Rules of Engagement: Advice and Consent

I honest to god thought this was going to be a one-shot. My bunnies disagreed with me, and my track record for arguing with them is, well... not good. So, now it's going to be a three-parter!
This chapter is still just a little chat during Deceive and Conquer...


The castle was quiet.

It wasn't fair; the castle wasn't supposed to be so quiet anymore, so... lonely. The silence was supposed to have stopped when Keith found Black Lion. When the cadets had arrived, and with them the rest of the team, fleeing Wade's clutches at last. Things were supposed to have gone back to normal when they were together again, even if it was just them against the universe.

Hadn't it always sort of been them against the universe?

Allura, Queen of Arus—what? It was still a little surreal—stood alone in the Castle of Lions control room, eyes fixed on the main screen. Battle had finally been joined. The two hours of anticipation as the team journeyed to Doom had been bad enough. Now it was just agonizing, watching helplessly in the silence.

Normal? Nothing was normal anymore. On the other hand, everything old was new...

For a moment she was eighteen again, hidden away in the castle, watching five strangers fighting desperately to save her planet. She had every faith now, as she had then. But it ached to see such sacrifices on behalf of her and her people. That was why she had to be there. It was her duty to—

"I don't get how you can do that."

Allura looked up from the consoles, a little startled by the voice. Or maybe it was just the tone—irreverent, frustrated, a thousand other things that no Arusian would ever dare to display around their Queen. It would be so improper. But the voice belonged to one of the very few who still treated her as a person, let alone an equal—and the only one of them in the castle now.

"Welcome back, Pidge." He'd departed Control almost as soon as the Force launched. Allura couldn't fathom it. "Where've you been?"

"Recalibrating the southwest emplacements and installing some new ones. Boosted our firepower on that facing by about twenty percent, had to upgrade the capacitor coils with..." He launched into the technical details quickly, even for Pidge. Even though he knew she wouldn't have needed that much information even if she did understand what he was saying.

Restlessness. No matter how differently it manifested, she knew it all too well.

"Pidge..."

"...Sorry." Frown. "But seriously. I don't get how you can just... sit there watching."

Ah. And that was where he'd come in. "Much like I don't understand how you can be off playing with your capacitor coils at a moment like this." He flinched, and she realized how that had come across... and a slight blush sprang to her cheeks as she realized he'd still taken it the least bad way possible. Lance would have had a field day. "That wasn't a reproach."

"Yeah, I know. Trust me, you make it pretty clear when you're intending to reproach." He smirked and circled around her, passing up the empty chair in favor of sitting on the console itself. The amused expression didn't last long. "It's totally illogical. Knowing there's nothing we can do, but pretending sitting here staring at a fight we aren't part of will somehow influence its outcome. You can't tell me you don't feel it too."

He sounded almost pleading. Searching for a connection in the restlessness. She understood that, too, but...

Somehow I don't think my answer's going to help much.

Allura closed her eyes for a moment, letting the memories reassert themselves again. Suddenly she found herself envying Pidge immensely. At least he had defenses to upgrade, concrete tasks that still contributed to the safety of Arus. If he couldn't watch, he could walk away without it being selfish. Whereas she... "That's exactly why I have to be here. To at least bear witness."

"A symbolic gesture?"

Well, yes. "What is the monarchy if not a symbol, really? I've always been protected. Even before you arrived. Coran, and the few soldiers we had left, they guarded me. I was the Princess. When the five of you first came here, you went into battle... and here I was, protected again." She shook her head. "It's how it's always been."

The answer only seemed to frustrate him more, as she'd known it would. "Not always."

"No. Not always." Sigh. "I learned to fly Blue Lion, and learned that I could do something more. I didn't have to be protected, I could fight and protect others. And yet here I am." She gestured expansively. "Being a pilot for the Voltron Force was an honor and a privilege. The best thing I've ever done. But I've always known my birthright would place me right back here in time."

Pidge considered that for a minute then seemed to accept it, nodding and looking away. "Lucky you."

Discretion being the better part of valor—and no small bit of diplomacy too—Allura decided maybe the strong front wasn't the way to go here after all. It was sometimes easy to forget how young he still was, how vulnerable he could be when his intellect couldn't give him the answers. "It's not easy for me either," she said gently. "I'm just used to trusting others to fight."

"That's the thing, isn't it?" He shook his head. "I should be out there. I've been here for what, five minutes, and I'm already second guessing everything."

That didn't surprise her. He did have his control freak tendencies, though to his credit at least he recognized them. "But you know Vince was ready. You never would've given up your key if you didn't have absolute certainty. You don't do things like that."

"Of course he was ready." He sighed and ran his hand along the console. "I'm just not so sure I was."

That did surprise her. Okay, maybe he does do things like that. "Pidge..."

"You want to talk about birthrights? Baltans are born to be soldiers!" He drew a smart star and absently skipped it across the floor with a disgusted look. "I was a warrior, and I gave up the fight. It was the right thing to do for the team. But what do I have left?"

Allura grimaced; she'd known he was taking it hard, but not that hard. Oh, Pidge. "You don't mean that. I know you don't. Whatever you've done, the one thing you have not done is given up fighting. You just moved to a different battlefield..." She rested a hand on his shoulder and was pleasantly surprised when he didn't flinch away. Usually Hunk was the only one allowed to do that. "And even if I accepted your premise, you've been with us far too long to be asking the rest of that."

He laughed softly. "I've been Green Lion's pilot too long."

"So the team means nothing to you?"

"The team means everything to me!" Seemingly startled by his own vehemence, he hesitated. Or maybe he was just gathering his nerve. "...I'm just not sure what I mean to me. On one hand I know I can be more useful here, on the other it's hard to get around stepping down because I felt obsolete."

"Well you're certainly not obsolete." She squeezed his shoulder. "No more than I am."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're the queen."

She wasn't entirely certain how to take that. "Oh, come on, Pidge. I'm no more defined by my title than you..." She stopped as it sank in. "...Oh."

He raised the other eyebrow.

Walked right into that. And here she'd just been envying his holding on to his purpose. Everyone always sees what others have first. Even I'm not immune.

A particularly loud crash drew both of their eyes to the main screen for a moment. Pidge looked away quickly, clenching his fists; Allura watched for another minute more, until she was certain Voltron held the upper hand. "With any luck, it won't matter soon. If the war ends here, we all may have a whole new reality to adjust to."

"Yeah, about that." He slid off his perch, crossing his arms. "Not that I'm questioning your faith in Daniel... much. But to spare you any more embarrassing and hilarious rumors, may I suggest the awkward attempts to stick a crown on Keith's head might go better after a little bit of that adjustment has happened?"

...Well that wasn't where she'd expected this conversation to go. And no, that incident hadn't gone remotely how she'd hoped. Something told her she wouldn't get away with trying to deflect, so she shrugged. "Maybe? I mean, of course you can suggest it! I just..." She groaned as no good protest presented itself. "I'm sure we'll talk about it more, at least. You're right, I didn't pick the greatest timing in the world for a proposal."

"Oh, was that what it was?" He leaned against the console and looked at her. "I just heard you gave him a job offer."

Seriously? "Who told you that?"

"Hmm..." Smirk. "I think everyone else who was in the room."

When she considered that that pretty much amounted to Lance and Hunk, it didn't surprise her either. "Of course they did. It wasn't that bad."

"I heard it kind of was."

"It was not." Her protest was a little more emphatic than strictly necessary, and he burst into laughter. "Oh, okay. Maybe a little?" She sighed and shook her head, gesturing in frustration. "I hadn't really thought through the wording."

Pidge sobered, tilting his head. "Destiny forgot to leave you a script."

"Something like that." She shot him a mildly suspicious look, just to make it clear she knew what he'd done there. Pidge didn't openly mock the idea of destiny... unlike some others she knew. But he didn't believe in it either. Destiny, after all, was illogical. "But it's certainly made its will clear enough without words. Nor was I really going to argue the point..."

The smirk was back. "Of course not."

"It's not exactly my most noble sacrifice in the name of fate, I know." That sacrifice was large, blue, and made of metal, and they'd discussed that one already. "What was I supposed to do, though? Learning Keith was Arusian... it was like a fairy tale wish coming true."

Something flickered in his eyes—the sharp flash of understanding that so often accompanied his research breakthroughs. Having it turned on her was more than a little disconcerting. "So that's the catalyst?" He'd murmured it almost to himself, then seemed to snap out of it. "Um, you probably should rethink your phrasing, because when you put it like that it sounds terrible."

Allura blinked. "What... huh? What's terrible about it?"

"Just that after so many years, you suddenly find out he's Arusian, and that's why you're so sure destiny wants you taking things to the next level? I know you too well to read anything into it. But it's not a good look."

...Oh. Oh. Despite what he'd said about not reading into it she retreated a step, completely taken aback. That had never even occurred to her. "Is that really how everyone's taking it?"

"No idea." Shrug. "I don't actually gossip about your love life, you know. I just listen to Lance complaining that destiny should publicize its visits better."

Allura couldn't help a laugh, though it didn't last. "It's nowhere near so simple or... prejudicial."

"I already told you I know that." He gave her another searching look. "Though I can tell you're just dying to explain it to be absolutely sure, so I'm listening."

That got him a scowl purely on principle. But he wasn't wrong.

"It's another matter of royal duty. The people are difficult to please." She sighed and leaned over the back of the empty chair. "We can thank Wade for some of that, but even before. You remember how frightened they were when the five of you first arrived. Arus has always been a proud planet, wary of outsiders. You understand that."

Nod. Balto wasn't exactly known for its unconditional embrace of outsiders either. "Of course."

"Arus is fighting for its life, but Voltron isn't piloted by Arusians. Even now that grates on some. I didn't really feel I had the right to go up against law and tradition, try to convince my people to accept an outsider as king just for my sake. Not in the middle of a war, asking them to sacrifice so much already. Not to mention he's still in command of that war. Better to wait until it's finished."

"Makes sense to me..." Frown. "Except I think there's one small flaw in your logic."

That seemed to be a theme. "And you're just dying to tell me what it is."

"I'm only trying to help." He shook his head. "But you know if you wait for Keith to be done fighting, you're going to be waiting forever."

Allura winced. That thought had occurred to her before, of course; when they'd defeated Lotor only to have Wade surface, forcing Keith on the run, she'd been snarling about it to her pillow every night. But that was different. They were on the cusp of peace now, real peace... "We can't be at war forever. And Daniel truly has made such progress, besides—"

"—And maybe this really will be the last battle, and maybe Daniel will prove he's ready to take over, but none of that matters, Allura." Pidge gave an odd grin. "The very next day, you'll be trying to convince him to do king stuff and he'll be rallying the civilians into a militia or something, just in case. It's what he does... who he is."

Of course she knew that. Keith was the consummate soldier, said to be the finest the Alliance had ever produced. His devotion to duty was legendary. But really. "He does know how to relax, Pidge."

"Oh sure." The grin remained. "For a few minutes at a time before he reverts to his defaults. What do you really think is going to happen if you just take the Fearless Leader and put him next to you on the throne? He'll lighten up? No chance."

That didn't amuse her near as much as it seemed to amuse him. It certainly wasn't what she wanted out of her relationship with Keith. Or was that selfish too? "Maybe that's for the best." She frowned at the floor. "Arus needs a king that will put its safety and security first..."

"That is exactly the opposite of the point I'm trying to make." She could feel his piercing gaze on her even without looking. "Arus doesn't need a king. You need a king."

Well that cut right to the heart of things, didn't it? Allura was so stunned that any intelligent answer she might have offered fled; instead some old rote response managed to escape. "Arus needs heirs."

At that Pidge looked just as stunned as she'd felt. "...Oh, hello Nanny! You look so much different than I remember you."

Was it possible to die of blushing? That would be a great one for the history books. Allura the Third, reigned two weeks. Died of embarrassment. ...Left no heirs. "Oh, hush."

"Gladly. Do you have any idea how little I want to think about that?" He rolled his eyes. "Though it's surprisingly close to being relevant. You were almost there."

Almost. "I suppose it's not worth asking you to just say what you mean?"

Only Pidge could pull off a pious smirk. "How will you ever learn if I do all the work for you?"

The only appropriate response to that was smacking him, so that was what she did. "Brat."

"Totally."

Allura giggled, then shook her head again. "Say I grant you your point. If Arus doesn't need a king, but I do, what practical difference does that make?"

"Practical? No idea. I'm just trying to help you sell this to Keith in a way he'll actually buy it." For about half a second he glanced at the monitor. "Don't tell him it's his duty to Arus. He's already doing that, in spades. Tell him something different."

What he was getting at should be obvious. She knew that, but she couldn't place it, her mind racing to sort out what part of the job was so different. Diplomacy? No, not so much. She would still be the head of state, Keith would have little to do with that part of the politics. But then what else was there, other than his losing Black Lion?

"I don't quite follow..."

He tilted his head. "You love him, don't you?"

...Yes, what he was getting at had been obvious. So obvious she'd skipped right over it. "Of course! But—"

"—But nothing. That's all you have to offer him that matters, Allura. ...And I thought it was sort of the point of marriage anyway?"

If only. "You need to learn more about monarchies."

"Monarchies need to learn more about humans."

That wasn't a bad point at all, and in fact Allura agreed wholeheartedly. But considering it was coming from the cynical Baltan, she gave him an incredulous look anyway. "What has gone wrong with the galaxy that has you trying to sell me on idealism?"

Smirk. "I don't believe half your lectures, doesn't mean I don't listen to them."

"Have I mentioned you're a brat?"

"It's come up."

How that smug grin made him so endearing was a mystery to her. "And who have you been listening to that's made you such an expert on romance?"

"Expert?" He laughed. "I'm not claiming to know a thing about romance here. I just know Keith."

Allura started to point out she did too, then stopped. Sometimes she forgot how long the others had known each other before coming to Arus; it felt like they'd been part of her world forever. Of course the others knew parts of him she might not yet.

Yet? That was optimistic. But why not? She did still believe in destiny. And perhaps more to the point...

Do you love him?

Of course she did. Maybe it was selfish, maybe it wasn't the proper royal priority or pageantry. But she did love Keith, almost desperately. And maybe Pidge was right. Maybe that really should be all that mattered.

"So what you're telling me is that I need to stop worrying about making him king, and focus on making him my husband."

"Exactly."

"And I suppose you think that's as simple as telling him I love him?"

"You know, I'll bet he's already noticed that. Putting it out in the open seems like the logical place to start though." Shrug. "I mean, if you feel that's insufficient, human mating rituals also involve alcohol, flowers, and chocolate. I think the more you have of one the less you need of the others."

Part of Allura dearly wanted to ask about Baltan mating rituals, just to embarrass him. Her better judgment won out. He was having his own problems, and she did appreciate his insight... even if he was the last person she'd ever have expected it from.

There was something in that, wasn't there?

For a moment she just looked at him, as if for the first time. They'd spent next to no time together since the team came back, really. They worked in different spheres. She remembered him before, that wild little kid who'd been just as likely to climb the hangar walls as to work on the equipment inside. But he'd changed. Time had refined him from precocious to outright brilliant, and the years under Wade's harsh gaze had settled him down. That had been evident, yes, but so much had been going on...

It was only just now fully sinking in that Pidge had grown up. And suddenly she suspected his current identity crisis went far beyond Green Lion. After all, she couldn't have been the only one expecting things to go back to normal when the others returned.

When he left here, he was the child. When he came back he was teaching three of them.

She could've just asked him about the new insight forming in her mind, but she wasn't about to let him off that easily. Not after all the time he'd just spent taunting her. Instead she wrapped him up in a hug, tousling his hair as he squawked indignantly and fought to get loose. "Oh honestly, Pidge."

"Honestly yourself!" He slipped her grip and gave her the most petulant look anyone could ask for. Only Hunk was usually even crazy enough to try that. "What brought that on?"

"Just making a point." She gave him a knowing smirk of her own. "I think someone needs a reminder that despite all this newfound wisdom, our wonderful, brilliant, bratty little kid brother remains exactly that."

For a moment he froze, eyes going wide. Then a wry grin crept over his face. "The new ones aren't providing enough of that for you?"

"They'll never be able to compete with the master." Allura arched a challenging eyebrow. "Why would that have changed? I don't see you treating me any different just because I'm the queen."

Pidge snorted. "Why would I do that? You're still the same..." Now it was his turn to have walked right into it. "...Oh."

"See?" She smiled gently. "Voltron is evolving, and the Force is evolving with it. But no matter how your role changes, it doesn't change who you are. Not to us."

He lowered his eyes, considering that. "That simple?"

No, she supposed it wasn't simple. Not with how long he'd been defining himself by those roles. But on the other hand, if anyone could learn... she grinned as the obvious response presented itself. "Every bit as simple as me just needing to tell Keith how I feel."

Pidge laughed. "Aha. I understand."

Before she could reassure him on that count, a massive explosion shook the room. They were both up with their weapons drawn in an instant, then both realized at the same moment the explosion hadn't been anywhere near them. Flames were filling the monitors instead.

"Oh Gods..."

"Holy hells."

For an instant, Allura was certain her heart had stopped. She had faith. Of course she had faith. But they were still half a galaxy away from the battle, at the mercy of unreliable scanners and radio silence. How could she not feel a moment of fear?

Please, please...

The smoke gave way entirely too slowly for her tastes, though it only could have been a couple of seconds. And it gave way to what she'd hoped and prayed for. Voltron crouched over a few scattered bits of debris, the Blazing Sword shining in Doom's darkness.

"...They did it." She could barely get out more than a whisper. "They did it!"

"Of course they did." Pidge's tone was pretty much the opposite of confident. "Never had any doubt."

Noticing another sensation as the adrenaline rush faded, Allura looked down and tilted her head. "That's why you're clinging to my arm in a panic?"

Immediately he pulled away, scowling. "...Oh, shut up."

"Your secret's safe with me."

"Uh huh." He grinned wickedly. "You know what this means, right?"

It meant quite a lot of things, but if she tried to list them all off he would probably mock her again. "What?"

"It means you have two hours to figure out how you're going to give your boyfriend a better job offer."

Just for that, she stepped forward and ruffled his hair again. "I think I'll manage." Again he pulled away, swatting her hand halfheartedly. "...Thank you, Pidge."

He blinked, then laughed softly and nodded. "Any time. And thank you, too, though if you do that one more time I'm going to smart star you to a wall."

Allura didn't even try to contain her laughter. "Go on, Pidge. Go do genius things with capacitor coils. I'm never going to get any work done if you just stay here teasing me."

"Work. Right." He flipped his hair and tossed one last smirk over his shoulder. "Good luck with that. ...Seriously."

Good luck. She was probably going to need it. But at least she had had somewhere to start now. Some idea of how to go about this thing that was so much more complicated than destiny had led her to believe. Just to be safe, though...

Two hours was plenty of time to track down some alcohol, flowers, and chocolate.