Reflections

By KittyShan

Disclaimer: Voltron and all associated characters are owned and copyrighted by WEP. Any and all new/original characters belong to the author.

Rating: PG for some very mild language and very mild innuendo.

Author's Notes: Thank you to my beta reader, KittyLynne... I don't know what I'd do without you... You don't just correct mistakes and help me to look at things from a new and different perspective, but you are one of my dearest friends, and you *never* let me down... Much love to you! :)

Chapter 4 - The Arussian Hero

It was late in the afternoon, that time of day when the sun was slowly disappearing, along with its warmth, while the sky was turning glorious shades of red and gold. Dark clouds had begun to gather along the horizon; there was a crisp smell and moist feel to the air, a forewarning of a change in the weather. The Royal Governess sat back in her seat, thankful for the cover provided by the carriage's roof.

A sudden clap of thunder followed by a flash of lightning brought with it the pattering of rain - the storm had arrived.

She tugged her shawl a little tighter around her shoulders, and fought the urge to shudder - not with cold, but with the unease it brought her to be left out in a storm. For many years, there had been no carriages at the Castle of Lions - for the longest time, there hadn't even been horses. The only way to travel had been on foot - and there had been many times she had been caught out in torrential rains.

But, that seemed so very long ago, and things were finally getting back to normal.

Home was a lovely thought - she was tired, and ready for a warm bath and a long sleep, but they had nearly two more hours until they'd be back at the castle. She sighed quietly, hoping not to draw attention from her companion, but she knew better. When she looked over at the young man sitting across from her, she found his warm eyes studying her with concern.

"Is everything all right, ma'am?"

"Everything is fine, Captain." She gave him the smallest smile. "It's just been a long day."

Keith nodded before returning his gaze to the passing landscape. "But a good one." He replied, adding, "We were able to supply two hospitals with enough medical supplies to get them through six months or more. With another cargo ship arriving from Galaxy Garrison next week, I'm hoping we'll have enough for at least one more hospital."

She studied his profile, his face shadowed by the dark interior of the carriage, yet lit softly by the sinking sun. If it wasn't for this young man and his team...

"Arus owes you a great debt, young man." Her words were spontaneous, borne from a deep surge of gratitude.

Keith turned to face her, looking somewhat startled. "Uh, thank you, Nanny, but that's not necessary. It's our duty and privilege to serve as Voltron's pilots and Arus's protectors."

"You are a modest young man, Captain. But we both know what your team has done for our planet." She met his eyes before turning to look out her own window, a gesture that made it clear that the conversation was finished as far as she was concerned.

She hadn't always felt so generous toward Keith, or any of the other pilots sent by the Alliance. It had taken her quite some time to accept them - and not for the reasons everyone believed! Most thought her biggest issue was having rowdy and unpolished young men around the Princess – for which, indeed, she didn't care for at all! But her greatest problem was with the way they influenced Allura, bolstering her tenacity and putting her life in danger by encouraging her to fly that Blue Lion.

For a very long time, she had done everything in her power to stymie the blossoming friendships between her Posy and those unruly boys. It had taken Princess Allura being kidnapped by that loathsome Prince Lotor for the governess to finally see that she was in the wrong.

In her hour of need, those young men had proven their unyielding loyalty to the Arussian Princess, doing everything in their power to ensure her safe return...

A small rumbling sound tore Nanny from her train of thought. She returned her attention to Keith, wondering if he'd heard it too, only to find that the Captain was dozing, his arms crossed, chin resting against his chest, and that the rumbling was the small snore escaping him.

'Good, he needs the rest,' she thought, feeling maternal once again. Every member of the Voltron Force did their share of hard work, but Captain Keith continually accepted additional burdens. She had to admit, he was a valiant and admirable young man.

She studied him in the fading daylight. An angular jaw and straight nose; tanned skin, wide cheek bones, and heavy brows; lips that were almost feminine in their fullness. His eyes were closed, but she knew they were a chocolate-brown in color - and that they darkened when he was serious, and twinkled when he was happy.

And then there was his hair. A riotous mass of thick black waves that was far too long, in her mind. She found it somewhat contradictory - Keith was always in control, yet his hair was wild and disorderly. It made her wonder what was under that solemn exterior he perpetuated.

'Regardless,' she thought, shrugging her curiosity away, 'he looks like he needs a haircut.'

On the other hand, the young ladies did seem to find it attractive - especially her Posy...she smiled to herself. The normally unperturbed young monarch became downright flustered when the handsome commander was around - Allura's pink cheeks, giggles, and soft-eyed glances gave away her crush on Keith.

Although Nanny had come to accept that the Princess was attracted to this young man, she hadn't always approved. There were still days when she didn't like it one bit, but Coran had repeatedly assured her that Keith was a fine young man, and that Allura could certainly do much worse. He'd also reminded her that they were young, and that rarely did a first crush ever go much further than a few stolen kisses.

She hadn't liked that thought either. But Coran had cited Keith's sense of duty, and pointed out that the young Captain was an honest and upstanding lad - one that any man would be proud to call his son. Nanny had to admit it - the Royal Advisor was right in his assessment.

She returned her attention to the window on her side of the carriage. The sun had disappeared and the moon was hidden in the cloudy sky, leaving the night darker than normal. She watched absently as rain drops tapped against the glass before slipping away.

Some weeks back, she and Coran had been in her office late one evening, discussing the Princess's obvious attraction to the Captain. She had continued to insist that Keith was not a proper suitor for Allura - and although Coran had conceded that Keith may not be of the proper station, he was not the type of young man to act impertinently and he didn't believe there was any reason for concern.

She had continued to argue the point, and Coran had turned away, taking a moment to consider his next words as he paced the length of her small office. When he turned back to face her, she noticed the way he stroked his mustache with one hand - a habitual gesture, an attempt to calm his unease.

And it hit her - Keith did the same thing, only he would run a hand through his hair when uncertain. That small thought - that tiny act...it led her through a series of comparisons that delivered her to an unexpected epiphany.

Coran and Keith were kindred souls - the two men so much alike they could easily be mistaken for father and son.

Finally, she understood what it was her dear friend saw in this young man, even if he didn't realize it. In Keith, Coran saw himself.

In her lifetime, she had known few men who could measure up to the Royal Advisor. Her late husband was one, of course. As well as the late King Alfor. But there hadn't been many others.

Coran was honest and kind. He was a great man, one she respected and admired beyond measure. Ever devoted to his mission to ensure that Arus was returned to its former glory. There was only one thing that ever came before that cause - protecting the Princess's well-being and happiness.

She trusted Coran's judgment, and in that moment had decided perhaps she should take a step back and concede. She didn't have to approve - and she would be there watching each and every step of the way. But her eyes had been opened to an undeniable truth.

As Coran had once done so long ago, Keith now carried the mantle of Arussian hero.