conceded, looking from Allura to Zarkon. "A few slaves are nothing compared to ending the Arus war and being rid of Voltron altogether."

"Whipped already, I see," the king retorted to his son with obvious disapproval. "But very well, in light of family harmony," he said with heavy sarcasm as he beheld Lotor and his new bride, "I won't upset the in-laws by leveling the Castle of Lions as a show of what it means to defy King Zarkon. Provided your people don't resist the new rule, there won't be any more attacks. If there's any rebellion, however, or those lions so much as trip one of my soldiers, rest assured that examples will be made out of them."

"And my people?" Allura said expectantly.

Zarkon's eyes narrowed; he did not like the girl's pushiness. "I agree to nothing except that I'll look over what my fool son signed, and provided it's not too ridiculous, I'll grant it as a wedding present." He then fixed his glare upon Lotor. "And you, my presumptuous son, had better understand that this is the first and last time I'll be so generous in forgiving you for signing treaties that involve my kingdom behind my back. You're lucky this otherwise benefited me and put me in a reasonably good mood." A fresh note of sarcasm crept into his voice. "Though I am hurt I didn't at least get the courtesy of an invite to my one and only son's wedding. Ah well, I suppose that's what I get for eloping on my own."

Merla smiled from beside Zarkon, pleased that he had chosen the route of less resistance. Although she had already cast her lot as far as her loyalty was concerned, she still retained enough good will toward the Voltron Force, who had helped her in a time of need that she did not want to see unnecessary pain come to Allura or her friends. Lotor, on the other hand, she felt no such compassion for and could not resist the opportunity to needle him. "But it was such a nice little ceremony," she cooed sweetly, casting a poisonous look at the prince who had trampled her affections, "at that scenic little alcove on Tyrus. So memorable. Much better than my first wedding."

"As was mine in the bowels of a Galaxy Alliance prison," Lotor retorted with an equally loathing glare directed at the queen. He then turned to Allura and pulled her into his arms. "But it goes to show, it's who you're with that matters. And who could be better than this beautiful, pure, delightful treasure at my side, a woman who all others pale painfully in comparison to?"

Allura did not need to be a telepath like Merla to pick up on the fact that Lotor's words were just as much flattery to her as they were barbs aimed at the queen, but if it bothered Merla she did not show it, for she maintained her cool and snooty façade. "Happiness," Merla said after a moment, "How lucky we all are to finally have what brings it to us. Be it love, victory," a catty smirk crept across her face, "or ruling an empire with power beyond what most can even dream of. Someday maybe you'll find out what the latter is like, stepson."

Any further exchange was then interrupted as alarms went off, and several robotic guards ran into the room in response. "Lion ships have been spotted approaching Doom."

Immediately Commander Cossack whirled around to face them. "What?"

"I thought the lions were part of your little contract," Zarkon snapped irritably at Lotor.

The lions! Allura thought wildly, partly elated that her friends were on their way and partly dreading what might happen next. "They haven't been notified," she said a moment later while Cossack conferred with the robots. "Haggar teleported me out of the prison before anyone was told about me marrying Lotor or our contract."

Finished with his briefing, Cossack spoke up next. "According to the command center, the green, red, and yellow lions are all on fast approach planetside, heading straight for the castle. Preparations are being made to fire when they're within range. Want me to stick around here, or go down there to supervise and make sure their aim's good?"

Allura gasped in horror. "No! You can't! They're my friends!"

"Uh yeah," Cossack said with a note of hesitation, frowning as he looked to Zarkon and Lotor for their official call with an expression that read something along the lines of "am I supposed to take this chick seriously?" Frowning, he added, "But they're still the Voltron Force, and if they attack…"

To the commander's surprise, Lotor was serious, and he held up a hand. "Hold off, Cossack. I think we should let them land." He smiled smugly as he thought about how nice it would be to have a chance to gloat to his adversaries, especially to Keith…

Although not nearly as convinced as his son that Cossack did not have the right idea and that simply blasting the pesky lions and their pilots into oblivion was not the best course of action, Zarkon decided after a moment of deliberation that he would humor Lotor and his new bride. If nothing else, rubbing it in the faces of the Voltron Force in person that they had lost the war for Arus would be amusing, and if they got uppity, there was always the Pit of Skulls. "All right," he agreed with a nod of concession, "let them land and invite them in to chat." There was a sarcastic emphasis on the last word. "But if they open fire, feel free to return the favor."


"There it is, planet Doom," the leader of the Voltron Force mused aloud from the pilot seat of the green lion—since the key to his black one was still in the possession of the princess they had gone to the dark planet to rescue—to the displaced green lion pilot beside him.

"I'm surprised we're this close to the castle and no one's even tried firing on us yet," Pidge remarked from where he sat on the floor beside Keith.

"Don't look a gift landing in the mouth," Lance said as they made their approach.

Hunk nodded. "Yeah. For all we know, we may only be getting a break now because it's going to be that much harder getting Allura out of there."

"Let's just hope Lotor hasn't hurt her." Keith looked over his navigational readings. "Let's try to find a spot to—"

An incoming transmission that reached all three lions, not one from Coran or a Galaxy Alliance ship, but from Castle Doom itself cut him off. "This is planet Doom speaking," a robotic voice sounded over the airwaves. "You have been granted permission to land in the castle courtyard for audience with their royal highnesses."

"What? Is this some kind of joke? We aren't here on a social visit, pal," Lance snapped back over the channel in response. "We're here to get Princess Allura and take her home after you abducted her, and we'll do it, whatever it takes!" He charged ahead, ready to strike.

"Hold back, Lance," Keith ordered before responding to the transmission himself. "We're not here for an audience. Witch Haggar abducted Princess Allura from Galaxy Garrison when she helped Lotor escape, and we're going to take her back."

"Peaceful negotiations can be made in the castle proper," the robotic voice replied neutrally. "Please land at the specified coordinates and an escort party will take you to meet with the princess and the rest of the royal court." Each lion's navigational system then received a set of coordinates.

Hunk frowned from his seat in the yellow lion. "Is this for real? I mean, it's got to be a set up of some kind. Since when does Zarkon or Lotor bargain?"

"Well they didn't fire on us," Pidge said thoughtfully, "so even if it is some kind of trap, if we keep our weapons on us we should be all right."

"Yeah, assuming they don't dogpile us and slap us in chains the second we get out of the lions or too far from an exit," Lance pointed out. "Castle Doom is a big fortress and these guys don't exactly have a track record of playing it straight."

Keith considered their options. "Either way, it is the easiest way inside and directly to the princess. Since they know we're here, we're not going to have the advantage of stealth anyway. We might as well go in with our wits about us and play their game. If nothing else, maybe we can free Allura and make a break for it."

Lance shook his head and smiled despite the fact that his instincts smelled a rat. "Sure. Crazy odds and walking right into the lion's den. Sounds like a blast."

"Yeah, but our lions are bigger than theirs," Pidge pointed out wryly.

"Too bad we can't bring them in," Hunk added in a similar tone. "How do you think Zarkon would like seeing them show up at the footsteps of his throne?"

"We'll have to ponder that one later, because we're here," Keith said as they landed. The Voltron Force then disembarked from their lion ships.

"Parking here makes me wish we had an extra anti-theft system on these things," Pidge remarked as he patted the green lion's paw.

Hunk shook his head. "Just don't drop your keys. You never know who'll pick 'em up around this place."

"Or even worse, you do," Lance quipped in response as a greeting party of ten robot soldiers approached them.

"I feel great about this already," Keith remarked quietly. Much like Lance, his intuition warned him strongly that something was not right.

"This way," the lead robot stated as its companions surrounded them. The sentries did not raise weapons or fire, but they did flank the Voltron Force very closely, and as they walked into the castle proper, another group of equal size joined their entourage, flushing out the ranks of those surrounding them further. That did not help Keith's uneasy feeling in the least, but his gut told him that the worst of what awaited them was not the robots but rather whatever Lotor had in store for them.

For what seemed to the Voltron Force like a very long time, they weaved through the corridors of Castle Doom until finally they reached the throne room. Some robot guards automatically pulled open the grand doors leading in as they approached, and to their surprise they did not walk into an elaborate trap or Allura imperiled in some situation that would call for their immediate surrender in a hostage exchange or the like. Instead all they saw was Lotor, a somewhat frazzled-looking Allura at his side with no chains or binds, Haggar, Cossack, Zarkon, and—to their more than mild surprise—Merla at his side.

"Queen Merla?" exclaimed the astonished Hunk.

"I thought you were with the Alliance!" Pidge added a moment after the yellow lion pilot.

"What gives?" Lance asked as he looked around in wild disbelief.

Keith's concern was first and foremost on Allura. "Princess, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Keith," she assured him, but before she could say anything else, Lotor stepped forward into the space between them with a smug grin on his face.

"Hurt Allura? Now, why would I do that?"

Lance narrowed his eyes at Doom's prince. "I don't know; maybe because you're a two-faced lying scumbag?"

Keith's gaze hardened as it met Lotor's. "We're here to take her home, Lotor. You may have escaped Galaxy Garrison—"

"Take her home?" Lotor replied, and then laughed as he stepped back and possessively draped his arm around Allura's shoulders. "Why Keith, she is home."

"Arus is my home," Allura corrected firmly and cast an annoyed look at her new husband. Though she accepted that she had bound herself irrevocably to Lotor, she did not at all approve of him deliberately hurting Keith. Although she knew Lotor hated the human pilot, she would not stand by and condone him being cruel to those she cared about, especially knowing that simply finding out about their marriage would hurt Keith and the others enough without any of Lotor's gloating to add to it.

"C'mon Princess, we're here to take you there," Hunk said, and extended his arm to her.

Ignoring Hunk, Lotor said arrogantly, "Allura's home is with me."

At that Keith drew his weapon and pointed it at Lotor. "I'd say it's up to Allura where her home is—not you."

The second Keith drew his gun, so did every robot in the room, and they pointed their weapons at the Voltron Force collectively. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge also grabbed their weapons, and Zarkon simply shook his head and made a tsk-tsk noise. "Not very diplomatic, are you, Voltron Force? And here I invited you into my home on good faith for peaceful negotiations in light of Arus' recent entry into my empire." He glanced at Cossack. "Feel free to sauté them in laser fire if they fire even one blast."

"No!" Allura shrieked, and darted forward in front of her friends, arms outstretched, before Lotor or anyone else could intervene. The men of the Voltron Force meanwhile exchanged bewildered looks, and Keith reached to pull the princess to safety with them.

"Princess, what's going on?" he asked, his dark eyes searching the distressed Allura's features with concern and more than a little dread. Something in her eyes told him that his bad hunch from earlier was about to be explained.

Not about to stand for the black lion pilot so freely touching and with such familiarity what Lotor considered his, the prince of Doom strode forward and drew his light blade on Keith. "Drop your weapons now and let go of my wife." His voice was unchallengeable and laced with contempt.

Tears welled up in Allura's eyes as she faced Lotor. "Don't hurt him!"

"Your wife?" Lance said with a start, and exchanged equally shocked looks with Hunk and Pidge.

"You didn't marry him, Princess?" Hunk gasped.

"Princess?" Pidge echoed on a horrified note.

Keith's mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came out. His eyes, however, remained fixed upon her with an expression Allura would never forget. If it was to be put into words, she would have guessed them to be "tell me it's not true."

"Go on," Lotor said with a nod to his bride. "Tell them. Tell them what happened back at Galaxy Garrison."

"I—I married Lotor," Allura explained shakily. As she said the words, she felt Keith's grip on her fingers go numb, and saw a flash of emotion run through his eyes, fleeting as the lightning around the castle they stood in, but unmistakable regardless. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge erupted into a flurry of shock and questions from behind him.

"What?"

"Why?"

"Lotor?"

"It was the only way to save him!" Allura explained. "I couldn't let them execute him; not when he saved my life; I couldn't!"

"So you married him?" Lance's voice was incredulous.

"It was the only way! I didn't know Haggar was going to free him or if they would or even could get in to do it, and I couldn't live with that! There's a law that if he's family, I could bring him back to Arus—"

Lance was unable to wrap his mind around the concept. "For what? For Zarkon to come blast him back out and attack us some more?"

"Arus is in my empire now, space explorer," Doom's king pointed out with a triumphant note in his voice. He found the exchange and dissent amongst the Voltron Force both amusing and satisfying to witness. "There's no need for me to attack it now, is there?"

"It belongs to us," Lotor added smoothly, and lowered his glowing blade, although he remained at Allura's side to stare down his rival.

The Voltron Force exchanged more looks of alarm, and Pidge looked to the princess imploringly while Keith still remained silent, although his expression hardened more with each passing moment. "Say it's not true, Princess," Pidge went on to say. "He must've forced you or something, right?"

Hunk looked at Merla. "Maybe under some kind of mind control…"

"Please; I just found out myself," Merla informed them with a staunch look of disdain. "I'm as surprised as you are."

Allura shook her head. "No, Pidge. I thought it was for the best."

At that point Keith could no longer remain silent, and he dropped the princess' hands, looking at her as though she had grown another head. "Best? To marry yourself to him and throw away your planet? You know what kind of man he is!"

"I know he saved my life and they were going to kill him!"

Lance's expression grew noticeably angrier. "Yeah and having these bozos in charge of your planet is going to do lots for your people!"

"I'm retaining control of Arus. Not them!" Allura argued in heated emotion.

Zarkon tapped his scepter impatiently. "You know, Voltron Force, I don't think I appreciate your rude tone in my court." His tone was calm but the threat implied in it was unmistakable. "Guards…"

A succession of clicks indicative of weapons being engaged was heard a moment later, and the robots took aim.

"Stop it!" Allura shouted angrily, that time at Zarkon and his robots. "It might be your court, but they're my friends and you won't shoot them! I'm Lotor's wife and I'm ordering you not to harm your own citizens!"

The humor Zarkon previously found in the situation evaporated, and his eyes narrowed. "Defiant. I see that you and Lotor have more in common than I thought." It was clear that he did not mean it as a complement.

"Father…" Lotor's tone was also low and displeased, although for a different reason. He did not care what happened to the space explorers, but if Allura was harmed…

Zarkon cut his son off by holding up a hand in his direction without lifting his stern gaze from the Arusian upstart his progeny had taken as a bride. "Since you're new here and you're a young fool, I'll excuse your ignorance this once and take a moment to point out some of the finer political nitpicks of your little decree. Citizens of Arus, should I choose to honor Lotor's little contract with you—which is completely at my discretion and not final, I'll remind you—would have free passage on Doom as members of the Drule Empire with your world annexed. Last I heard, however, these space explorers weren't born on Arus; they're squatting there with free room and board in your," he smiled poisonously, "excuse me, our family, castle. That makes them Alliance citizens. Not ours." He looked to the robots, ready to give the order to fire.

Allura's agitation escalated as Zarkon toyed with her on technicalities, and from her position beside Zarkon, Merla felt a stab of sympathy for her as she telepathically experienced some of the Arusian girl's emotional rush. She did her best to banish the conflict of emotion, however, for although she wished no ill will towards those who had once been her benefactors, the past was past and Allura had to learn that royals in the Drule Empire did not tolerate insolence, even if it meant learning the hard way.

Lotor, however, knew that if his father had the men of the Voltron Force shot—though he could honestly say he would not mind seeing it himself—that Allura would blame them both, and he would lose her, at least in heart and spirit, and he wanted to secure that adoration as much as he did her physical affection. Possessing Allura was a coup, but owning her love and having her desire him as he did her was his ultimate dream. "Very well," Lotor said to the Voltron Force men, "since it would upset my wife to see you harmed, I'll generously allow you the chance to return to the lions and get off this planet. You'll then have one standard day to gather your things and leave the Castle of Lions and Arus forever, and leave your lion keys behind." He smiled in cruel victory. "They belong to us now. Set foot here or on Arus after that, and we won't be so gracious."

"Hey," Pidge piped up indignantly. "I am a citizen of Arus, you know. Allura gave me citizenship when you destroyed Balto. I even have the paperwork to prove it." The short pilot folded his arms in a rebellious gesture solely to tweak Lotor and Zarkon.

"That's true," Allura agreed as she faced Lotor and Zarkon. "Pidge will not be banished. He can stay if he wants."

"I don't know why he'd want to—here or there, if what you said is true," Lance said bitterly, much of the acid in his tone that time directed at Allura herself. It cut the princess on a level she never would have imagined to hear her friend speak to her in such a way, and it reminded her of the time she had overheard them comparing her to Sven and finding her lacking as a team member. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she began to comprehend the magnitude of the effects her decision to marry Lotor had…

Ending his otherwise stony silence, Keith regarded Allura evenly. "Are you coming with us or not, Princess?"

The cold edge to his tone was like a second blade through her heart. Whether what she felt for Keith had been the love of a good friend or a glimmer of something that had the potential to be more, it was clear as could be to someone who knew him as well as she did that if she said no, it would be damaged beyond repair. Her heart broke; even though she'd had hints of feeling for Keith she did not mourn the loss of what someday could have been nearly as much as she did the loss of such a true and loyal friend.

She overheard Zarkon speaking to Lotor in a firm, no-nonsense tone. "There's business to be done here about this marriage here, Lotor. Arrangements to be made that require the presence of all parties to proceed smoothly."

Lotor nodded, and cast a meaningful look to Allura, who decided in the interests of her kingdom to concede to Zarkon's request. "I can't, not yet," she said quietly. "I'm sorry."

The black lion pilot's jaw twitched slightly and he held back a surge of unwelcome emotion of his own as he looked upon the princess' torn face. "Me too. Goodbye." The finality in his words as he then turned and left made it clear to Allura that it was more than a casual parting as far as he was concerned.

I hurt him, she lamented inwardly, and I never wanted to! Oh Keith, I'm so sorry, her heart cried as she watched him and the rest of her friends turn to leave. Lance appeared the angriest, and would not even meet her gaze. Hunk only shook his head at her with an expression that seemed more of a disappointed and angry "why" than anything, while Pidge's young features showcased the sadness and crushed hopes for the future in his heart. My friends, my dear friends, it's hurt them all! Oh, how did this get so out of control? She had to believe it would work out somehow…

The room fell silent as the Voltron Force left, leaving the royal family of Doom and its two highest court advisors silently bearing witness for several moments. Allura imagined that she could hear the lions taking off, even though they were deep inside the castle and that was impossible.

Zarkon was the first to break the silence. Completely ignoring the emotionally distraught state of his daughter-in-law—and if anything, mildly amused by her melodramatics considering how lenient he had allowed Lotor to be on enemies they hated as much as they did the Voltron Force—he tapped his scepter against the palm of his hand with growing impatience. "Arrangements will have to be made immediately. Naturally we'll recognize this wedding, but a formal ceremony should be done tomorrow for the nobility to witness. I'm calling a state meeting first thing in the morning." He turned to his fleet commander. "Cossack, spread the word. I want my entire advisory court, all the fleet high admirals, and all the high seats in attendance. Tell them it's mandatory, unless they're in traction or too far away to physically get here in time. Got that?"

The commander nodded, and grimaced slightly since he hated early morning meetings. "Yes, Sire."

"Haggar, I want you to prepare a few security measures for me."

The old witch nodded. "Of course, your highness." She knew Zarkon well enough to know that was a request for robeasts to be placed on Arus. Though they had agreed not to attack, it was common practice to plant a few that would lay dormant until needed should a rebellion on a recently conquered planet arise.

"Good. On that note, I'm calling a night. Merla, what do you say we get some dinner? After forcing the Voltron Force to eat crow, I'm in the mood for a nice big turkey drumstick. How about you?"

The pink-haired queen smiled pleasantly. "Sounds fabulous."

I hope he has that ugly bird of hers cooked, Lotor thought nastily as he watched them depart.

Merla stopped short in her tracks and turned toward Lotor. "Now I know you're just kidding, but really Lotor, you might hurt my pet's feelings being so snide, and on such a happy occasion as your honeymoon too," she said in a saccharine tone. "For shame."

"Good night, Lotor; daughter-in-law dear," Zarkon followed coolly, and looked to the guards. "Set them up a grand honeymoon suite, and send a few bottles of wine up to Lotor's harem girls to celebrate their night off. Ta!" He twirled his scepter one last time, and departed with Merla.

Once the doors through which Zarkon and Merla exited closed shut, Cossack shook his head and fell in step beside Haggar, also on her way out. "Man, what a bitch."

"Do you mean Merla, or having to make all those calls at this hour?"

The commander made a face. "What do you think?"

"Ah," she cackled. "Both."

"You got it," was his response, the last of the conversation that Lotor and Allura heard before the witch and commander left them alone in the throne room.

Allura became increasingly aware of Lotor's gaze heavily upon her in those moments, the first they had to themselves since the life-changing ceremony had taken place. She stared at the closed door through which Cossack and Haggar departed for some time, until she felt Lotor's hand smooth down along her arm in a meaningful, if not possessive, prelude to an embrace. A fresh feeling of anxiety fluttered in her stomach, and she turned toward him, suddenly feeling quite small next to her new husband's tall and muscular alien form.

When her gaze met his, Lotor tipped her chin up toward his gently and smiled at her with an eager, desiring, and—was it affectionate?—look. "My Allura," he murmured, and pulled her into a kiss. Frozen to the spot as her mind raced to take it all in, she acquiesced to the bold advance and allowed his warm lips to cover hers in a moment of passion that stirred feelings that further confused her. She could not deny that she was attracted to Lotor, but…

"Finally you are mine, and the rest of the night is ours. Let's not waste another second of it." With that he kissed her lips once more and released her, instead taking her by the hand and leading her through the dark corridors of Castle Doom.

She walked along with him, alternately feeling intimidated by the grim and shadowy surroundings of the enemy fortress and relieved to be with one who was so comfortable there and who seemed to genuinely care for her more than she had once believed him capable. She knew that Lotor expected to consummate their union when they reached their destination, and she would have been lying if she said the thought did not frighten her. It was not that she thought Lotor would hurt her deliberately; she had faith that he would not. However, she was a sheltered girl and the kisses she had shared with Lotor were about the extent of her sexual experience. Nanny and Coran had ensured that she had the "proper" upbringing befitting of a princess, which meant that while she knew the basics of sex from a biological standpoint from studies, she certainly had no firsthand knowledge, and had been extensively warned about the vile, painful, and demeaning things a "scoundrel" like Lotor or those on Doom would do to satisfy their "perversions" as her guardians had called them.

Soon they reached a wide spiral staircase, decorated with an intricately woven maroon and gold runner, that led to a private tower. There was also an elevator at the base, framed in gold with a skull design at the top that matched Lotor's belt, but he chose to lead her up the stairs rather than take that. When they reached the top there was a polished black door with the same frame design as the elevators, which opened up into a lavish and spacious private suite.

"My sanctuary," Lotor told her with a sweeping gesture of his arm, indicating for her to go forward. "No one will disturb us here." He noticed that the room had been hastily set up with a tray of fresh wine, fruit, and confections. "Make yourself comfortable. Tonight it is ours."

"Will I—is this where I'll be living?"

"You are my bride, and as one day I will be king you will be queen. You will be given your own tower for your possessions and personal space. It'll take time to set up, but in the meantime you're more than welcome in my suite. You, my dear Allura, are the only one I would not consider an intruder on my space." He pulled her into his arms once again. "Most nights I would have you at my side and in my bed, or in yours if you prefer, but more so than you might think, I understand the need for space. I won't begrudge you that as long as I have your love and loyalty." He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. "And how I've looked forward to this night, when I have you beside me for the first time…"

Her heart pounded again at the direct mention of what awaited, and at the way his intense gaze made her feel. She was nervous knowing how soon she would experience the consummation of their union, whether she was ready or not. Though she did not want to believe Lotor would force her if she insisted, she also knew that she could not stall or put him off forever. A wife was expected to be intimate with a husband, and although there were loveless marriages of convenience on all worlds, the love missing out of them was not necessarily physical. Even the most practical of marriages often had one or two token couplings.

"Lotor," she murmured as she sought out the right words, "please don't—"

Tightening his grip on her, he pressed his lips to hers in a firm, somewhat dominating kiss. "I won't hurt you, Allura. You have my word, on my honor as a prince. I will love and caress you like the treasure you are." He smoothed his hands along the outline of her body as he pulled her against him. "I want you to feel desire and pleasure, for you to feel what I do for you, to crave my touch and affection like I do yours."

"You won't…" Her voice trailed off. She did not even like to think about the sorts of things Nanny had warned her about, much less vocalize them.

He nuzzled against her cheek in gentle, if not a bit eager, desire. "I won't do anything that you don't want," he asserted, "as long you give yourself to me for that which you enjoy."

"All right." Her agreement sounded more confident than she felt as she lifted a shaky hand and slid it along his hip. His torso, like the rest of him, was strong and muscular; Lotor was an attractive man with a physique that most males would envy. Touching him was pleasant, although through her anxiousness that was a distraction at best. She felt clumsy and inexperienced, and surely a man like Lotor who had a harem full of pleasure slaves could tell that in an instant. Although that did not shame Allura—for him to think the inverse about her virtue was far worse—not knowing what to do did make the moment very awkward.

If Lotor was put off by that he did not show it however, and his desiring look intensified at her touch. He kissed her again, with more passion and intent, and then broke their embrace long enough to lead to his bed. She was not surprised to see that his bed was large and plush, made up in thick velvety sheets of luxurious fabrics in rich colors, accented with pillows both for function and decoration. He brought her to its edge and sat down before pulling her into his lap into another desiring embrace.

"I'll make this a night you never forget," Lotor whispered in husky promise as he planted soft and hungry kisses along her jaw line. His hands began to explore her curves with more familiarity, and touched upon places over her clothes no man had yet to touch the Arusian princess. A shiver of fear—of the unknown that awaited her, and the conflicting mix of emotions that the erotic touch of Doom's prince inspired in her—ran through her at that, although she did not still his hand. Instead she followed his lead and kept her word to be with him willingly, and caressed his masculine form in a naïve and curious manner.

The thrill of his longtime fantasy finally coming true fueled Lotor's desire to ravish his long-desired bride to new heights, and the reality of her compliant touch only made it that much harder to keep temptation at bay. "Your touch is like the divine caress of the gods themselves," he told her with an aroused growl in his tone. While some might have found a line like that difficult to say without smirking or sputtering, Lotor truly meant it in regards to Allura, and it conveyed in his every action. "I want to touch you, skin to skin."

Allura closed her eyes as the passion in Lotor's advances mounted and his touches became more urgent. "I know," she murmured in response, unable to say anything else, even the truth that a part of her wanted to satisfy that same curiosity as much as he did. She then leaned back and found the zipper on her Voltron Force flight suit; what she had been wearing when she went to Galaxy Garrison. Feeling Lotor's eyes intent upon her as she did so, she gingerly pulled it down, exposing the undergarments she had on beneath it—a plain white corset bustier, which Nanny always insisted she wear to look proper in her dresses and jumpsuit, and simple white panties with lacy trim.

Removing the jumpsuit was never a graceful thing, and she became very aware of that as she then leaned down to take off her flight boots. Lotor watched in rapt silence as she pulled the footwear off and set it on the floor, and then as she peeled the flight suit over her shoulder, showing off a great deal of her skin to him for the first time.

Wordlessly Lotor reached up to help her peel her stubborn flight garb back, exposing her to him that much faster. He was not rushed or crass about it, and he drank in the sight of every newly exposed inch of her form with unashamed delight. When the flight suit was discarded, he stood beside Allura and reached around to unfasten the corset. She could not help but flush awkwardly when he pulled it away and looked at her bared body. She felt both embarrassed and vulnerable so naked, and also uncomfortable in the intensity of his gaze. The lust in Lotor's eyes could not be denied, but there was a magnetism of attraction and feeling that she could not deny either, and that she did not know how to deal with. "You're beautiful, Allura," he said after a moment, and smoothed his fingers over her bare breasts in delight. "To the eyes and touch."

He then slid his hands downward to her last remaining garment and gathered its edges in his strong, masculine fingers, and then pulled that down as well, leaving her completely naked before him. His face lit up in delight as he took in the sight of her nude body in full; his fantasies of her had been vivid but reality was so much better. She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off before she could and guided her to the bed, where she first sat gently on the edge and then leaned back into a more reclined position, waiting for him to join her.

Lotor's clothes felt like more of a burden and obstacle than ever, and he quickly worked to divest himself of them. Allura did not participate in that and only lay there waiting for him to make his next move. As she watched him strip she felt strange and detached for a moment, almost as though she was watching someone somewhere else and it was not really happening. That lasted only a moment, however, before her now naked husband—who she had to admit was quite an eyeful—joined her on the bed and pulled her into a passionate and intimate embrace.

His hot skin on hers and his strong body pressed against her lithe one was an incredible sensation, and the lust that the princess had not wanted to admit even existed bubbled to the surface in that passionate moment. Though it was not anything like what she had ever imagined her first time with the prince she knew she would wed one day would be, it was an unforgettable experience and despite how she knew she should feel toward a man like Lotor, she enjoyed it. That thought did shame her, although her logic argued that there was nothing wrong with fulfilling her duty to a legal husband. Still, another inner voice conflicted with those pleasured and excited ones, one that said to make love to Lotor and enjoy it so was to betray Arus and her friends, for how could she give herself, her body, and her love to a monster of a man that had done so many horrible things?

Because he loves you, that hopelessly idealistic voice inside her said even as his hands touched her in ways that simultaneously made her blush in shame and coo with pleasure. Because he was willing to die for you, because there is good in him and you care. He can change… you can help him become a prince in soul as well as title…

She opened her eyes when she felt Lotor shift suddenly and stop, positioning himself above her in such a way that she knew he was ready to consummate their act and take her virginity. Her heart pounded as she beheld the look in his eyes, one of both affection and lust that combined into what she knew Lotor called love.

Their eyes met for that long moment, hers filled with a gentle and nervous trusting look that only made Lotor happier. "Finally, my Allura, we are together," he said, and as gently as he could manage, entered her.

The act was not without discomfort for Allura, for although she was aroused and had certainly taken enough knocks piloting the lion that there were no longer any physical barriers to break or bleed, Lotor was well endowed and she was not accustomed to the intensity of sex with him. Though he had promised to be gentle, he was still physically much bigger than she and had a much different concept of what was painful or rough. When she cried out he slowed and did his best to turn that pain to pleasure, but much of the act was awkward between her inexperience and lesser threshold of pain. In the end, Lotor was the one who derived the most physical pleasure from that act, for although he lasted some time his excitement eventually got the better of him. Allura was disenchanted to discover that a peak of pleasure was not a guarantee for a woman during intercourse as the romance novels she had read when Nanny was not looking implied.

Their marriage night did not end there, however, for Lotor did make good on his promise to see to it that she felt pleasure. When it became evident that given their preferences and tolerances their coupling technique would have to be perfected with practice—a concept he had no objection to, naturally—he made sure that she achieved her peak by alternate means. It was easier to be gentle with his fingertips and his lips, and before the night was over Allura did experience her first climax. Lotor committed the look on her face to memory, the moment her body first caved to carnal pleasure at his touch. It pleased him beyond measure to know that she was truly his in all senses of the word. Even if she had not said she loved him yet, he knew she did and that one day she would admit it. It was only a matter of time.

In the darkness of the suite as the two drifted off to sleep, the conflicting thoughts Allura managed to banish partway through the consummation of their marriage resurfaced again, invading the temporary sanctuary of pleasure in her unlikely husband's bed. Though she had genuinely enjoyed the experience with Lotor, a surprise considering all of her earlier fears and the other conflicts surrounding their strange relationship, she knew that come morning the reality of their situation would greet them harshly once more. With that as the last conscious thought on her mind, she nuzzled a little closer to the strong arms of her now sleeping husband, taking comfort in them and in the pleasant intimacy free of conflict that they had briefly shared for as long as she could cling to it.

Continued...