The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Nine
Allura stood stiffly, as though she had been doused by a bucket of chilled ice water. This was what she had been hoping for, yet there was no way to express joy now, not with Lotor by her side. And yet she could not bring herself to act angered or spiteful without sounding entirely false. She decided instead to remain silent and allow Lotor to handle the matter.
His reaction was enough for the both of them. It was not a yell of rage or upset, but instead, he was eerily calm. "Have the proper barricades been erected to prevent them from leaving the palace?"
"Yes, my lord," the guard said breathlessly. "It was done immediately. They are searching for them within the confines."
Lotor approached the guard slowly. Allura fought to repress a shudder. She knew that expression. "And how, may I ask, did they escape?" He genuinely seemed curious, his voice holding no accusatory daggers.
"Well- my lord- they…" the poor Doomite was stuttering, unable to produce even a complete sentence. He, too, recognized his fate. "We are not entirely certain."
"No?" Lotor was a full foot taller than the pathetic soldier. Even if he was the one who had thrown her back into the corridor after she'd tried to escape, Allura still pitied him. "Were there no precautions?"
"No, my lord, there were many. But they were able to leave their cell and slay the guards on duty."
Those golden eyes were on fire. Allura looked away. "How could they leave a locked cell? Did they break out?"
"Well, there appears to be no sign that they broke out, as no noises were heard, no trauma to the cell. It appears they may have…"
"Yes?" Lotor's voice was sharper than a blade.
"Obtained- a key- somehow," the guard finished, short of breath.
"And how could they have slain two armed guards?"
"I...I don't know, Your Majesty."
Faster than she could blink, Lotor drew his sword from his sheath and slashed the guard in one swift stroke across the belly. Allura swallowed, knitting her brow to keep from appearing frightened and trying to maintain a sense of anger. The guard collapsed, writhing with sharp gasps. Lotor turned to her and, her eyes still down, she took the sword from him to clean it. She used a rag to wipe the blood away, trying to focus more on the smoothness of the blade rather than the smell and sight of the stains. Inwardly, she cringed at the remnants of guts on the sword, now spilling out onto the floor.
"What are you doing?" Lotor's voice was harsh.
Allura kept her back turned, her eyes widening in dread. "My lord?"
"Put that down." He took the sword away and put it back in his sheath. "That is not for you to do."
She nodded, tossing the rag upon the body. Even if he was a Doom guard, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Silently, she directed an apology to him. "Damn fools. How could they be so ignorant that prisoners could actually obtain keys? The inadequacy is sickening."
Lotor tossed his coat aside. "Those pathetic creatures know little. They can do little. I sometimes believe I am employing monkeys to do these simple, yet constantly botched tasks." His voice was tense. He was upset about the escape, obviously. This was supposed to be an enjoyable day of glory.
"They shall be punished for their incompetence. But first, they should at least be able to stop those filth from getting out of the palace. Then we shall search for more appropriate help."
"I shall go see to the proceedings. I know where they might hide." He stood and she remained where she was, her eyes down. "Then I shall see you tonight. We won't allow them to spoil our wedding night."
Allura smiled in that old, devious manner. "I look forward to it."
Lotor was almost to the door when he stopped. Allura's heart fluttered. She had been wishing for him to leave, so as not to discover her secret. But instead, he idled in the doorway.
The seconds ticked by, in which he said nothing.
Her throat parched and on fire under the stress, she went to pour herself a glass of wine. "Would you like one, my lord?" She cringed again with her back turned, praying for him to go and not question her.
"Turn around."
She prickled inwardly, but did as he said. Lotor came closer, and she kept her eyes down, still holding the chalice up. He smacked it away, and it broke, smashing to pieces not far from the guard's body. Retracting all normal reaction, she remained placidly normal.
"Look at me."
Allura hesitated. He knew.
"Don't be coy. I saw your eyes when the guard was here." He dug his fingers into her shoulders. Oh, he was upset.
She raised her eyes to look at him, keeping up that almost contemptuous air. "I knew you would be angry. But I am still very much myself, the way I am meant to be even if my eyes are blue. Ask your crone and she shall be able to tell you." She said the words coolly, thoroughly bemused.
She waited.
Lotor said nothing.
She looked at him with a sort of pout, enhanced well with her black painted lips. "You don't believe me," she said icily. It was easy to be full of contempt for him.
"You can prove yourself to me tonight," he finally said. "For now, I will go look for them." He drew his sword and held the blade in front of his face, straight in the air. "And then it shall be done." He studied her carefully.
She smirked. "Then go." Her look was sultry. She'd won him over. He would assume the true Allura to hold disgust and repulsion for him. But to be certain, she slowly approached him and put her hands on his muscular chest, tracing the tightness, down past the abs. It had been her time as a dark mistress that she'd learn such tricks, what could always please a man. Her hands went below the waistline and remained over his most intimate parts. She let her hand linger, her face clearly excited and enjoying her actions. "And return soon with their heads."
Lotor nodded his head, stiffened by the zealous reaction to her touch. "I will deliver them to you upon a platter."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
At last, he left her. She looked at her hand in repulsion, wondering how she had been able to act this way and grateful the spell had at last been broken. She still wondered how, but was happy at least it had been done. As she hurried to dress in lighter clothing, she mentally went over everything. Had Keith's words brought her back to her senses or had the desperate state of events caused the return to normalcy? As she tied the bodice of the looser dress with swift, agile fingers, it suddenly dawned on her. It had something to do with the strange event that had taken place within the lavish wedding ceremony. That man who had thrown something at her. Perhaps that something had been some sort of magic. But it made little sense. Why would a Doomite try to break the spell? Unless…
Stepping over the guard, broken glass, and spilled wine, Allura hurried into the corridor. Had Lotor not believed her, the door would have been locked with a heavy chain. She was pleased she'd convinced him, but now was in a race against time. She had to find them before he did. She would never forgive herself if her wishes made during duress were actually granted.
Allura hurried through the castle. All places were being searched, and she found herself hiding whenever she heard anyone coming. But Lotor's private sector was not subject to the scrutiny, as its barriers were more than thoroughly protected. She wasn't aware of any secret corridors or areas where they could hide well. But she resolved to disguise herself first, and then go search. She went into the weapons room, where Lotor's men stored armor and arsenal. There, she found several uniforms, of all different sizes. Perfect. It was hot and stuffy within, but provided the ideal solution. With that in tow, she ran into the confines of the palace, ready to search and starting to form ideas of where hiding could work. As she had only really explored Lotor's personal area, having no reason to wander a stray too far under the spell, she knew it was imperative to walk beyond the guards outside of the double doors and into the outer sectors. Laser in hand and shaking slightly, she ran.
Each step was anxiety. What if the rest of the Voltron group was found by Lotor first? How did they escape? And if she found them first, how would they escape Doom? Under Haggar's trickery, Allura had laughed harder than ever while enjoying a goblet of wine with the Emperor as he ordered their airship to be destroyed where it lay some yards beyond the castle gates. Dashing plans of stealing one of Doom's own ships came to mind, but it was more of an idealized notion than anything. Of all things guarded best on Doom, their technology was top. Even if several other disguises could be lifted, it would be no easy task to simply hop on a ship and fly off into the sunset. Keys and codes were required to even enter the premises. Lotor had given her a grand tour of the grounds. When they had visited the hangar, passwords were required to even enter, and, as he mentioned also, to fly the aircrafts. Voltron wouldn't know that. It would probably be their first target. With that in mind, she made her way down to the hangar's floor, questions still eating at her mind.
The entire castle was still being ravaged for traces of the men. Tapestries were being looked behind, doors opened, closets inspected, tables searched under… their discovery seemed imminent. Allura, on her own quest, found no sign of the men in the proximity. Surely they must be in a better spot than gallivanting in a room. They might be disguised, as they were upon entering the palace or in a less than likely area. She could not even enter the hangar on her own without the code and did not wish to attract attention. She went down to the next likely area, the servants' areas. The kitchen had already been searched; she could ascertain that immediately by its appearance. Though it hadn't been horribly ransacked, tablecloths had been jerked up, closets had been ripped open, and the pantry was in a mess. Allura walked farther in. One door on the far side was locked. What could a kitchen hold that needed to be locked? Further storage? No key could be found, though she searched through cabinets and drawers. She was about to leave and give up, when further inspection yielded something strange. Peering closely, she could see something odd about the dumbwaiter, the contraption that moved food and other objects between floors. It was larger than she had ever seen one and had provided good hiding place: boot prints, though faint, were visible on the steel. She looked so closely, her helmet bumped into the wall. Allura knew directly above was a populated area not worthy of hiding. The only plausible option was to go down, to the area she knew nothing about. Allura squeezed inside, and was horrified to see traces of something red left behind. She hoped it was some sort of sauce or culinary imprint, but the presence of someone using the dumbwaiter as transportation made her believe otherwise. Allura pulled her way down to the next level. It was a poorly lit area, with one small lantern allowing her to see this was indeed a pantry, full many types of food and ingredients. She looked around, beyond the shelves. It was large, but there was little place else to see. Could the traveler have been going upwards instead? Why, when this was the lowest level? Allura stopped tiptoeing, and her steps echoed.
"Lance!"
Allura swiveled to see someone huddling towards her in the dimness. She squinted until his form came into focus. Keith's reaction was immediate to seeing a Doom guard. Though critically injured, he stepped back, growling.
"Keith."
He halted, recognizing her voice instantly. Allura removed her helmet, and used the back of her wrist to wipe the remaining black paint from her lips. Her eyes were shining. She was ashamed with herself, cheeks burning. It was difficult to face even the man she held so much affection for after all that had happened. She stepped forward, but Keith retreated. "How can I know it is truly you?"
She advanced again, cautiously, and took his hand. "Look into my eyes, Keith. Ask me anything I would know, anything you would wish me to do. The spell is broken. I don't know how or why, but it has been done. I regret all I have done while under its influence." Her voice was strained. His hand was so warm, she could even feel it through the gloves. His expression soon softened. He knew the truth when it stared him in the face. She looked at him carefully. Keith didn't seem himself. He was pale, his brow damp, and circles dark beneath his eyes. He was slightly hunched over, his breath heavier than it should be even in a poignant reunion."What have they done to you?"
He grimaced. "Fort- some lashes, just before the wedding." She didn't need to know how many.
Her eyes filled. In the dimness, she could see the traces of blood. She stood to find some other sort of light source with which to examine his back. She settled for grabbing the lantern and holding it up with one hand. His back was a mass of dried blood and deep marks, so many marks. It was a wonder he could move at all. She reached forward, as though to help, but he said, "Don't worry. We can figure something out later."
"I- I am so sorry…"
Keith shook his head. "It wasn't your fault."
She wasn't satisfied with those words. He wasn't opening up to her, but then again this was hardly the right time. For now, they were safe, but it was time to continue the mission. Emotion could wait. She just hated the feeling of stoniness between them and wished they could be in a safe setting with many hours to purge their thoughts and feelings. But that may never happen. "Tell me what happened."
At last, Keith was willing to speak. "I- I'm not so sure. But we were able to get out. I can scarcely recall since I was blacking out, but I do recall running with Lance, Hunk...oh, you'll laugh if I tell you."
Her eyes sparkled at the thought of such positive feelings at a time such as this. "First, tell me the plan. Are we to wait here or…"
He shook his head. "We got separated. But remaining here will be the best course of action for now. I will soon explain."
And she sat back, listening to his grand tale. The Commander was back to his old self.
The time in the cell was painful. Over, just over. The wedding done and the execution and takeover soon to come to be, they all sat and waited. It had never been such a hopeless time.
"This reminds me of when home was destroyed," Lance said quietly.
Keith looked up at him, eyes willing him to continue.
"We all sat in our cells after Doom caught us, silent as the night and moping. We barely even talked of how to escape."
"We were in shock," Hunk recalled. "We didn't know what to do."
"Or how we would continue," Keith spoke up. "But we did."
It was true. No one had been able to picture life without everyone on Earth. Lance's brother and father had been so vivacious and cheerful when he'd last seen them. All of their friends had seemed happy with their positions, whether in training or civilians. Now, they belonged to history, thier lives and activities blacked out swiftly because of Doom's greed. But after the shock had ended and they were tossed into the ring, the anger had set in. And they'd refused to be wiped out so easily. They now owed it to Earth and all its fallen ones to dedicate their lives to Doom's destruction. And to protect the planet they now held so dear.
Lance's face was sentimental. "One more try is the least we can do."
"For certain, we'll try. We'll try to overtake them when they come to kill us, before the final blow. We will try to even in irons." Keith's voice was crisp. "And we will not go out without any resistance."
The hours ran together in a blur of awkward silences and brash words. The wordless periods were full of tension. No one wanted to speak meaningless gibberish, which is what optimism at this point truly was. No one wanted to be overly depressing and dwell in misery, either. And no one wished to cause any more pain than was necessary. It was almost that feeling of being in an argument with someone and remaining silent so as not to elicit negative responses or deepen the wounds. When they did speak, the conversation seemed to be the same and utterly pointless. There were times Keith wished to reminisce, and speak of the good memories, especially if they were about to be killed. But they seemed too laden. It was not to be spoken of now. Perhaps in a few hours, if they were still in the cell, he would. They were fed little at all. Still in pain from the whipping, Keith felt almost in a trance. Had it been five minutes or five hours? Would his energy return at all? That last ditch effort was to be very weak on his part, he was sure. He felt hot despite the cold damp of the dungeon, and was constantly wiping sweat away from his brow. The wounds had certainly become infected, not helped by having no treatment and being in a filthy cell. He lay on his back, trying to fight unconsciousness.
"Keith?"
It was beyond difficult to hide anything from Lance. His back turned away from his friends, Keith said, "I'm going to nap. I'm exhausted."
Lance snorted. Being well rested wasn't a prisoner's luxury to behold.
As Keith fought the waves of fainting, he tried to keep his mind on the memories he could not express aloud. He had never fainted before but for one lone incident. He had been training in the forest not far from the palace on Arus and had pushed himself to the ends of exertion. He had felt the weariness seep into his bones until he felt the ground seem to disappear from beneath his feet. He had awoken hours later in the infirmary of the palace. Worried, the force had gone looking for him. It was hilarious to Lance and Hunk that Keith had fallen prey to his own vehemence rather than any enemies. He had been embarrassed, but Allura hadn't laughed. He remembered her standing in the corner of the room, hanging back as they teased him. The lighting of the castle had been dim, but she seemed brightened by the pink gown and golden hair. Concern shone on her face as she held onto her necklace.
Ugh…I miss her, he thought deliriously. When she was normal. Keith closed his eyes and passed out for at least several minutes, he couldn't be certain. But it did not seem that much longer before he was being shaken awake.
"Keith, get up!"
Blond hair, blue eyes. Keith was startled, leaping back. He immediately groaned at the pain. Had his dreams come to be reality? Surely Allura had been in the jumbled adventures of the world of dreams. As everything seemed surreal and the voices farther and farther away, he vaguely felt Lance and Hunk pulling him up and grabbing him.
"Allura," Keith sputtered. "She's back to normal."
Lance shook him and when that failed, finally resorted to slapping him. "Wake up, Keith! We're getting out of here!"
At last, Keith's sight cleared as he was being pulled from the cell. Allura was still standing in front of him. She grasped his hand strongly.
Keith shut his eyes for several moments and opened them to clarity.
"What's happened to him?" Allura asked worriedly, rushing forward to help. She was wearing the uniform they had stolen earlier. And by her side, Keith could recognize Sven.
"What a dream," Keith said aloud, his voice slurred.
"He was beaten," Lance answered as they rushed through the dungeon. "I think his wounds have become infected."
"I'm fine," Keith insisted, but he sounded drunk.
"Where do we go?" Hunk asked after throwing Keith over his shoulder.
"This way," Sven said. Keith thought it was a miracle to be hearing that voice again, that lovely accent he never thought would grace his ears again. He was unsure of what was going on, feeling this must be a dream if Sven was here, if Allura was out of her spell, yet somehow conscientious that he must be awake.
Nothing made sense through the dizziness. He didn't know how Sven could be present, how he could have gotten into the palace and dungeon…
He was blacking out again.
It seemed a second later, though it had to be many minutes at least, that he felt revived enough to stand on his own two feet. He followed their brisk pace and then the cry rang out. They had been discovered. All split into separate groups and somehow he, the one who was scarcely conscious, ended up alone. He stumbled along, ducking behind doors and curtains all the way until he reached the kitchen, where no one lay at this hour. He was so dizzy he kept bumping into the wall for support. When he heard voices, he ducked into the dumbwaiter and went down, ending up in the pantry. He hydrated himself and ate, hoping the nourishment would garner him vivacity and the ability to sneak back up. Or at least take the damn dizziness away. It had been an hour at least, that he'd slept. And then he felt incredible in comparison to his prior condition.
Allura looked at him closely. "You were dreaming," she said with a small nervous laugh.
"Then how am I here?"
Allura herself was becoming unsure of what was what. Keith wasn't a jokster. He was down-to-earth so often of the time she found it hard to believe he would bring something up if he didn't mean it, especially now. " How you got here isn't important, I'm just glad you are. But right now, we have to focus on getting out of here."
He looked at her in the eyes at last, still relieved to see the blue. "I don't know where they are."
"Then we'll find them." She smiled, biting her lip to hold back tears. So long she had feared for him and desired for his presence and at last he was before her. He'd gone through more than physical pain. "I'm going to go back to the private sector of the palace and get another uniform."
He thought for a moment. "That's too dangerous. I should go."
Allura refused. "You're wounded. It would be too harsh upon you. If you are going to run around, it will be with me or not at all."
He admired the stubbornness, but was still doubtful. "How are you going to carry around a uniform and helmet without casting suspicion on yourself?"
"No one is in the private sector-"
"But they are around the kitchen and the borders-"
"And," she continued, "I can either find some sort of sack or put on a larger uniform over mine, and helmet. They have loads of different sizes, I swear to you." As ludicrous as it sounded, she was telling the truth. The guards weren't all the same height and weight, but fluctuated as much as any other group might. But she wasn't going to wait for Keith's answer. It had to be done.
Keith grabbed her hand. "Allura, please..."
She squeezed his hand in response. "Do you remember when you saved me from Lotor that day in the woods? I thought you would die, but you still kept running, even as your blood drained. You came to save me and kept going until your body collapsed." She swallowed, trying to still any trace of upset from her voice. She wasn't entirely succeeding. "While you were in the infirmary, I couldn't sleep- I couldn't think. I was numb. I swore to myself that I would never let you do anything in that state again. I'm going."
He was quiet for several moments.
"You taught me well, Keith," she reminded him gently. "I'll be careful."
"Come back to me safely." It bothered him to relent, as he was too concerned about her. If Lotor caught her, it was all over.
She put her helmet on, hiding the emotion that was overwhelming in her eyes. Something about how he had added "to me" made her heart swell, even if now was the most inappropriate time to feel such things or ponder over anything of that nature. "I will." That was one command she would follow wholeheartedly. It hurt to leave him there after so long apart, but she would return. Part of her was more relieved to be acting rather than having to wait. She acted as normal as could be done under the circumstances. The search was still in progress and all signs pointed to the others still being in hiding. Lance, Hunk, AND Sven. Allura forced herself to stop pondering and focused on the mission, the ultimate agenda. When she encountered other guards, she was as nonchalant as possible, continuing her actions whenever they appeared. If she was running, she continued to run; if she was searching in a spot, she continued to search. Searching was more for the benefit of disguise, to appear like a normal soldier. At last, she came to the private sector. Still empty, she preceded through its corridors and into the weaponry room. She found a much larger uniform and put it on over her own, as well as a larger helmet. It was the only way not to wander through the castle randomly carrying a uniform and evoking discovery. If one uniform was bad enough, two were torture. Before even leaving the room, Allura was sweating profusely and had to force herself to rush through the palace. She heard Lotor's voice in the distance and ducked the other way. As she busied herself outside the sector and feigned looking, she heard him barking orders. Still, they had not been found. She rushed for the kitchen. The whole scenario seemed ridiculous. It was almost too easy to steal uniforms here. But, she knew not to get cocky. At last, she wheeled herself down the dumbwaiter.
Keith still sat and stood in relief. "Thank God."
She smiled, removing both helmets and the outer uniform and was grateful for the ventilation. Slowly, she helped Keith get into his, taking care to help his back. His skin was fiery. "Keith, you're so warm…"
"It's the lashing," he said, as though they were speaking of gardening. "I've had some water and hopefully the hydration will help."
"We should wait before going up. I could hear Lotor. He sounded so angry..."
Keith held back a statement of bitterness.
Allura felt warm, and remained where she was. Keith looked at her carefully. "I want to ask you something," he admitted. "About Lotor and-"
"No," she said with a smile that instantly melted his fears. "Nothing happened." Her grin faded. "But I am technically married to him."
"I wouldn't say so," he assured her. "Yours vows were made under a spell. And what respect do we hold for Doom's rites?"
She laughed. "None at all." She looked down at his hand and smiled.
After he was zipped up within his suit, Allura started to draw her hand away, but he grabbed her wrist and, with closed eyes, dug his lips into it, through the material. "I want to tell you now, just in case…just in case." He didn't have to finish the sentence and wouldn't have been able to, anyway.
She put her hand on his cheek tenderly and he opened his eyes. "As I want you to know."
He dove for her lips faster than she expected and she wished for the feeling to linger, even in this situation, when they needed to make haste. It was brief, but her mouth tingled after he pulled back. She put her arms around him- taking care to link herself around his waist so as not to arouse the burning of his scars- lamenting quietly, "I wish I had said something…"
"I do, too. But don't talk like that." He held her tightly, his cool breath in her hair. "Now that you're back to yourself, I feel more like myself again. We never let the odds get us down before, did we?" She admitted this. Never once during any Voltron missions had anyone said, "Let's give up. It's too late. Doom is better than we'll ever be."
"We'll find them," he continued. "I was nearly unconscious, but I know where we should look. They mentioned something about Haggar's chambers."
"That's back near Lotor's sector," Allura said. She had never thought of looking in or even near there, but was certain that the area could yield several hiding places. The entrance was guarded just as Lotor's own sector was. "Shall we hurry or do you need time?"
"Just a moment," he said, trying to ignore the pain in his back. His arm was still around her waist.
A sound came from above. They instantly quieted and it soon became apparent there was to be a problem.
The padlock was scraping against the door. Someone was opening it.
Donning their helmets, the two hurried to the dumbwaiter. Keith made Allura get in first and as there was no room inside, clung to the waiter as Allura pulled on the rope. His back scraped the wall and he grimaced. "Go up farther," he whispered. "To the next level."
"No, that's where the Great Hall is," she replied. "We must go up one farther than that, and then retrace our steps to the witch's chambers." She pulled on that rope as hard as she could until they reached their destination. The dumbwaiter panel was closed, and she waited to be sure there were no voices before kicking it in. But they both put too much weight onto the dumbwaiter together. A horrible ripping sound ensued. "The rope is snapping!" Allura cried out in horror.
Keith managed to hoist himself through quickly as the ripping continued. He helped her out of the cramped space seconds before it went crashing down.
"We'd better hurry," Keith panted. "That will get their attention."
This area had already been searched, it was quite apparent. The two made their way down the right stairwells and finally reached the sector limits of Haggar's chambers.
"If they speak, you must reply," Allura told him. "I was terrified they would question me. My voice will give me away." There was no such thing as a female guard on Doom. Females not part of the court were either servants or part of the harem.
Keith prepared himself a piece of pithy dialogue in the event that they were questioned. No guards remained in front of the doors. Perhaps they had hurried off to search.
Keith and Allura did their own ransacking of the area, finding nothing.
"This is the last room." Keith braced himself as he opened it. This was where Haggar kept all her potions. It was a huge room, full of cauldrons, books, and strange concoctions.
"There's no one here," Allura said, her eyes scanning the room. Then she put a hand over her mouth. "Oh!"
Blood lay in a puddle, trailing across the room in the back corner, toward another door.
Voices erupted in the corridor. Keith grabbed Allura's wrist and pulled her behind the door, making sure she was closer to the wall and serving as her shield. He pressed his back against the wall, even with the erupting pain. Gritting his teeth, he held the laser up, ready to fire.
