I make no claims to Voltron or any WEP characters.

Chapter Two

Duvessa walked into Castle Control, her black hair pulled back into an Arusian version of a French twist. She paused, looking at the others in the room. She saw only Allura, Pidge and Hunk present.

Allura turned and smiled at her, having heard the door of the room open. "Feeling better?" She touched her own crown, slightly disappointed that Duvessa wasn't wearing hers, but she didn't say anything about it.

Duvessa nodded and walked towards her. She had seen Allura touch the crown on her head and knew Allura had hoped that Duvessa would have put her own on. "Yes, thank you," she answered, smiling back.

Pidge turned as Duvessa stopped beside Allura. He blinked, seeing the color of her uniform. He glanced up at Allura, a nervous look on his face. "Um, Princess, won't Keith…"

Allura smiled down at Pidge. "It was hers before him. Besides, why can't she wear the color she did before?"

Pidge nodded thoughtfully. "Ok. Well, then," he murmured, turning his attention to Duvessa. "Um, I'm Pidge. We weren't properly introduced," he stated, holding his hand out to her.

Duvessa took his hand, shaking it. "Duvessa," she answered, giving him a full smile hoping to ease his obvious nervousness. "But, you can call me Vessa."

Pidge blinked and his eyes went wide in awe. "The Duvessa? Former Commander of the Voltron Force ages ago? The original Black Lion pilot?"

Duvessa blushed, pulling her hand from his and touching her hair. She nodded. "Um, yes, I'm afraid so."

Pidge leaned closer to her as if he was about to impart some secret to her. "Were you really the heir? A princess?"

Duvessa turned her blue eyes to Hunk, who looked like an eager child at Christmas, before lighting upon Allura, horror in their cobalt depths. The way Pidge and Hunk were acting was making her nervous and she didn't like the feeling. "What on Arus have they been teaching people about me?"

Allura laughed and shook her head. "Pidge is from Balto," she stated. "He only knows what he looks up in the computer. There are times when I'm pretty sure he knows more about our history here on Arus than I do."

Duvessa looked back to Pidge, a smile blooming on her face having heard what planet he was from. "The programmers of Voltron," she whispered.

"That's what I've been told," Pidge agreed with a nod. "So, Princess Allura wants me to give you a new Voltcom. I didn't even know they made them five hundred years ago until I saw yours. I thought they were from a more modern time than that in history when I found them in the computer."

Duvessa held up her wrist, showing the small device that encircled it. "They were actually just a type of personal computer and defensive weapon. At the time they were state of the art prototypes. They were looking into improving them, but I was put into stasis before the next generation of them came out," Duvessa explained. "From what I looked up on your current version of the Voltcom, yours is a much better version than what we had."

Pidge smiled, feeling honored that she had done some research on some of his work. "You read up on what I've done with the Voltcoms?"

Duvessa nodded. "I did after Allura mentioned that I'd be getting a new one. Integrating remote access to starting the Lions has some drawbacks, but I do like the possibilities that your idea has opened up."

Pidge chuckled, faint color entering his cheeks. "Well, thank you," he stated. "So, is there anything of importance on this that you need to keep?" he asked, waving towards her wrist.

Duvessa frowned at her old Voltcom as she slid it off her wrist and handed it to him. "There isn't much on it, but I would like to keep what I can," she stated.

Pidge nodded. "Alright. It's easy enough," he stated and picked up a cord. He plugged one end into the old Voltcom and the other into the new one. "Now, did you understand about the biometrics and magic part of it?"

Duvessa smiled. "Yes, I did. I was quite impressed with the technological advances that have been made. Talk about making a woman feel old."

Allura laughed and looked at Duvessa. "That sounds like something Lance would say."

Pidge quickly pressed a few buttons on a monitor that appeared over the two Voltcoms, transferring the information from the old one into the new one. "Ok, that should do it," Pidge stated, unhooking the wire. He handed the new Voltcom to Allura.

Allura took it and held it out to Duvessa.

Duvessa held her arm out and Allura snapped the new Voltcom over her right wrist.

Allura inserted a power chip into the slot on the back of Duvessa's Voltcom. "Alright," she stated. She let go and pointed to a button on top. "This button activates it."

Duvessa pressed the button Allura pointed to and the Voltcom lit up. She nodded. "Ok. That it?"

"Well, your weapons should appear soon," Pidge answered. "Usually that happens after a bit of hand to hand combat, but I think we should get to work on the Lion."

Duvessa nodded. "I fully agree with that, Pidge. The sooner Black Lion is in perfect operating order, the better off Arus will be."

Pidge and Hunk stood up and led Duvessa from the Control Room and into the hangar.

Allura smiled, watching the three leave the room before she went into the cadets' classroom to teach their next class.

Keith watched Duvessa as she stood beside Pidge, showing him an alternate way of increasing power efficiency of the Lions while they monitored the growing crystal nexus for the Black Lion. He had been having dreams about her for weeks before she had actually appeared out of the floor of the Control Room in front of him. She didn't seem to notice his glances or the fact that he was standing in the hangar watching her now.

Lance walked up behind him and stopped beside him, noting who he was staring at. "What's up?"

Keith looked at Lance and shook his head. "What do you mean?"

Lance nodded towards Duvessa. "You're staring at them. So, what's going on?"

Keith frowned at his friend. "Nothing," he murmured, his eyes moving back to Pidge and Duvessa.

Lance stood silently beside Keith. He folded his arms across his chest and studied his friend intently. "Are you sure? You've been awfully interested in watching her since she came out of cryostasis."

Keith scowled, turned and walked towards the Control Room.

Lance turned, following him, his arms dropping to his sides in confusion. "What is it, Keith?"

Keith stopped and spun to face him. "Don't even try to make something out of it, Lance. I already know that something is going on between you and Allura. Has been since before I came back from finding the Black Lion."

Lance blinked, somewhat shocked as he stared at his friend.

Keith scowled and nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He turned back towards the training room.

Lance frowned. This discussion was long overdue. "I was trying to avoid it," he stated.

Keith stopped, leaving his back to Lance. "Well, obviously, it didn't work, did it?"

Lance sighed and shook his head. "No."

Keith turned back to him, his gaze dark.

Lance shook his head again. "I know you and her liked each other, but you were gone and she came to me worried about you…" Lance hung his head. "Nothing major happened, but it came close."

"Nothing major happened?"

"I didn't sleep with her," Lance snarled, glaring up at his friend.

Keith narrowed his eyes. "But it came close," Keith growled knowingly.

Lance frowned, his gaze dark, but he nodded.

Keith spun away and stalked into the Control Room.

Lance sighed, watching him go. "He's pissed," he muttered, shaking his head. He looked back to Pidge and Duvessa for a moment before he, too, left the hangar. "Perhaps a good workout against Lotor's sim will do me a world of good."

Hunk watched Keith and Lance for a few moments a half grin on his face. He looked towards Duvessa and Pidge and chuckled. "I wonder…" he murmured. He shook his head. "Nah. Well, maybe…"