Author's Notes:

Happy Monday from Melbourne, Australia, and here's the next chapter of this royally twisted tale of upside down story from Down Under :D

Inspiration of this chapter was from Cheetoy's Royal Twist fanart reply 'Out in the Meadows' (listed on keithandallura-dot-wordpress-dot-com /kaex-challenge/

Thanks Cheetoy for your blessing *blows kisses*

Herewith is ...

Chapter Four.

[Four weeks later]

"And these are for approvals from the Northern Province; it's about their request for additional funding for the Chozzerai Dam they're building," Coran stood behind Keith, pointing on the dotted line where the prince needed to sign.

Keith, who was still buried in paperwork, heard Allura enter his offìce. Without lifting his head nor glancing at her, he spoke, "I'll be done in two minutes."

Allura stood in attention a few feet away from Keith's massive obsidian desk in complete battle armour. "Your security detail is ready, Your Highness." Patiently waiting for the royal prince to fìnish his paperwork, she raised a holo-screen from her gauntlet device, reviewing the route and the guard positions.

Keith blew a breath as he placed his pen down. "I'm done, Coran." He lifted his head, his eyes widened as he stared at Allura. "Are you seriously going to wear full battle armour at a kindergarten and playground inaugural opening?"

"I'm heading today's security detail with five more—"

"You misunderstood, Commander. I wanted you to go with me as my guest." Keith gave an amused smile.

"Excuse me?" Allura creased her brows, confused.

"It's just you and me. Lose the body armour—"

"What?" Allura interrupted.

"—Or no security. At. All." Keith leaned back from his chair and crossed his arms, waiting for Allura to capitulate.

Irritated, Allura puffed out a breath. "Fine."

"Definitely no battle armour, and pull your hair down." Keith stood up from behind his desk, and grabbed his red jacket. "And change your clothes. Wear a dress or something pink." He wore his slightly casual dress jacket over his crisp, white linen shirt.

"When did you become an expert on ladies' fashion?" Allura grumbled. Pivoting, she stomped towards the doorway.

xoxoxoxo

After the inauguration, driving back to the castle, Keith glanced at Allura, "See? That wasn't so bad."

"I guess," Allura replied surly, scratching her forearm. She felt naked without the thirty pounds of body armour. However, the royal prince didn't need to know there were knives and blades hidden in her boots and bodice.

The last time she wore her favourite pink tee was the two days before her graduation from the Academy; It was the day Keith persuaded her to attend the graduation party. Why the hell did she even pack this pink tee that was now too small on her chest? It was too snug, tightly clinging to her breasts. She couldn't believe that after giving—

"So, how many dates and proposals did you get back there?" Keith teased, breaking her wandering thoughts. This was the fìrst time he had seen her without the tight braid she had since she arrived on his planet.

Allura cracked her knuckles. There were at least five men who asked her for a date and a few marriage proposals. "It doesn't mean that when I'm wearing pink, I can't break their necks."

"Uh-huh." Keith chuckled. He remembered how he loved that pink tee shirt on her. He couldn't believe how gorgeous she was now that her body matured in a matter of two years. Allura was breathtakingly beautiful. And she doesn't even know it.

"How about you, how many women swooned over you?" Allura asked; her unbound hair flying in the mid-morning air as Keith drove his favourite red convertible hover-car.

"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention." His eyes flickered briefly at her. Even when Allura stood beside him, few women stared at him with flirtatious glances. But he never stopped looking at Allura.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Ask me how many hard stares I got from the pretty eligible women that vied for your attention?" Allura taunted.

Keith didn't reply, his eyes focused on the fork on the road. He turned left and headed uphill.

"Hey! No detours. Detour is not part of the plan." Allura balked.

"I just want to show you something." Keith stopped in the middle of a grassy field; the Castle of Lions loomed behind them. Ahead was a beautiful panoramic view of the valley far below.

Keith got out of the car, walked to her side, and opened the door. "Milady." He swept his arm with handsome grace.

Allura stood up, and crossed her arms in annoyance. "This is not part of the itinerary."

Keith's gaze dropped to her pushed-up bosom, then tore his eyes to her pouting, lush lips. He gulped hard. He wanted to pull Allura in his arms and kiss her senseless. Shaking his head, he needed to step away for a moment from the tempting commander.

Sauntering a few feet from the hover-car, he plopped himself on the ground. He then looked over his shoulder and patted the patch of green beside him, motioning to Allura to join him. "Sit. C'mon, I won't bite."

Allura hitched her breath seeing his devastatingly handsome smile. Any common sense she had, flew with the cool, refreshing breeze. She let out a deflated sigh, slammed the car door, and stomped her way to Keith.

Glaring at down at him, she hesitated for a moment, and eventually sat beside him.

With his arms resting on his knees, Keith inhaled the fresh air. "I can fìnally enjoy days like this. This was my quiet spot when I was a kid, when I needed to get away from pressures of palace life." He moved closer, his powerful legs brushed against Allura's.

Keith gazed at the beauty beside him. In the morning sunshine, Allura was utterly gorgeous. Her fair skin complemented his tanned body. She was confìdent, intelligent, and had a hidden sensuality that he was eager to discover. He wanted to run his fìngers through her golden hair. Hell, he wanted to run his hands all over her body.

Allura's brilliant blue eyes flitted towards Keith, pausing on his face briefly before darting back to her surroundings. She was on protector mode, hyperaware with the current happenings around her. She could hear rustling of pine trees in the background; birds chirping and flying overhead. Looking up, fluffy clouds lazily floated above the pale blue sky. Too picturesque. Too postcard-perfect. Was Keith safe this side of the castle's property? She mentally recalled this morning's radar perimeter sweep. It was part of morning protocol. Only when she assessed that Keith wasn't in any danger, she refocused her attention on him.

"Our nanny was also our governess and she was strict. But I got away most of the time because I was the youngest, and the third son. Arus already had an heir and a spare. That's why Lady Hys is forcing me to catch up with my royal protocol lessons. She had been constantly breathing down my neck since I got back two years ago."

"Oh, you poor, big baby." She leaned forward, and punched his arm.

He laughed, rubbing his bicep. "My mom used to go here too. Around the bend, behind the trees back there, mom had her kitchen garden for the castle. We always had fresh vegetables and herbs." Keith pointed at the row of tall, thick trees behind them.

"Your mom loved gardening?" she asked, blinking away from his pressing gaze. She distracted herself by brushing her fìngers on the small white flowers that grew around them.

"More like farming, really. Mom was a country lass and had a doctorate degree in agriculture. She had this idea about organic food production, sustainable farming. And that's how she met my dad. It was love at fìrst sight."

Allura froze, her heart slammed in her throat. "Hold on, are you telling me, your mother, the queen, was a commoner?"

Locking his dark chocolate eyes on her brilliant blues, he leaned closer. "Not even nobility."

"Oh." Allura absentmindedly gripped a patch of weeds beside her.

"Yes. Oh." Keith gently hooked his finger under her chin. "Allura, I never forgot you," he said, his eyes searching hers.

Her breath stilled, her heart skipped a beat. I never forgot you either. When she felt her cheeks warmed, she forced to avert her gaze. "I was busy with my fìrst mission." Do I tell him? Is this the right time to tell him?

"When we started rebuilding, Lady Hys insisted of inviting princesses from other planets. I kept turning her down flat." Keith traced his fìngers down her arms. He then interlaced his fìngers with hers. "She kept on insisting having those pompous balls my parents had before. I told them if they still wanted a monarchy, they have to do things my way."

Allura swallowed hard. Keith was so close, she could feel his warmth through his strong fìngers. She fought the urge to wrap her arms around him. "Keith, there's something you need to know."

"Allura, I read your fìle. If you only know how relieved I was when I found out that you're still single. I would like us to pick up where we left off." He tipped Allura's chin up, touched her cheek, and gently pressed a kiss on her lips.

Shocked, Allura's eyes widened. It took all her willpower not to pull Keith and deepen the kiss. She needed to keep her control. They were out in the open, and she should be surveying their surroundings for threats, not sitting in the middle of a lazy grass fìeld and being kissed by the man who already possessed her heart two years ago.

"Keith, I—" she whispered against his lips.

"Your Highness!"

They heard a faint shrill from behind them.

Allura broke their kiss, untwined her hand from his, and turned her head. She saw the castle's head-of-staff huffìng towards them. She gasped. "Where did she come from?"

When Allura glanced behind her, she inadvertedly brushed her breast on Keith's raised knee. He groaned inwardly at the accidental contact. He would give anything to spend more quiet moments with Allura. "Lady Hys and her impeccable timing," Keith muttered annoyingly. Sliding his mask of polished calmness, Keith casually rested his arm on his knee. "My mother's garden's just behind the trees. Lady Hys was probably there when we drove past," he said, his lips pulled in a thin, tight line.

xoxoxoxo

"Nanny sure does have the worst timing ever," Kenneth complained; a crease formed in his forehead.

Keith's lips formed a line, suppressing a grin. "Yes, Nanny had always had the worst timing."

"And then what happened? Did you get to kiss mom again after that?"

"No. Something happened to your mom after that."

(TO BE CONTINUED)