Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.I didn't want to own Nanny anyway.
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.
Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist." "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading! I wanted to go ahead and post this chapter because it gives you a better feel for how the story might go. You'll see that there is a lot continuity with characters' personalities, but as I said before, you'll fine some slight variants. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Chapter Two
As the group followed Coran, Allura looked ahead to the back of the prince as he walked beside Sven. He and Sven were of the same height and build putting the prince at least six feet tall. They hadn't been told to expect a prince. This allowed her to put her fascination with him on the fact that it was a surprise and for heaven's sake, he was a real, live, prince! His black hair and eyes of almost the same color were incredible. She shook her head as she heard her friend, Lance, whisper to her.
"You know, two years isn't a big deal."
She didn't even bother to look at him as she responded. "What are you talking about? What two years?"
"You're twenty-two, he's twenty. Not a big deal." He smirked as she stiffened. He had seen her eyes light up when she saw the guy and then to add to things, he was a prince of all things. Sheez. Some guys had all the luck.
Allura gritted her teeth and counted to ten. "Don't be ridiculous, McClain," she said under her breath. "We're here on a mission."
Chuckling softly, he responded, "No reason you can't have a little fun. I mean, seriously, I thought I saw sparkles or some such crap when Coran introduced the guy. So why can't you have a little fairy tale of your own… that is, unless the guy ends up being a total silver-spooned jerk."
The young woman's head snapped to the side after he spoke about the sparkles. She thought she had imagined it as it had happened so quickly but Lance had seen it as well. What the hell did that mean? Hearing the rest of his comments, she said, "Drop it, Lance. I'm just sorry there wasn't a pretty princess to shoot down your hopes of being a prince."
"It's a big universe, I'm sure I can find one somewhere."
Conversation ended as they entered an underground chamber. A table and chairs were set up in the room and electric wall sconces lit the room. However, there wasn't anything else to be seen in the room. It was functional and nothing more.
Once everyone was seated, Coran began. "Commander, can you tell us what your mission is? Have you been sent as an advance force to help Arus?"
Sven squirmed uncomfortably in the hard-backed chair. "Our mission is to resurrect Voltron and use him to free Arus by defeating Doom. We understand that there are five mechas that make up Voltron, so that is why five pilots were sent."
Coran glanced to Keith and noticed that the prince was staring at his hands. "But are you a scouting force? Will they be sending help to defend and rebuild Arus?"
"I'm afraid that a fleet and machinery to rebuild is not yet in the works. The Alliance is hoping that Voltron will be enough to stabilize the region. Once that occurs, it will be safe enough to send engineers and equipment to help rebuild."
For the first time, Keith spoke. "What are your plans for Voltron?" The young prince looked the dark-haired pilot in the eye.
It was uncomfortable, but Sven held his gaze. "We're supposed to find the lions and find the process to combine them into Voltron. Once that occurs, we're supposed to fly to Doom and take out as much of the Drule forces as possible."
"But-" Coran began but was silenced by the Arusian prince raising his hand.
"And after you take out the Drule forces, then what?" Keith's gaze held that of Holgersson's. It was the pilot who looked away first.
"Once we have done what we can on Doom, we are to proceed to a rendezvous with the seventh fleet at the Darma system."
Keith nodded while Coran sat in shock. Finally, the advisor could contain himself no longer. "I'm afraid that is unacceptable. Voltron can be used offensively, but King Alfor meant to use him to defend Arus from attacks. And to even think of removing him completely from our solar system is anathema!" The advisor's temper and voice had gradually increased and the fiery temper that he had so long kept under wraps was now on display.
"But we'll make sure that the Drules don't come back here. We'll take out their fleet before we go." Lance thought he was being helpful when he added this.
Quietly, Keith asked, "Do you think that the Drules won't know where you obtained Voltron? Do you think that they won't use the first opportunity they have to raze the planet to the ground? Now, just when our people are starting to rebuild and the land is once again yielding adequate amounts of food, you want to bring the wrath of Zarkon to us? You plan to leave us defenseless?"
Speaking again and placing a hand out toward Lance to keep him from responding, Sven said, "I'm sure that if Doom makes a move in this direction, the Alliance will send a fleet."
Keith crossed his arms and leaned back. "I'm afraid your assurances don't mean much to my people, Commander. The Alliance could have contacted us long ago, but didn't. Now that they know we are still here and might be able to assist in locating Voltron, they want to talk to us. They don't want to provide any immediate help but ask us to help them. Do you not find that a tad bit… absurd?"
Sven wanted to tug at the collar of his uniform but didn't. The Prince was exactly right but he couldn't say that. He had a mission to fulfill. The team had been told to find Voltron and bring it back even if the Arusians wouldn't help.
"I'm sorry that we aren't able to provide more help at this time." Sven finally said.
"Pidge and I will be happy to look at the mechanical and computer components of the castle. It's part of what we do besides piloting. I'm sure we'd be able to help." Hunk offered as he hated the discord that currently filled the room.
"Yeah," Pidge agreed. "We'd be happy to help with those things."
Turning his dark gaze to the large man and the teenager, Keith said, "Any help you can provide will be appreciated. However, I'm sure you can tell from our walk here that the castle is far from up to date with technology. I have had limited exposure to electronics and news from off-world during the last eight years. What I have seen and read about indicates that you will be able to do very little to assist in that way unless the Alliance provides us with updated equipment and the means to rebuild that infrastructure."
"Well… I… To be sure…." Pidge sputtered. The Prince was correct. What they could offer would be like offering a crumb to a starving man. The teenager was saved from speaking further by Allura.
"You're right, Prince Keith. However, we're just pilots and we have only been authorized to locate and resurrect Voltron." Allura's voice was calm and cut through some of the tension in the room.
"Then I suggest you return to your shuttle and contact the Alliance. If you expect to borrow Voltron, you'll have to offer us more than this. And I do mean borrow. After any attack that we agree to, Voltron will be returned to Arus."
Sven's face darkened but he nodded. "Coran and I will see you out. Our people will have camouflaged your shuttle, but it won't be enough to hide it from a detailed Drule scan. Since your ship was damaged, I'm sure that you had a run-in with some Doomites. They'll come looking for you. By that time, you'll either have left or have for us the assistance we require from the Alliance."
"I'll be sure to let the Alliance know of your terms." Sven said as they walked out of the chamber. "But what assurance can you offer us that Voltron does exist and that it does work?"
"I can only offer you my word, and this." Reaching into his jacket pocket, Keith pulled out the key to Black Lion. "This is a key to the Black Lion. You have only my word that it is true, but it is nevertheless." The Prince of Arus stood there as the five Alliance pilots gathered around him and Coran watched with interest. Keith watched the pilot's faces closely. Coran wanted him to trust them. What reason does he have? Why does he trust them? As he looked at the faces, he saw only genuine interest and fascination. There wasn't a one that looked skeptical. They were willing to believe and at least in this one thing, they were willing to trust him. That was important if the plan that he was formulating was to succeed.
Sven looked up from the key to the prince. "It is enough. We'll be back in touch once the Alliance responds."
Keith put the key away and led the group the rest of the way in silence. At the huge metal engraved doors, Keith stopped. "We'll be waiting to hear from you."
Sven only nodded as he led his team outside and watched as Keith shut the doors behind them.
Allura moved to a spot behind Sven. "You can't blame him can you?" Her voice held nothing but understanding.
Still looking at the doors, the commander responded, "No, I can't. I only hope that the Alliance will be reasonable about this." Turning his head from the doors to the bridge across the lake, he looked up at the stone statue. The tractor beam had come from there. The advisor had said they didn't have anything to aid them, yet the tractor beam had been real. Shaking his head in confusion, he said, "Let's go."
Keith and Coran watched from a side window as the quintet made their way across the bridge. Turning to look at his mentor, Keith sheepishly asked, "What?"
"I am surprised, but pleased at your diplomatic skills, Prince Keith. I didn't expect you to be so, so-"
"Mature?" Keith asked with a smile.
This time, Coran gave him a beaming smile. "If you say so, your Majesty."
"They're gone. Stop calling me that." Keith waved a hand in the air. Often when it was just the two of them, Keith made Coran drop all the formal titles, but the advisor was a stickler most of the time in the presence of others. "And yes, I really have been paying attention to your lessons on deportment and diplomacy." Giving one last glance out the window, Keith asked, "So how did I do?"
"Both of your parents would have been proud. I was proud. Everything you said was appropriate. We cannot allow them to remove Voltron from Arus on a long-term basis." He saw Keith nod and then asked, "But you basically agreed that you would allow them to use Voltron. What's to stop them from taking him back to the Alliance once they have the keys? Coran grew nervous as a huge smile broke across the monarch's face. He knew that smile….
Slapping Coran on the back, Keith nonchalantly replied, "I'll stop them because I'll be flying Black Lion." Keith walked away but the smile was still on his face as he reached his hand in his pocket and felt the key. It was hard to refrain from turning to see Coran's face, but he could just imagine the look of shock on the advisor's face. The fact that he hadn't heard a thump was a good sign. At least Coran didn't faint, Keith thought with a smile.