Lotor stood in the entrance to the great hall with his hands clasped behind his back, staring at the door in front of him. Allura sat on the ground next to him, idly picking at the hem of her skirt. They were waiting for the council to finish their meeting. They were both too young to sit in on the council meetings, so they were forced to stay outside. It annoyed Lotor, especially since he was stuck with the obnoxious Altean princess.

Allura heaved a sigh next to him, whining, "How long is this meetinnnggg? We've been sitting here foreeeeeveeer." Lotor rolled his eyes, not even bothering to answer. Just then, the large doors swung open, and council members began filing out. They all offered the two children polite nods as they went their separate ways. The last to leave were King Alfor and Emperor Zarkon, discussing something quietly between them.

Allura leapt up at the sight of them, shouting "Father!" She ran at Alfor, launching herself into his arms. He scooped her up with a warm laugh and spun her around. Zarkon approached his son with less enthusiasm.

Alfor gave Allura a light squeeze. "And how is my little princess?" he asked.

She beamed. "Great! Coran says my training is going really well!"

"That's wonderful, Allura." He looked to Zarkon, grinning. The Galra offered him a stoic nod, which Alfor returned. Then he set his daughter back on her feet, grabbing her small hand in his. The two began walking down the hall in the direction of the royal chambers. "Tell me about your day. I want to hear all about it," he told her. Allura practically glowed in delight. Lotor watched their exchange wistfully from his father's side. His eyes followed the pair's clasped hands, swinging between them wildly as Allura recounted the day's events.

"Have you improved?" Zarkon questioned him. Lotor jumped, looking up to meet his father's stern gaze.

He nodded. "Yes, sir."

"What level have you reached with the Gladiator?" Zarkon asked him this everyday, without fail.

"Four, sir."

Zarkon grunted. Lotor was never sure if that meant he was pleased or disappointed. "Dinner will be served soon," he intoned, and strode after where Alfor and Allura had left. Lotor rushed to match his pace. He had to take two or three steps for every one of his father's to keep up. His eyes were drawn to Zarkon's hand, swinging slightly beside him. His mind flashed to Allura, clinging to her father gleefully as he smiled down at her with nothing but warmth in his eyes. Something in Lotor's chest ached at the thought. He'd never held his father's hand before. He wondered how it would feel. Was it soft? Probably not. He had to have had calluses from wielding his weapon. There was only one way to be sure.

Lotor slowly reached out his hand, but just as he was about to reach his target, his feet stumbled over the ground beneath him. He fell, just catching himself before his face hit the floor. Zarkon barely paused, glaring down at him with disdain before carrying on. Lotor hung his head in shame, eyes glistening. He refused to cry. The son of the Great Zarkon didn't cry. He wasn't weak. He picked himself off the floor, sniffing the tears back. He stared at Zarkon's back, already so far ahead. He squared his shoulders and followed his father's footsteps.

I love reading theories about Zarkon before he went all psycho and took over the universe. I mean, Alfor must have liked him at one point, right? But I can't imagine Zarkon being all smiley and buddy-buddy with anyone. I see him more as a stoic sort of guy. He probably respected Alfor, but he never really showed any affection he might have had for him. The same, I think, could be said about his son. They'd probably have a similar relationship to Lucius and Draco Malfoy, with Zarkon always being really cold and Lotor just wanting to impress his father. I can see him being really jealous of Allura's relationship with Alfor because they're so much more affectionate. Man, I am so excited for season 3. I really wanna know more about Lotor's personality. I wonder how he's gonna respond to taking over for his father. And Zarkon. Will he stay in a comatose state for a while? What happens when he wakes up? Will they fight for control of the Empire? So many questions. I'm so freakin' hyped. Anyway, that's enough of that lol. Sorry for the rambling. Thanks for reading! :)