LOTURA WEEK 2018 Day 1
Meeting and Parting / Compromise
Captive Confidant
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Voltron: Legendary Defender.
NOTE: Happy Lotura Week!
This is the first time I've ever written for Voltron so I'm still finding my bearings. I've also not seen season 6 yet so I decided to set this story in the first episode of season 5. I hope I will be able to watch S6 in the course of this week so I have more material to write about but I was so excited about contributing to this week that I decided to write anyway.
I love the growing between Lotor and Allura and I really wish we spent more time with the team when Lotor was giving them intel on the Galra Empire. So much of that happened off-screen so there is a lot of potential for character interactions there.
Anyway, hope you like this!
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"I will not ask you to trust me, Princess, because I know that trust has to be earned," Lotor told Allura during their first conversation after he turned himself in to Voltron, "And that is what I intend to do."
"You seem confident that you will succeed?" Allura had remarked skeptically.
"I know that we both want peace in the galaxy," he had replied, "I will just need to convince you that we are fighting for a common cause. You have my word on that."
"We shall see how much your word is worth," was all she had said in reply.
But the days passed and the Galra prince proved to everyone that he was good as his word. All the intel he had provided them had been sound. They had not wandered into any traps. They had not been sabotaged. Even the most suspicious of the paladins had to admit that Lotor had not led them astray.
Some part of Allura regretted her initial harshness to their captive. She was not even comfortable referring to him as a "captive" but though he was afforded some comforts, he was far from being Voltron's "guest."
She was learning to be more open-minded when it came to certain members of the Galra race. But it seemed too much to ask for her to immediately trust Zarkon's only son. And yet, she could not help but admit that he had a certain charisma and even a sincerity she was learning not to doubt.
He mostly spoke with her and Shiro and occasionally the other paladins. But some days, she found herself wandering to where he was held just so she could speak to him on her own about so many other topics. She grew more and more curious about the crown prince who would ally himself with the Galra's greatest enemy. Was there really more to this than strategy?
Coran warned her against getting too close.
"While I admit that his input has been invaluable, I'm still not sure we can trust him completely, Princess," he told her, "And I still worry that he might be manipulating us for his own ends."
"I agree with you on that, Coran," Allura reassured him, "But after all he has done for us so far, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. There's so much we can learn from him. He may be Zarkon's son but he also seems to hate his father as much as everyone else does. I can't imagine what that's like but I think it may be something we should explore."
Coran knew better than to contradict the princess when she was determined to do something so he simply expressed his concern. "Just be careful, Princess."
"I will," she replied earnestly.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Lotor knew a great deal about Altean culture, in general, and alchemy, in particular. Allura could not help but be impressed and even slightly embarrassed that she did not know as much about Galra culture and history. She was fascinated by the prince's enthusiasm for discussing Altean alchemy with her in ways that did not always have any connection to current battles or strategies. He just seemed to share the same interests with her and she could not help but grow excited.
As much as she loved her fellow paladins, Allura could not always relate to them and all their human ways. There were some things that she hesitated to share with even Coran, not because she did not trust him, but because there were some burdens that only a member of a royal house could fully understand. And in many ways, Lotor understood all these and so much more. He also always spoke to her respectfully and even with some degree of deference, as befitting her rank. She tried her best to return the civility.
They were both keenly aware of the weight of responsibility on their shoulders, helping their respective peoples survive a vicious war, finding a way to peace and prosperity in the galaxy, and, surprising for a Galra, finding a way to co-exist in harmony. Lotor openly shared his plans with her of such a future, of the end to the war and a way of finding sustainable sources of quintessence. Allura tried to keep the mask of skepticism but she sometimes still agreed with what he said and she would berate herself later for agreeing with a Galra.
"My prejudice is showing," she would remind herself, "I said I would give him a chance to earn my trust and so far he has done nothing to betray us."
She found herself thinking that, if only the circumstances had been very different, both of them could have become friends and true allies. And a small voice in her head whispered "What's stopping you?"
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
All this ended abruptly when the team decided to trade Lotor for Commander Holt. While Allura understood the importance of this exchange, she could not help but feel a twinge of dismay at their imminent separation.
She found the courage to admit as much in her last conversation with Lotor.
"There's still so much I want to talk to you about," she said earnestly.
"I feel the same way," Lotor replied, "But the trade must be made if we are to defeat my father."
"Of course," Allura replied somberly.
"But rest assured, Princess," he told her gently, "I do not intend for this to be the last time we shall speak. There will be other opportunities."
"Do I have your word?" Allura asked with a smile.
"You have my word," Lotor replied, returning the gesture.