Betrothed

Chapter Ten

...

He was sending her gifts now.

Ever since she had refused to eat any more of her meals with him, Lotor had resorted to other means of courting. Did he really think sending her presents would actually win her over? Allura wanted to take every scrap of clothing, every piece of jewelry, every bouquet of flowers, and flush them out the nearest air lock. Unfortunately, she didn't have access to one. She flushed them down the toilet instead. It took Lotor a few days before he fully got the hint. He shifted tactics. Instead of gifts, he began rewarding her with daily "adventures" to beautiful sights in the galaxy they happened to be passing by. Adventures which he supervised personally. Joy. She almost preferred the gifts over having to suffer from his presence. However, there were two giant benefits to these outings.

One: she got to leave the extremely confining walls of her bedroom for some portion of the day. And two: Lotor always insisted that he take Allura in his personal spacecraft to see the view of the day, leaving the fleet altogether to enjoy a sense of privacy. If it weren't for the two guards that always accompanied them, Allura and Lotor were nearly alone. And while Allura had initially resented the idea of privacy with the Galra Prince, she had slowly come to realize, being alone together actually increased her chances of possibly overpowering him and escaping.

Because yes, Allura was entirely dedicated to coming up with a way to escape. So what if she had technically given her word to be engaged to Lotor? Prince Lotor technically claimed to have devoted himself to bringing peace and order to the galaxy, and murdered people daily, so… Yeah.

If she could gain just enough of his trust that he felt comfortable taking her out in his spacecraft alone, without the guards, on one of their adventures… Well, then she could strike. But she had to be strategic. Trust didn't come easily, and as hurt as Lotor pretended to be whenever she inevitably rejected his advances, she knew he wasn't stupid enough to actually let his guard down around her. Even once he did think he had her trust, she was certain he would continue to treat her with utmost caution. The real trick was figuring out how she could appear like she was slowly warming up to him, without raising his suspicions. Thus far, she hadn't any idea. He was doing nothing of significance to change her attitude towards him, and she wasn't going to pretend like his incessant doting on her would eventually break down her walls. Even he knew that wouldn't happen. It was quite evident that he only bothered with the pleasantries in order to further irritate her. He found entertainment in her suffering. And the more she resented it, the more amused he was. The sicko.

"My lady," Lotor's smile was patient as he addressed her in the doorway of her bedroom, bowing, "Are you prepared for our outing?"

"But of course, my lord," Allura bowed back. At this point, she was just playing along with this game Lotor had invented. If she couldn't beat him, why not join him? She was sure Lotor wouldn't experience as much satisfaction this way. That was her new objective. Not letting Lotor get a rise out of her. He was a male who fed off confrontations, and if she could keep her temper, he would soon get bored and desist with this ridiculous behavior. At least, she hoped.

"You look lovely today my beloved," Lotor complimented, extending his elbow for her to take. Allura inwardly groaned. Ok, so she had kept one of his gifts. A new set of clothes. Her paladin suit had gotten stinky after a few days and needed washing. But despite this small victory on Lotor's part, it didn't mean anything. And she knew better than to let Lotor take more credit than he actually deserved. Any decent being would provide her with fresh clothes.

"I do look lovely, don't I? But enough about me. You are looking rather dashing yourself," she returned smugly, letting a sly smile grace her face. Lotor side eyed her as they walked down the hall.

"Well thank you. Someone's refreshingly cheerful today. You're not running a fever are you? Shall I call a nurse?" he inquired, still digging for some kind of reaction.

"I'm doing just fine dear, but that's very thoughtful of you. You are always so very sensitive to my needs," she returned snidely, keeping her smile stubbornly fixed in place. Lotor chuckled.

"Of course."

They came to the landing dock where Lotor's private shuttle awaited. The two guards saluted upon Lotor's approach and extended the ship's loading ramp. Allura noticed how Lotor's grip on her arm increased marginally as they entered the cockpit. Nope, he definitely didn't trust her. But it wasn't just her she didn't trust. Despite the fact that the guards were present, and both capable pilots, Lotor still insisted on flying. The prince was paranoid. Or he really enjoyed flying.

Allura assumed her usual spot in the passenger seat, buckling in.

"Where to today?" she inquired curiously, still maintaining her perky persona.

"I think you'll like it," Lotor grinned, "It's called the Angel Nebula," he said, smoothly navigating the ship through an accumulation of closely situated stars. As they flew, the landscape gradually shifted from utter blackness into exotic pinks, rich purples and glittering blues. Like a brilliant ribbon cutting through a barren wasteland. And at the center of this, a cloud of silver in the shape of extended wings. For the first time in a long time, Allura felt tranquil. At peace. Even when she felt Lotor's eyes shift over to watch her, she didn't care that he saw her enjoyment. She was too busy being enthralled with this beautiful sight before her. Lotor waited a respectful amount of time before speaking.

"This nebula was discovered four hundred years ago, by a galra explorer named-"

"I don't care," Allura interrupted, "It's the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time, and that's all that matters to me." She took a deep breath, simply letting the view soak into her soul. She couldn't believe she was about to say this, but… "Thank you." She glanced over to observe his reaction.

Lotor blinked. The look of pure astonishment on his face was well worth the sour taste left in her mouth.

"Well…" he cleared his throat awkwardly, "You're welcome, princess." Allura couldn't believe how flustered he was. It was almost endearing… Almost.

"Have you seen this nebula in person before?" Allura inquired.

"Once, when I was very little," Lotor replied, his expression suddenly turning cold and distant. Allura tilted her head. This small motion was enough to prompt Lotor to explain.

"The Glara fleet was passing this sector after another one of Zarkon's major conquests, and it just so happened to be my eleventh birthday. Zarkon thought I might enjoy a birthday trip out to the sight."

"And did you?" Allura asked. She told herself she wasn't asking out of actual interest in Lotor's story. She was asking merely for the sake of trying to win his trust. That was all.

"Mostly," the prince shrugged a shoulder. It was a surprisingly human gesture for a monster of a man to make. "Until my father began his lecture about Galra superiority and how I would one day assume leadership of his glorious Empire. How the future of our race would one day rest upon my shoulders and that he truly hoped I wouldn't grow to become a major disappointment to him."

Allura looked down. She didn't know why, but the smallest sensation of pity began to affect her heart. She didn't want to pity Lotor. He didn't deserve it. But she also couldn't help but realize how wonderful her own father was, and how truly lucky she was to have had him.

Lotor shifted in his pilot chair.

"I suppose I've become exactly what he feared all along," he mused darkly. Then he took a deep breath and his somber expression left him, replaced by a sudden smile. It was a cruel one, the corners of his eyes crinkled in wicked amusement.

"Ironic, isn't it? He can crush entire planets under his heel, cause entire civilizations to crumble in fear and submission. Yet, try as he might, he could not prevent his own son from turning against him. From defeating him."

Allura swallowed and made a mental note: Major daddy issues.

"It is," she agreed.

"But, the universe has its way of balancing itself out," Lotor commented. Then, he turned his amber eyes back over to Allura and a certain softness entered them that made Allura's stomach flip with anxiety and something else. Slowly, carefully, Lotor reached out, his fingers delicately brushing over her wrist until his palm gently rested atop her hand.

"And now you and I can set things right again," he said, squeezing her hand slightly in a gesture she imagined was his attempt at showing affection. Allura wanted to jerk away in disgust, but even that would have been a reaction Lotor might have found entertaining. So she reminded herself to stay calm, even when inside, her mind was raging.

How dare he touch me this way! Does he really think a little hand holding will lull me into his sad delusion? How crazy does he think I am? And wow, his hand is actually warm.. Weird.

"Just what do you think we could actually make right?" Allura demanded out loud.

"The renewal of our race, the Alteans, for one," Lotor reminded. Only now did Allura withdraw her hand from his. Lotor let her.

"That's-" she began, but he swiftly interrupted.

"The Galra were never a superior race. Just the most power hungry. The destruction of such a technologically advanced civilization as Altea is enough to prove the Galra's folly. There is a difference between intelligence and blind arrogance. If my father really wanted to rule the galaxy as a superior being, he would have done whatever it took to keep peace with your father Alfor, and bring about an alliance. But no. He was too proud. Just look at our soldiers. Half wits- the lot of them, scrambling over each other to reach the top of the food chain. As if the only way up was to put others down. All in a mad frenzy for honor and glory. Why? I ask you, why?"

Allura analyzed Lotor carefully. It was interesting to see him becoming more passionate as this discussion progressed.

"Perhaps they feel honor and glory are the only true meaning in existence?" she offered.

"Perhaps. But the concept that it had to be achieved through violent means didn't manifest into my culture naturally. Someone put it there, and that someone was named Malchazor. A former gladiator, turned leader, who assumed the throne by force centuries ago. He shaped the Galra culture into the savages they are now. They could be so much more," Lotor shook his head in disgust.

"Don't you see Allura? I don't just wish to save the Altean race, I also seek to save my own. But to do that, I need to show my people a new standard of living. In my opinion, Altea was the best model of a high functioning civilization. My father stole that model from the world, because it put him to shame. And now I will return it."

Allura considered his words, finding a remarkable amount of sense in them.

Maybe he does have some kind of moral compass… Even if his methods are insanely misguided.

"Lotor, as much sense as you are making… And as badly as I too wish for the return of my people… I still don't see how you can possibly restore an entire civilization… It's just not possible. Even if we do-" -ugh, she could barely speak it- "pro-create" -clinical words made it easier- "We could never start an entire population on our own. Not a pure one at any rate."

"Princess… " Lotor sighed, "I know it is hard for you to imagine, but it is possible. I will make it possible. There are ways. I only ask for you to trust me. Please. We want the same thing. Do we not?"

Allura had to be careful about how she answered. The truth was, if the same opportunity arose through other means… She would have taken the chance. Absolutely. And yet… This was Lotor. Was she truly capable of thinking that the end could somehow justify the means?

"I'm not sure yet."

Suddenly, there was a blinking on Lotor's scanners. Allura's eyes lit up with hope.

Voltron?

A/N:

Hello readers! Thank you for taking the time to check out my story, and thank you to those who are returning after I took SUCH a long absense! I'm back now, for good, and have even started my own INSTAGRAM account to prove it! Check out my profile for more details, or go directly onto instagram and look for me : tamingtheriver ! I'll be the one with the unicorn ;P See ya there!

-2Tame a River