Because chapter 1 was part of the preview, and most have already read it, I figured I'd give you another chapter early. Not sure on posting schedule yet.
Enjoy.
Chapter 2
Sitting at the overly large table in the middle of Castle Doom's royal dining hall, Romelle can barely contain her excitement. She is sitting next to the Prince of Doom, one of the most sought after men in the entire Denubian Galaxy. If the other royal girls from her old school knew, they would be green with jealousy. Looking across the large expanse of the table, she catches her father giving her a pointed look and tries to rein in her eagerness. He gave her a long lecture on his expectations of her before they came down for dinner. She is to do nothing to attract any more of Prince Lotor's attention. Her father has already begun negotiations with the king of Planet Mora. He expects to announce her engagement in less than a month. A deep sigh escapes the princess. She has no wish to end up on a strange planet away from her family for the rest of her life.
"Is the food not to your liking, Princess Romelle?"
Turning to Prince Lotor, she gives him a bright smile before answering, "No, just lost in my own thoughts."
"Thoughts of me, I hope," Lotor replies, his own smile growing.
Romelle doesn't reply to that remark. Instead, she simply smiles at him again. Her attention goes to the King of Doom as Zarkon remarks, "It's a pity your son couldn't join us, Cova. But the process he is undertaking is a long one."
"Long, but well worth the effort to see Arus defeated," Cova returns. He turns his attention to Lotor, "I would appreciate any information you have on the Garrison pilots stationed on Arus. I understand there are five?"
"Four now," Lotor replies with a smirk. "Haggar injured one of them and we captured him from the hospital he was recuperating in, on Planet Ebb."
"You had him, Lotor," Zarkon corrects him. "You lost him almost as fast as you captured him."
"Lost him?" repeats King Cova, his eyebrows knitted together. "Did he escape Doom?"
"No, he's still here, hiding somewhere in the slave tunnels like a rat," Lotor replies, irritated with his father for embarrassing him in front of their guests. "No one escapes Doom."
"So who is piloting his lion?" Romelle asks, unable to stop herself.
She earns a glare from her father for speaking out of turn, but Lotor answers her, "Princess Allura has taken over Blue Lion."
"Allura, who is she?"
"The last surviving member of the House of Altair," Cova responds bitterly to his daughter. "She will pay the debt of her ancestors."
"A princess rules Arus?" Romelle questions, her tone disbelieving.
"What's left of it to rule," Lotor answers with a smirk. "The few remaining people still hide in caves. Their fear of our attacks is strong."
About to ask another question, Romelle looks across the table to find the expression on her father's face forbidding. She will answer later for daring to engage in the men's conversation when she returns to her rooms. Pressing her lips together to stifle her inquisitive nature, Romelle settles back into her seat. She contents herself with listening to the conversation for the rest of dinner and speaking only when spoken to as her governess taught her.
As the dessert plates are removed and King Zarkon stands, Romelle and the rest of the company rise. She feels the eyes of the Drule king on her for a moment before he says his farewells and leaves the dining hall. Her father gestures to her. Romelle steps around her chair only for Lotor to place a hand on her arm and stop her. He gives her a winsome smile, "Princess Romelle, would you care for a walk around the gardens before you retire?"
"I'm afraid that is not possible, Prince Lotor," Cova answers as he reaches them. "Romelle needs to get her rest before we return to Pollux in the morning, but thank you for being kind enough to ask her."
Indignation fills Romelle, but she wisely keeps her lips pressed together as her father nods to Lotor, takes her by the arm, and leads her away. Once out of earshot, Cova snarls at her, "What did I tell you?"
"I said nothing-"
"Romelle, you are not to do anything that attracts Prince Lotor's attention. Did I not make myself clear? Yet, you felt compelled to show him how smart you are by asking about Arus," he continues as if she hasn't spoken at all.
"I'm sorry, Father," she apologizes only for the king to squeeze her arm, his fingers digging into the soft flesh, and make her cringe from the pain.
"No, I don't think you are," Cova replies, his hold on her arm tightening even more. "But you will be if you do not learn how to curb your tongue and do as you're instructed."
"Yes, Father," Romelle says in a demure tone, relief filling her when Cova's grip on her arm loosens.
He leads her back to her rooms for the night then leaves her once she is inside of the room. As her maid helps her to ready for bed, Romelle allows her mind to wander over what a moonlit walk with Prince Lotor would have been like. She can't help the smile that slips across her face as she thinks of him trying to steal a kiss. She has never been kissed. Her father is far too protective of her virtue to allow any young man close to her own age near her without a chaperon. Settling against her pillows, Romelle closes her eyes. She dreams of a handsome prince kidnapping her from her father's castle and the grand adventure they would have. Then, he would marry her, saving her from being sent to a planet she doesn't know and being forced to marry an old man to suit her father's designs for Pollux's future.
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Feeling highly irritated, Prince Lotor finishes pulling on his boots. Rising, he pauses to look at the slave still lying chained and naked to his bed before walking out of his room. His father deliberately waited to summon him until he knew Lotor would be occupied. After being blocked by King Cova, he sought a slave girl similar in appearance to the princesses of Pollux and Arus. The fact that the slave didn't want to occupy his bed only provided a small challenge.
Rounding the corner, he approaches the double doors to his father's suite. The armed guards that always protect the king step in front of the doors, one of them demanding, "State your business."
"I was summoned, you fool. Out of my way," Lotor snarls as he pushes past them and opens the doors.
He finds his father sitting in one of his lavish chairs, watching the slave girls dancing for him with the bored detachment one gains from viewing such things on a regular basis. His gaze drifts to him as Lotor approaches and bows, "You sent for me?"
"Yes, Lotor," Zarkon answers as he sits up and with a wave of his hand, dismisses the slave girls from his presence. Once the door closes behind the last girl, he says, "I am placing you in command of Cova's attempt on Arus. He fails, you fail, and you've failed far too often lately. Am I understood?"
Narrowing his eyes on his father, Lotor replies, "Why would Cova's failure be mine?"
"Because I know you," Zarkon answers, his expression shrewd. "I was you once…young, arrogant, and stupid. You think of Arus as yours, so you will stop at nothing to ensure Cova's failure."
Anger courses through Lotor's veins as he glares at his father. However, Zarkon hasn't yet finished as he states, "By throwing you and Cova together, anything you do to circumvent his son's success will reflect upon you. Of course, if they do win against Voltron, you may take the credit. Be prepared to depart with them in the morning."
Turning around without leave, Lotor walks away, his anger threatening to boil over. Before he reaches the door, Zarkon calls out, "Don't be an idiot about this, Lotor. One day you must learn not to let your ego get in the way of getting things done. That is what being a king is all about."
"As you would know," Lotor replies bitterly before slamming through the double doors.
Reaching his own rooms, he bursts through the door then stops abruptly. Spotting the slave still shackled to his bed, an evil grin spreads across his face. Slowly stripping away his clothing, he approaches her, his pace stalking, ignoring the fear in the slave's eyes as he says, "They will all pay."
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The next morning, Lotor walks naked out of his bathroom and heads for his closet. After returning to his room, it took several hours to work out the frustrations created by his visit with his father. In fact, he only managed an hour of sleep before being awaken by one of the king's personal slaves, reminding him of his duties for the day. The temptation to send the slave back to his father in pieces filled him, but he restrained himself.
The door to his room opens, revealing the two slaves that care for his things. Glancing over at the bloody body in the bed, he orders, "Get rid of that and inform King Cova that I will accompany him and his family back to Pollux."
He doesn't wait for their answer as he walks into his closet to dress for the day. His plans haven't changed, only the execution of them. Arus and its princess will still be his. Cova and his foolish family is merely a nice distraction in the meantime.
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Approaching the ships leaving for Pollux, Lotor notes the decidedly unhappy expression on the King of Pollux's face before he notices Lotor's arrival and masks it. His eyes move over the remaining company, finding Princess Romelle standing behind the king, unable to mask her happiness at the sight of him. Her annoying little brother stands next to her. Smiling at them all in greeting, Lotor says, "You were informed of King Zarkon's wishes?"
"Yes," Cova answers, anger radiating from him, but says nothing else.
His eyes move back to the princess and Lotor says, "Perhaps Princess Romelle would care to travel with me? I would love to hear more about Pollux and the people."
Noting the excited expression in her gaze, Lotor feels triumph filling his veins. What an idiotic, naive girl. Conquering her will be easy. Thinking his unexpected trip to Pollux will be more entertaining than he first realized, his irritation spikes when he hears, "Can I come too?"
Looking down at the young prince, Lotor has everything he can do not to glare at him. The last thing he wants is for this boy to bother him the entire flight. However, if he says no, he knows Princess Romelle won't be permitted to join him either. Maybe he can fob the boy off on his lieutenant to keep him busy during the flight so he can work on the sister. Forcing himself to remain pleasant, he replies, "I don't see why not."
Prince Bandor turns to his father, "Please Father, may we travel with Prince Lotor?"
He has to fight not to smile as King Cova reluctantly agrees, "Yes." The king grabs onto his daughter's arm and squeezes while saying, "I'll see you both on Pollux."
Resisting the urge to laugh at the king's nonverbal warning to his daughter, Lotor says, "I'll take good care of them, Cova."
"I'm sure you will, Prince Lotor," Cova replies, his gaze stern with warning.
Ignoring him, Lotor holds his arm out to Princess Romelle, "Come, my dear. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can begin our journey."
As she takes his elbow, Lotor leads them away from King Cova and toward his command ship, his mind full of all the possibilities the journey might bring. Reaching his ship, he gives a careless glance at his guests before asking his lieutenant, "Was the message I requested sent?"
"Yes, sire," the Drule guard answers, his inquisitive gaze flickering over the two humans with the prince.
"Good," he replies then directs the guard's attention to boy. "I think Prince Bandor would like a tour of the bridge and gunnery."
An excited look crosses Bandor's face, "Is it like the Polluxian command ships?"
"Why don't you take the tour and see?" replies Lotor, smiling at how easy it is to get rid of the kid.
Nodding enthusiastically, Bandor turns toward the lieutenant, who nods then turns and walks away, with Bandor in tow. When Romelle turns to follow them, Lotor slips his arm around her waist and pulls her in the other direction. "Come, my dear, I have something else I'd like to show you."
