Chapter Nine
Just One Dance
From the moment the sun rose the following morning, everything was abuzz. People crowded the streets, and decorations went up on every pole and awning. The palace, too, was embellished, its airy loveliness becoming even more impressive. Meanwhile, good smells wafted through the halls, making mouths water. Getting ready took most of the day, until finally, as the hour approached, Shiro called them together.
"This is it," Shiro said. "As long as nothing unforeseen happens, by the end of the night we should have an agreement that will allow us to take care of the castle for some time to come."
"What do you mean by unforeseen?" Hunk wondered. "Like, an earthquake? An attacking robeast? Stepping on someone's toes on the dance floor?"
Shiro lifted his eyes, and Lance could practically see him counting to ten. "While we have no control over an act of God – or Zarkon – for heaven's sake, please avoid being the cause of any incidents."
Lance caught Keith and Pidge sharing a look. He bit his own lip. He had no intention of causing an incident. This was going to be simple. One more night + shiny metals = castle. Easy. He only hoped his two inflammatory teammates honored their promise. He could handle Leh'n. It was all going to be fine.
Allura folded her hands together. "This is quite a triumph. To be able to come back to a land my father once visited and forge a new alliance. I know it would make him proud." Lance's heart sank even lower. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he were the reason the princess lost that wistful but happy expression.
Just then there was a knock at the door. Shiro opened it. "Heiress Leh'n, Noam. This is a surprise."
Lance went cold as the two royal siblings came into the room. Both were dressed lavishly, and Noam's face was dotted with pink freckles. He smiled when he saw Keith, who gave a brief nod. Leh'n, however, had eyes only for Lance. He turned his head stubbornly away.
"You all look wonderful," the heiress complimented.
The princess thanked her. "We appreciate you ensuring we were able to dress in Eylülen style this evening."
They were, indeed, costumed after the fashion of their hosts. For the princess, this was a sweeping gown, gathered at the waist and shoulders. Pidge and the boys had all been given what were essentially harem pants, loose but gathered at the ankle. They looked elegant and, of course, properly color-coded. Efforts had even been made to fix Pidge's hair into something other than a thatch of half-combed tangles. Lance had chosen not to wear the cosmetic speckles, though Hunk had caught wind of the practice and was currently decorated in gold.
Noam squirmed. "Now?"
Leh'n favored him with an indulgent expression, then turned her gaze to Allura. "In honor of our new alliance, I have brought gifts for all of the representatives of Voltron. For the princess, a circlet is fitting."
Allura adjusted the band against her brow. It was far heavier than her usual jeweled pieces, but she thanked their host graciously. Pidge was given a torque that hung around her neck. Hunk, a pair of bracelets, one for each wrist. Keith accepted a ring without much grace, holding it in his hand until Allura glared and he reluctantly jammed it on his middle finger. Shiro, perhaps in some misguided attempt to off put his "womanliness" was given a necklace with dainty pink stones. Against his broad chest it looked ridiculous, but he still bowed his head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Finally, there was only Lance. Leh'n stepped in front of him. "I listened to your concerns," she spoke quietly. "But now favor has been conferred to all. There is no reason for you to reject what I offer."
Noam was beside her, and from the container he carried, she lifted an object that appeared to be made of the thinnest silver wire, intricately woven into the spiral of a sea shell. Set in the center was a single pearl-like stone. Lance was forced to remain still as Leh'n gently carded his hair, threading the ornament into place.
"There," she said once it was affixed. She leaned back to admire the effect. "It suits you, don't you think?"
Lance didn't like being coerced into accepting this 'gift'. Nonetheless, as he felt Allura and Shiro's eyes on him, he forced numb lips to move. "Thank you."
Leh'n leaned in so that her words were shared only between the two of them. "It is my delight, one whom I favor."
Lance caught sight of Keith and Pidge seething in the background, but thank Alfor, they didn't make any sudden moves. Lance himself was distracted by the press of the pin against his scalp. It was cold and close. Yet he would endure it. What choice did he have?
The festivities began with a parade through the streets of the capitol. Colorful lights lined every byway, and the sky was lit up in marvelous arrays the likes of which Lance had never seen on Earth. Yet though he should have been filled with wonder, the fireworks barely registered. His mind was overloaded with apprehension. Keith and Pidge stayed close. He had to give it to them, they were definitely not planning on letting him out of their sight. In fact, since Leh'n had arrived with her gifts, they had only grown more determined.
"Can you believe her?" Pidge hissed the moment they were able to speak, barely keeping her voice low enough not to be overheard. She tugged at the necklace around her neck as though she wanted to tear it off. "That was the most manipulative thing I've ever seen."
Keith didn't even keep up pretense. He tugged the ring off and tossed it into a potted plant without so much as a backward look. Then he reached for Lance's hair. "Come here."
Lance shoved his hand back. "Don't. She probably won't notice if you dump yours, but she'll definitely notice if I don't wear mine. Again."
"Again?" Pidge squeaked. "What do you mean, 'again'?"
"Lance," Keith hissed. Just that, his name.
He was starting to get irritated. "Don't 'Lance' me. It was a necklace. She sent it that first night, but I never wore it. I stuffed it under the bed and tried to forget about it."
Pidge pressed the heels of her palms against her head, groaning. "She sounds way more serious than I thought. Is there anything else you haven't told us?"
Lance considered. Was there anything else that he hadn't disclosed, something they might need to know? He'd gone through that day in the city over and over in his mind, but all he came up with was that he was an idiot. He had been utterly oblivious, and look where it had gotten him. A thought did occur, seemingly out of nowhere. "I don't think the Eylülens really get how important Voltron is. Leh'n said she was going to protect me, and I don't think she just meant from Zarkon."
Pidge had reached her threshold. She looked about five seconds tearing her hair out. "That's it, the final straw! Keith, we've got to tell Shiro. Do you not hear what he's saying? If the Eylülens don't really understand how important Voltron is, then how can we trust them?"
"I hear," Keith said, looking doubtful.
"No." Lance shook his head. "We don't need them to understand anything. They just need to give us the alloy Coran needs, and that's already been decided."
"But Lance –"
"I said no!" he exploded, pushed beyond stage whispers. He felt prickles at the back of his eyes and cursed out loud, hating himself for the emotion shoving against the barriers he'd built in order to get through this night. He could not cry like a baby. He was a hero, a warrior. "I told you, I don't want them to know."
When Pidge murmured, it was filled with sympathy rather than annoyance. "Lance." It seemed she'd hit on what had upset him, because she said, "You do know that you shouldn't be embarrassed about this, right?"
Lance wanted to snort. A snarling kind of smile actually ripped his face in half, and he sneered, "Embarrassed? Of course I'm embarrassed. Stupid Lance who always tries to charm the ladies. Well, now he got his wish. I've been asking for it, and now I've got it. This is my fault."
Fire flared in Keith's eyes. "This is not your fault."
"Oh, yeah? Weren't you – and you, Pidge – teasing me about exactly that when we first got here?"
Both of them looked at one another, and he could see they were upset. Maybe they were even sorry, but they shouldn't be. Lance had created this mess, and now he was going to have to see it through. Hopefully without turning himself into an object of mockery to those whose approval mattered to him most in the world. People who for once thought he was being useful just for being who he was. Not because he was finally acting like Keith. Not because he got lucky, or made one decent shot, or happened to stumble into the right place and time. Because he was the blue paladin, because he had the potential to be a good diplomat. Because they trusted him. Well, he wasn't throwing that away just because Leh'n scared him to death, or because he had dreams of lips like fire, or because Keith and Pidge felt a little guilty they'd taken their frustration with this place out on him.
"If you two care about me at all, you'll keep your mouths shut and help me get through this. Please."
Two sets of unhappy but resigned eyes gazed back at him. Neither of them were sure about this, but first one and then the other nodded. "Okay," Keith said. "But if she touches you, I'm not going to be held responsible for what I do."
"Whatever you say, gimpy," Lance said, because it was something normal-Lance would say.
As predicted, the insult took Keith's tension down a notch. It always did. He squeezed Lance's arm, a bit too hard, but it was still a promise to be there. "Let's go, then."
"Once more night," Lance agreed, and steeled himself for whatever might come.
Once the music started, it was hard not to have mixed feelings. Lance couldn't help but be reminded of the time he'd spent with Leh'n under the colored lanterns, and that brought all his complicated emotions into the foreground. How did they get from that moment of total freedom to this? When he thought about how much he'd enjoyed himself that day, how hard his heart had been beating when they danced together, how good it felt to be chosen, special…
Of course, the dancing in the palace was not the same, although Hunk was clearly having a blast. He'd been invited onto the floor several times, and whenever Lance saw him he looked flushed and happy. Keith didn't dance. His injured foot was a good excuse, but his curt, rude responses whenever women approached him did an even better job. The real surprise of the evening was Allura. Lance had noticed several eyeing her hopefully, but the only Eylülen she approached was Noam, who was so excited he practically tripped out of his jeweled sandals. And then there was Shiro. When she stepped in front of him, he responded with a soft smile and slipped his hand into hers.
Lance watched from the sidelines. He had been approached. Oh, he'd definitely been approached, but after the first few times he became aware of an unseen undercurrent. Women came up to him with expectant, flashing eyes – nervous or confident – but then a strange look would pass over their face and they would duck their heads and leave. At first, Lance wasn't sure what was going on. Then he caught his reflection in one of the wall ornaments.
The seashell hair pin.
How did they know? His nearest guess was the pearl. He'd only seen that iridescent material worn by a few: Noam, Leh'n, Eitan, and Queen Léomel herself. Lance wasn't sure of the significance, but he had no doubt that the tiny speck woven into his hair was a symbol, one that every Eylülen who saw him understood. It almost made him wish he'd allowed Keith to yank it off his head and throw it into a flower pot.
And apparently word was spreading. Where once he'd gotten prospective looks, now there were surreptitious glances. As the bubble of murmuring inquiry grew, Lance felt his shoulders tightening. He told himself to simply wait the situation out, but an unnamed dread was growing. He bore his fingernails into his palms in a vain attempt at self-comfort, but mostly it just made his hands sore.
Hunk chose that moment to stumble off the dance floor, almost into his arms. "Buddy! Why aren't you dancing?"
Lance struggled to force a smile onto his face. "Guess my popularity has worn out."
His friend laughed, high on the celebration: the noise, the food, and a fizzy drink that Lance suspected might be just a little alcoholic. Hunk thrust Lance under his arm, squeezing so tight their foreheads knocked together. "That never stopped you before! Come on. Want to go together?"
It was tempting. Hunk was safe, but two things kept Lance from responding. One was guilt about keeping his best friend out of the loop. Once everything came out – and it would, eventually – Hunk would be hurt, maybe even mad. Forgiveness would come, but Lance still felt like crap for not telling him. The other thing was that he just couldn't bear the pretense. It was hard enough to hold his smile now. "Sorry, Big Guy. I'm not feeling good. Maybe it's better for me to take it easy tonight."
Predictably, Hunk's face fell. He pressed his hand to Lance's forehead. "What's wrong? You don't feel like you've got a fever. If anything, you're kind of clammy."
Lance swallowed. Why was this so hard? "I'm okay, Hunk. Go have fun. It seems like tonight you're the ladies' man."
That brought a funny grin to his friend's face. He was so clearly enjoying himself that Lance grew even more determined not to spoil things. He gave his buddy a shove, and with only a moment's hesitation, Hunk shot him a wink, a little wave, and let another woman take his hand.
Lance continued watching for a while, but then he was joined by Keith. His fellow pilot leaned against a pillar, folding his arms. "How are you holding up?"
Lance thought about the hairpin. "Okay."
"You've been standing here alone for a long time. You turning people away?"
Lance snorted. "Like you, you mean? No. They've just been…leaving me alone." He didn't elaborate. Keith was on a fine enough edge already.
"Maybe it's the fact that a certain someone has been staring at you all night."
In truth, Lance was avoiding thinking about that. The queen and Leh'n had been presiding over the festivities all evening, but Lance had made it his goal to keep his back firmly averted from them. However, that hadn't stopped the prickly feeling on his neck. "I'm trying to ignore her."
"Looks like you might not be able to," Keith said, unfolding his arms.
Lance understood what he meant when he saw Leh'n moving through a crowd that separated as she passed. When she reached him, she held out her hand. "A dance," she said, and it was not a question.
Keith moved subtly, but Lance waved him off before he could do anything overtly hostile. He didn't want to dance with Leh'n, but they were near the end, and what was a little discomfort, really? Women on earth had been dealing with boorish behavior for centuries. He could handle it a few more hours. So he gave his worried comrade a reassuring grin and let Leh'n draw him onto the dance floor.
At first he was too aware of how close they were to think about anything but the music buzzing in his ears. He didn't resist the movement, fighting himself instead of her. Hemmed in by the other whirling bodies, it was as though a veil of privacy had dropped over them. Leh'n hummed in his ear, her head dipped so that her cheek just touched the crown of his head. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
His lips compressed. "You've made that kind of difficult. No one will come near me."
"It's appropriate for them to be respectful." Leh'n's eyes strayed to his hair, confirming his suspicions about the little token she'd given him. "Just as it is right for me to declare my intentions."
"Declaring your intentions works best when both parties are aware of what's going on," Lance hissed.
She looked him in the eye, and in that moment he saw much: stubbornness, pride, and a single-minded determination that would defy all rebuff. But he also saw something else, something that, in a strange way, reminded him of Shiro. "Sometimes an animal with its paw in a snare will fight back," she told him. "Even against one who would set them free."
Lance said, "I'm not in a trap."
Leh'n pressed his side, just enough to bring the pain of his bruises to mind. "You have not been safe in your current position. That is not acceptable. Please, dear one. Don't fight me. Instead, let us enjoy one another."
"I don't want to enjoy anything with you."
As before, Lance's defiance changed something in Leh'n. One moment, she was entreating him with gentleness and words of protection. The next her displeasure was clear. She spoke. "I said that I would protect you, and I will. Even from yourself, if need be. You will accept this."
Lance gritted his teeth together. "I won't."
The music had drawn to a close, and couples were separating, but Lance and Leh'n stood still. She leaned in as though to initiate another kiss, but when he yanked his head away, she let him. Leh'n stepped back, staring at him with unknown emotion. "A sip from the vine is best savored," she said, her parting words. "But I do plan to drink my fill."
With that, she retreated to her mother, the queen. Lance remained. After a moment, he made his way off the dance floor. Pidge and Keith were waiting for him. He let them draw him between them, though he didn't meet their apprehensive eyes.
"Lance?" Keith put a hand on his arm, but Lance shoved him off.
At a volume almost too low to be heard, he murmured, "I want to go home."
Next Chapter: The final ceremony begins. That's it. No more details for you. :D
Author's Note: My original intension was to post this part tomorrow, but readers have been so kind. In just one day, I received more reviews for the last chapter than any before it. So I figured, why not go ahead and post? Consider this chapter the pin you yank out of a grenade before you throw it. And thank you, all of you, for your outpouring of comments and support!
