Originally going to be a one shot, but got too big on me!
Keith caught his breath and watched Lotor stand. The prince held his arm and grit his teeth. Sendak was nowhere to be seen. The torch flickered where it lay, sacred flames sputtering against cold stone. They were both roughed up. Keith pushed back a wave of pain from falling down the ziggurat style stairs and the subsequent battle. Then he picked up the torch and held a hand to the flame. The fire grew, the small chance this plan could still work growing with it. Then he offered the torch to Lotor. Lotor grimaced and tried to take the torch, but wavered. Keith reached out, gripping Lotor's good arm and holding the prince upright. He said under his breath, "Hey, get a hold of yourself. This is why you're here, right?"
Lotor offered a pained smile. "Paladin, thank you."
Keith let Lotor lean on him and wrapped an arm behind his back. They both started limping toward the Kral Zera. "Don't thank me. This wasn't my mission."
"It's not your mission I'm thanking. Tell me, what is your name?"
"The others didn't tell you?"
Lotor chuckled. "They do not fully trust me. I believe they are protecting you."
Keith grit his teeth. "I suppose a level of anonymity has its benefits." The archivist watched them with a strangely blank expression. He was a priest of some kind, the only sign Keith had seen that the galra were religious. When he was behind them, Keith insisted, "You alone must light the flame, Lotor. They will not follow you any other way."
"It's been a while since someone has used my name so purely, paladin."
Keith narrowed his eyes in pain. "Just do it. I don't know how long I can keep this up."
Lotor's hands slipped the torch from Keith's hold, warm hands surprisingly calloused. Keith gripped his side, struggling to remain standing. Glancing down, he saw blood seeping through his uniform. He needed to return to the others for medical attention. His breath stuttered through his teeth. No doubt they'd already left. If Lotor didn't light the Kral Zera, there was little chance he'd make it off the galras' holy planet. His vision was growing hazy. He staggered forward a step before he caught himself. Lotor was less than five feet away, but the space around him was darkening until the only thing remaining were the dark prince's silhouette and the torch. The sound of movement behind them made Keith turn.
One last general was making an attempt to claim the throne. Their knife was drawn. Keith shouted, "Lotor, look out!" and threw himself between the two. He felt the knife sink into his shoulder, close to his neck, and screamed. Then he drew his own knife and awakened the sword, plunging it beneath the general's ribs and through their heart.
Keith stumbled backward and Lotor caught him making Lotor drop the torch. Keith went to catch it on instinct, but so did Lotor, and when their hands held the torch, the Kral Zera was lit. Keith couldn't register what had happened. He looked up to see Lotor wave away the archivist and his words were fuzzy in Keith's mind when he said, "Herald a ship. Go! We must get the paladin to the physicians!"
Lotor pushed Keith's hands down when he reached for the knife. "Leave it be. You will bleed out if you remove it." He laid Keith down beside the sacred flame of the Kral Zera and held his hand. His other hand cupped Keith's jaw with a finger on his frantic pulse. "Stay strong, paladin. Help is coming." Then Keith lost consciousness.
The first thing Keith noticed was that he was relatively pain free and warm. A steady beeping marked the space around him. He groaned and opened his eyes, but found more movement to be impossible. He was lying in a dark room upon a large bed. IV lines were hooked up to the veins on his left arm, the needles buried in his skin. Two galra bearing an unfamiliar insignia on the front of their flowing robe-like uniforms attended him.
One's eyes widened when she saw Keith was conscious. They turned to the other and Keith heard the woman say, "He has awoken. Send a message to the emperor." The beeping in the room increased. Keith realized it was a heart monitor when she put a hand firmly against his shoulder and said, "Stay calm. You are safe here."
"W-why can't I move? What did you do to me!?"
The woman reached for a small penlight and shone it in Keith's eyes. "Normal reaction to optic stimuli. I advised a mild paralytic for this very reaction, but I do not wish to restrain you any more than necessary. Please calm down and the reversal agent will be administered."
Keith watched her back away from him and study a chart. For the next few minutes, he struggled to control his breathing. When the beeping had slowed, the woman looked back to him. Keith stared at the ceiling and asked, "Will you let me up now?"
The woman reached for a syringe of some kind and put a hand on the edge of the bed. "Can I trust you not to attack me or my associates until the emperor has had a chance to explain the situation?"
Keith groaned, but answered, "You have my word."
The woman connected her syringe to the IV in Keith's arm and slowly injected the contents within. Removing the IV after flushing the line, she explained, "There, I've done it. You may feel dizzy or nauseous so I suggest you move slowly once you regain feeling. The full affect may take up to an hour." She wrapped his arm where the needles had been and went to her work station to dispose of her syringe.
Without turning, she commented, "I had not the privilege of healing one like you before you were brought aboard. You've made a commendable recovery. Your blood is strong, but will no doubt be a source of opposition in the days to come, so I give this advice. Act with discretion. As consort of the emperor, many will seek to be rid of you either seen as competition or by prejudice. The witch, Haggar, had a strong grip on the old emperor and one without full galra blood will be seen as a repetition. Those of us loyal to the emperor will help as we can." Then she left.
Keith considered her words, fear eating up his insides. Consort? What did that mean? He tested whether he could move by clenching a fist. It was weak, but he could do it. Gathering his strength, Keith managed to sit up in bed only to be surprised yet again. Strange clothes of a shimmering material covered his nakedness. The fabric was softer than anything he'd ever worn before. Keith managed to stand, catching himself on the bed frame. He stood for a moment trying to regain his breath. For a mild paralytic, he was wiped out. He was just about ready to try walking when the door opened. Shadows were thrown into the room as a tall figure outlined in purple light paused at the threshold. Keith lifted his eyes, head still heavy. Then he groaned and his weakened knees gave out. Before he hit the floor, the figure had caught him.
"You should be resting, paladin. Your wound is not yet healed."
Keith blinked up at the narrow face surrounded by silky white hair. "Lotor?" Keith was lifted back onto the bed. "I'm fine. I can stand."
"We both know that to be false. Sit at the very least," Lotor insisted. His brow was creased in worry and he reached for Keith's hand, manually checking his pulse. After a few moments, he said, "The message from your physician came as a small shock. I never expected such a quick recovery."
Keith withdrew his hand and scooted slightly further from the dark prince. "What can I say, humans are resilient. Where am I? What happened at the Kral Zera?"
Lotor chewed his lower lip and folded his hands in his lap. "What do you remember?"
Keith looked down and thought back. "My mission had been to destroy the platform, killing all the generals present and decreasing the threat of the power vacuum. When I heard the black lion, I..." Keith shook his head. Kolivan would be furious with him, no doubt trying to salvage the situation. "We fought with Sendak and the others. You lit the flame."
"No, Keith. You saved my life, and we... lit the flame."
His eyes snapped to Lotor's. "That's impossible."
"Stop trying to lie to me, paladin. Your blood is as galra as mine. Your right to the throne is as great as any of those generals that were present."
Keith flinched. "I don't want the throne. I'm not a leader!"
"I understand, which is why I assumed control of the empire in your recovery. However, never in our history has more than one lit the flame. The archivist insisted you are also leading the empire. In order to ensure your safety... I..." Lotor faltered, pale cheeks flushing slightly. He held eye contact with Keith and finished, "I told them you are my consort."
There was that word again, making Keith's chest tighten with dread. He asked, "What exactly does that mean?"
Lotor's flush deepened and he covered his mouth. Glancing away, he muttered, "It will only upset you."
Keith felt his temper beginning to flare. "I'm upset now. What did you do?"
Lotor flinched. "The consort of a ruler is a romantic sexual partner. One with whom the emperor or empress creates an heir."
Keith felt his blood drain from his face before flushing in anger. He stood abruptly, wavering and only just managing to keep his balance. "How could you lie like that? I would never accept you!"
Lotor stood as well. "It was to protect you. I never expected this to affect the outcome of the Kral Zera. Please, paladin, you must understand."
Lotor reached for Keith's shoulder. Keith dodged and stepped back, falling into the medical equipment. "Don't touch me!" He paced toward the door. Lotor gripped Keith's arm, pulling him to a stop. He protested, "Let go of me!" Lotor only tightened his hold. Keith turned, slapping Lotor across the face with his open hand. As the sharp sound faded, Keith glared, anger making him tremble.
The dark prince's cheek glowed pink. Lotor fought to hold his emotions in check and shot back, "Do you know how difficult this has been for me? Not even capable of giving the name of the one on their deathbed I claim to love with my entire being, I've turned their attention away from you at every opportunity. Already, there have been multiple assassination attempts! This is not some game, paladin!"
Lotor's nails were digging into his flesh, but Keith was glad for the pain. It was proof of Lotor's words. He stopped pulling and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his anger. When he met Lotor's dark eyes again, he was slightly more rational. "I know this isn't child's play, Lotor. So how do we fix this?"
Lotor straightened up in surprise. His grip slackened, but he maintained his hold as if afraid Keith would slip away and disappear. Lotor's tone was gentle as he answered, "I have an idea, but it will take some time. I'm afraid you might find it... unpleasant."
"Well, it has to be better than doing nothing," Keith replied with a resigned sigh.
"We play into it. Act as my consort, paladin. Plainly speaking, I could use someone with your skills at my side. We do not need to show affection beyond support of one another in public and though we are expected to share a bed on occasion, it is not something that requires public witness." Lotor held up his free hand to stop Keith's imminent reply and added, "Only until we settle the empire. After a time, the rogue fleets will come under my command or be eliminated and the threats on both our lives will cease. Until then, I do not believe it would be safe for us to be apart."
Keith asked, "So, I publicly act as your consort until the empire reforms under your command? That's it? Then we go our separate ways?"
Lotor offered an embarrassed, apologetic half smile. "If that is your wish, paladin."
Keith groaned and looked at where Lotor still held his arm. "If we're going to do this, you can at least tell them my name, but I'm not a paladin and the blades will think I've defected." Raising his eyes, he said grudgingly, "My name is Keith Kogane."
Lotor stepped closer with a more genuine smile. "Thank you for understanding, Keith, and for saving my life on multiple occasions."
"Well, from what you said, the favor was returned. But I'm going to need my blade back if you expect me to act as your bodyguard," Keith replied with a lazy eyebrow raise.
Lotor covered his mouth again before calling through the door, "He's safe, Talias. You can come back now." Keith tried to turn, but Lotor put a hand on his cheek. "You still need rest, beloved. I will return at the close of day."
The two galra from before walked by them, but Keith's fiery attention was focused on the individual before him. His eyes were narrowed and he was sure Lotor could feel the anger radiating off of him in hot waves, but Lotor only leaned forward, pressing his cool lips to Keith's forehead. "Keith," he said again as though knowing the name gave him pleasure, "your physicians will tend you now." Looking over his shoulder, Lotor said, "Talias, Frenik, I leave him in your care."
Lotor brushed past him, scented hair leaving a trail as he left the room. Keith faltered, suddenly drained. The male galra, Frenik, warily approached. "May I assist you back to the bed, my lord?"
Keith looked at the doctors. Now that he understood, he recognized the hesitancy about them. They were just doctors scared he would attack. He waved a hand. "I can manage, thank you." They shared a look as he made his way back to them.
The female from before, Talias, stood preparing her work station. "We are only fulfilling our purpose, my lord. Now, would you please strip so we can assess your wound?"
Keith blanched, but realized that they would probably remove his clothes forcibly if he resisted. Feeling his face burn, he groaned and complied. In the back of his mind, he prepared a lecture for Lotor. Then Talias touched his neck and he sucked in a pained breath with a barely suppressed whine. She noted, "You've reopened the wound in your bout and the edge has a pink tinge. You have an immunity that resists our antibiotics, Lord Kogane.
Keith clenched a fist, teeth grit and eyes shut against the pain as Talias cleaned his wound with an astringent solution. Frenik approached with fresh bandages. Keith kept his gaze on the bed. When Frenik was finished, he explained, "These are laced with quintessence. We can use them now that the greatest risk is behind us."
"But the emperor is right, Lord Kogane. I'm going to give you a mild sedative to help you rest. Please, lie back," Talias suggested.
Keith slipped the sleeve over his shoulder and asked without meeting her eyes, "Can you halve the dose? I think my human genetics don't handle galra drugs well."
"That I can do," she answered. "Frenik, I will handle our patient from here."
"Yes, teacher."
She watched him leave before giving Keith a look. Pressing back on his good shoulder, she insisted, "Now lie down, Keith. The last hour has left you winded and gray."
Keith obliged and asked curiously, "Why did you use a title before?"
Talias focused on her syringe while she adjusted her dose. "As the emperor's consort, you will need to get used to being addressed as lord, Keith. May I ask, you are young by human standard, correct?"
Keith stared at the ceiling. "I'm one of the oldest of my friends, but yeah, I'm still a kid to a lot of people."
Talias smiled warmly at him. Her wide dark eyes, so similar to his own, sparkled in the near darkness. "As I thought." She set her syringe aside for a moment and sat on the edge of the bed. "Keith, when you were brought to galra high command-"
"I'm in the galactic hub?"
Talias rested a hand on Keith's arm. "Keith, please, stay calm and let me speak. When you were brought to my ward, Lotor was scared, more so than I've seen in years. He spent many restless nights at your bedside before I began sedating him for his health as well."
"Probably worried what he'd tell everyone if I died," Keith commented under his breath.
Talias raised a disapproving eyebrow. "If you think he's only out for himself, you do not understand Prince Lotor in the slightest."
Keith asked sarcastically, "And you do? I've spent the last six months tracking his movements, predicting his actions."
"I've been Lotor's primary physician since before he could walk."
Keith felt his eyes widen as she shut him up. Talias took a deep breath. "By galra standard, our prince is young, barely an adult. When I began treating you, I insisted he tell me everything." Then she surprised him by leaning forward and embracing him, her warm skin soft against his neck. "If you need assistance, I am here for you both. I have come to think of Lotor as a son in the absence of children of my own and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for accepting this burden. It eases a great amount of discomfort to know my little prince is protected by a capable warrior."
Keith couldn't form words after her confession, so instead he carefully returned her gentle hold. After a long moment, she sat up and reached for her syringe. Rotating Keith's wrist to expose the veins on his right forearm, she said, "This will be a slight pinch, but I know you can handle it." Once the sedative was administered, she began humming. Within minutes, Keith could hardly keep his eyes open. At last, he sighed and gave in. He felt the bed shift and Talias's warm breath hit his face. His hair was brushed off his forehead and her lips brushed his skin close to where Lotor had kissed him. She whispered, "Sleep well, young one."
Keith opened the hidden door behind the floor length hanging pennants in the throne room and slipped into the shadows. Lotor was addressing one of the generals about a shipment with his cheek resting on a fist in boredom. Ignoring them for a moment, Keith scanned the room and frowned. The mindless sentries were a poor guard where they lined the room.
The tap of armored boots left the room. Emerging from his hiding place, Keith chastised, "I wish you'd take a proper security detail when you hold these meetings."
Lotor took one of Keith's hands and held it to his lips, kissing Keith's knuckles. "Your concern is adorable, but you know I can handle myself, my love."
Keith fought an eye roll and managed not to yank his hand away. He was starting to get used to Lotor's affection even though he'd said they wouldn't need to act so publicly. Instead, Keith leaned into one side of the throne and played with a strand of Lotor's hair in revenge. He whispered, "Those drones are useless against a trained assassin. Or what if someone hacked them? We depend too much on fallible technology."
Lotor looked up, brow creased in concern. "What's brought this upon you?"
Keith sighed and looked away. "I've uncovered another conspiracy. I don't want you alone and exposed like this. There are ways around our defenses, believe me, I've found them. While I'm fixing that, our enemies are looking deeper. It's only a matter of time before they catch us in separate locations."
Lotor's hand lifted to Keith's collar, shifting the elegant material to hide the marmoran armor beneath where it had begun to show. In a sudden need to display how serious he was, Keith reached for Lotor's hand and gently squeezed. "Please, at least let me appoint someone I trust."
Lotor's lips parted, pointed canines barely visible as he considered. He held Keith's eyes in a breathless moment, their hands clasped ever so careful not to overstep boundaries. Right as he was about to answer, the throne room door opened and a small squad of military personnel entered. Keith immediately stepped back, straightening up with his hands folded behind his back and face hiding anything they could latch onto. Lotor's hand drifted back to the armrest.
When the galra approached, Lotor rose to meet them. Keith felt their eyes on him. In the weeks since he'd been brought here, he'd foiled nearly a dozen assassination attempts on both his and Lotor's lives and several of their highest ranking generals. He had proven his worth, but it wasn't his abilities they still disapproved of. Clearing his throat, Keith caught Lotor's attention and nodded. Lotor smiled and blinked slowly with a single nod. Keith marched down the stairs and past the galra without slowing or turning.
Once in the hall, he finally caught his breath. The blades of marmora were kittens compared to the jackals of the empire. At least Kolivan's training had started to prepare him for the cut throat environment. It made him wonder how their double agents had managed to survive during Zarkon's reign.
Well? What do you think?
