Chapter 11 - Preface
Gently.
Lotor's fingers curled into a fist and he pulled his hand back carefully as he reminded himself of her fragility. With a more mindful touch, he hesitantly reached back out toward the sleeping goddess in front of him. He lay propped up on one arm, his eyes hungrily devouring the golden-haired queen as she lay curled on her side.
One of her hands was tucked against her lips, the other curled under her face. White silk spiraled decadently out from her slender frame from when she had turned onto her opposite side over the course of the night.
With the faintest of touches, he brushed a feather-fine strand of hair from in front of her face. Reveling in her warmth, his thumb traced the contour of her cheek, coming to rest near her jaw. With a contrastingly light touch to what he was used to, he brushed his digit across her bottom lip. She stirred only faintly, offering a warm shift of her body as she murmured against him.
He withdrew his hand and reclined, watching contentedly as the woman slept. In many ways, she was the spitting image of what every Drule aspired to be; fierce, loyal, and brave; it was just not an aspect she saw in herself. In other ways, she was the astonishing opposite; gentle and kind, fearful and wary - and staggeringly benevolent. How the two halves came together into one, brilliant entity utterly fascinated him.
Lotor traced the back of his fingers lightly down her bare shoulder to her elbow where her arm folded back under her. The dark, satin sheets pooled around her waist and she had kicked off the throw blanket at some point in the night.
Allura sighed softly in her sleep.
What is it that you dream about, my dear?
He frowned as a smile touched her lips and her eyelashes fluttered subtly. She uttered a faint noise, a sound he could only identify as a cross between a whimper and a moan. Jealousy bubbled in his veins like a violent volcano as he leaned back to watch her with more intensity.
Who, exactly, is it you dream about? He amended his question in his mind. It certainly wasn't him, not with the soft blush that touched her cheeks. His lips pressed together tightly as he contemplated his options, trying not to settle on her charming commander.
Abruptly, he sat up, unable to continue watching the woman revel in a fantasy. His eyes glanced across the room to where his coat hung. Still tucked inside an interior pocket was the fluorescent vial. Lotor swung his legs off the bed and the shock of the cold floor under his bare feet temporarily stalled his intention. He exhaled once, calming his annoyance.
You're so angry. Her voice from the night before echoed in his memory. The Drule sighed in frustration, burying his face in his palms as he propped his elbows on his knees. Just as he began to relax, the woman resting behind him made another soft, delighted noise in her sleep and he couldn't stop the jealousy that exploded back through his system.
He couldn't help his biology – Drules were naturally territorial and aggressive. She was his. He had made her his in every possible way, save one.
Serpentine eyes flashed back to the secret weapon hidden in his pocket across the room.
I will have you all, he thought darkly, dropping his hands back to the mattress. Just as he started to push up from the bed to cross the room, Allura uttered the only word that could freeze his fury cold.
"…Lotor."
Barely afraid to breathe, he slowly turned to look back at his queen. As far as he could tell, she continued to sleep and to dream. The soft pink touches to her cheeks lingered, and her lips remained curled in a small smile.
He stared at her, his eyes wider than he ever thought possible. Shock was not an emotion he was used to feeling, but he regarded her with open surprise and a hint of wonderment.
What is this strange feeling? He swallowed, unable to place the emotion coursing through him. His heart moved at a pace faster than normal and a strange heat thrummed through his chest. He was neither afraid nor angry; and the sensation was… warm?
Allura's eyes blinked open suddenly and she stared up at him in a daze. A moment of silence settled between them before she spoke.
"Are… are you alright?" She whispered.
"Why do you ask?" He continued to stay very still, his torso turned toward her while his legs hung off the edge of the bed.
"I don't think I've ever seen you look so-" she paused as she yawned suddenly. "-hopeful," she finished. She closed her eyes and stretched her arms and back, missing the stunned expression on his face.
Hope. That was what it was called.
"It's rude to watch girls when they sleep, you know," she murmured as she rolled onto her back lazily, curling her toes as her legs stretched. "You might steal their dreams."
"And what is it that you dream about?" He watched her with a fiery intensity as her body relaxed from the stretch.
"Depends," she said simply, eyeing the ceiling happily. "Sometimes I dream nightmares of Zarkon, sometimes wonderful memories of my people. The Summer Festival is one of my favorites, and it's coming very, very soon," she whispered conspiratorially before looking over to him with winsome smile. After a second of seriousness passed, her expression hardened. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason," he said quickly.
"Did I say anything in my sleep?" Her suddenly impassive face gave nothing away, but she eyed him with wariness at his swift answer.
"No," he lied. He paused, curious. "What's the Summer Festival?" He watched in awe as her eyes lit up like a darkened sky at dawn.
"It's amazing, it's a holiday on Arus," she began, excitedly. "It celebrates life, the day, the sun, fire, everything! It lasts from sunset to sunrise. There are fire dancers, flame-eaters, artists, chefs, entertainers, performers, lanterns, competitions... anything you could ever imagine! It's spectacular Lotor, and everyone is so... so happy when it happens. Families and children and war heroes alike all come out to enjoy it." She sighed happily, as if reminiscing. She paused, her earth-shattering eyes glancing his way coyly.
"You might like it, if you wanted to come see it," she hedged waifishly.
"I doubt I'd be welcomed," he muttered.
"Oh, I think you would!" Allura rolled onto her side and sat up abruptly. "My people aren't nearly as..." She froze suddenly, her words dying on her lips as something struck her. Lotor tossed her a lazy look.
"I know exactly what you were going to say. Go ahead and finish, it... doesn't trouble me like it probably should. I rather believe that to be your doing, by the way," he smirked at her.
"I..." She blushed brightly. "They aren't nearly as fearful of you as they are of Zarkon," she finished softly, worried he would rise to the challenge.
"Will you be there?"
"Of course, pending some diplomatic disaster elsewhere that would require an immediate intervention. It's one of my favorite holidays!" She clapped in front of herself softly. "I look forward to it every year."
"Then it shall be my pleasure to attend, as well," he said, watching the blinding smile on her face with decadent fascination.
"It will be lovely! You'll see Arus while it's celebrating, not in pain. It... it's so beautiful, Lotor. I..." She frowned as she paused. "I don't know if you'll find it as wonderful, since we have different visions of beauty, but I am delighted to be able to share a piece of mine with you."
He swung his legs back onto the bed and crossed them, bracing his elbows on his knees as he watched her sit lazily next to him.
"Lotor?" He paused before answering her, savoring the sound of his name on her lips.
"Yes, my dear?"
"What do you dream about when you sleep?" She leaned back on the bed, moving her eyes to the ceiling above them, but her attention remained fixed on the powerful, dominant body sitting beside hers.
"Are you sure you want to know that?" He tilted his head to the side as he watched her closely.
"I think, yes, I would like to know," she responded after a moment of thoughtful consideration. "Even if it's… dark or... ..or violent," her whisper trailed off as he leaned over her.
"I could just show you, if you wanted," he murmured quietly, drawing his palm up her side, over the curve in her waist and the swell of her breast unabashedly.
"Lotor!" She flushed brightly, sitting up abruptly once more. "Is that what you dream about?" She looked positively scandalized. His eyes trailed over her body, drinking in every curve and turn he could find. She flushed crimson at his open courtship before she crossed her arms across her chest self consciously. "Anyway," she attempted to redirect his intention. His eyes snapped up to hers and he could only sigh.
"You will still deny me," he said quietly. It wasn't a question or an accusation, simply a statement. She blushed brightly and looked away from him.
"I…"
"Allura," he began. He reached toward her but froze. With his arm half-outstretched and the queen looking worriedly over at him, he realized his mistake. The image painted between them was far too symbolic; Allura flinching away with wariness from his open, grasping reach. Give. Don't just take.
His fingers curled back in and he withdrew his hand.
"If - and when you're ready," he conceded, more to himself. "In the meantime, I require a shower." She blinked at the shocking display of subtle gentleness from the warlord next to her. He stood up carefully and began to make his way to the bath. Clearing her mind of her surprise, she called after him.
"Didn't you take one before bed?"
"It wasn't cold enough," he muttered, closing the door behind him. Allura stared at the barrier between them, confused by his words.
Allura found herself in the surreal situation of sitting next to Lotor for one of his meetings. She was draped in her usual pink and white gown, the midnight sash over her shoulders and her new crown upon her head. Similarly, Lotor sat stoically next to her, his own royal accessories gracing his frame. He had retained most of his usual style – including the infamous skull belt – since the coronation and had only incorporated the cape his father had once worn.
Her hands twisted nervously in her lap. She recognized the importance of being involved in politics – especially if he intended her to be a partner in the process with him – but being stared down by three other Drule lords was almost too intimidating for her. They argued between themselves and occasionally threw a complaint Lotor's way. He simply stayed quiet, listening. Allura glanced up to him demurely and found herself surprised by the calmness that blanketed the hot-tempered face.
Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined Lotor of all people, hearing and tolerating complaints and criticism without an angry or even violent reaction. He simply sat and let the three men air their grievances.
The subject of contention was the expansion of the Empire. Allura found that the release of the slaves had been a global decree – not just on Planet Doom. She wondered briefly if the protesting lords knew that she was the one responsible for it. If they know, they'll kill me. A fist slamming down on the table jarred Allura from her worrisome thoughts and she glanced up to the angry men.
"Careful," Lotor said calmly, but not without authority.
"Sire, the situation is critical. Conquering and destroying… it's… it's our way of life! It's what makes us who we are. If we cannot take spoils and riches from other planets, how will we feed our children? How will other races and planets know to fear us? It is our birthright and our heritage to continue this legacy!"
"We simply cannot continue to support having more slaves than we know what to do with," he said quietly. One of the other lords growled his frustration and the first continued his argument.
"Then we take from more planets!"
"And then what? Every planet we desecrate then produces no more riches for us. Eventually, we have too many mouths to feed. We are in a splendid point in our expansion; our own people are flourishing and growing in population. We must focus on them. We can no longer afford to feed, care for or house slaves."
"Then we don't, we just use them until they die!" The angry lord glanced across the table when Allura gasped in shock. "You have a problem with that?"
"I'll remind you once – and only once, you're speaking to your queen with that tone of voice. Do it again, and I'll cut your tongue out myself," Lotor growled dangerously.
The lord grumbled something vaguely resembling a murmur of assent, but it seemed to temporarily satisfy him.
"Okay," the third man spoke up for the first time. "So how can we have our slaves back?"
"You can't," Lotor said simply. One of the men snorted in irritation.
"But sire," he pleaded, seemingly calmer than the other two with him. "There must be something we can do. Our culture will die if we stop conquering planets altogether. Most of our income and food come from expeditions like that."
Allura froze when Lotor turned to look at her, pinning her with his gaze.
"Any ideas, my dear?"
"I… I… what? You… want my opinion on this?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, completely surprised by his question. She shrank back into her chair. She wondered briefly if he was courting an attempt to scare her from the politics of his Empire, or to prove she was unable to handle it. It would be an underhanded manipulation technique to offer her power only to demonstrate she was unworthy to wield it. The fault would fall to her; not to him.
Three other sets of eyes focused on her, one with open curiosity and the others with judgment.
"Yes," he said simply.
She exhaled once to calm her fluttering heart and squared herself to the table before her. After placing her folded hands on the table, she contemplated the situation earnestly for a moment and drew on her reserves for the fortitude to withstand the judgment.
"She's from Arus, she's not going to support-"
"I think," she began, catching the attention of every man in the room, but her eyes stayed fixed on her folded hands, her fingers toying with each other. "I think that the issue is the survivability of the Empire. If having and taking slaves is causing a drain on both finances and physical resources, then it simply cannot continue."
"See? I told-"
"However," she continued, undeterred. "I see no reason the culture should suffer for that one piece. Only part of the conquering is bringing back living spoils, right?" She glanced up to look around at the surprised faces. "So don't. Bring back everything else – the wealth, the food. You could even use some of the wealth to pay a wage to attendants, if you wanted. By leaving the people unharmed on their planets, they can then rebuild… and recreate the infrastructure. It won't leave a dead planet in your wake – you'll get everything but the living labor, and retain your fierce image. That's… that's what I think, anyway," she added the last line weakly when silence met her suggestion. She chewed on her lip self-consciously, glancing around at the impassive faces watching her.
"Well?" Without another comment, Lotor glanced up to the three men.
"That's actually… …quite brilliant," one murmured.
"We could then invade the planet a second, third, … many more times as they regenerate resources. It won't become just a dead rock. I really only need a few service girls anyway." Allura shivered at the thought.
"That… that could easily work. My Lord?" The rulers of the planets looked toward the king of the empire for his word on the matter. He, instead, looked down to Allura.
"Does that resolution satisfy you?" She blinked in surprise at his question before nodding once. All her doubt and concern about him trying to alienate her from politics vanished when he ultimately gave her the final word in the matter.
"I'm sad for the people who will lose the things they worked so hard for, but pleased they will not be harmed," she explained. She ignored the snort from across the table. "But it is also important to acknowledge cultural differences and to try and preserve that heritage," she added.
"Then it shall be so," he announced, glancing back to the planetary rulers across from him. "See that your home worlds learn of this." He rose from his chair and offered the crook of his arm to Allura. She gently rose by his side and demurely took the offered arm.
"Your Majesties," the lords presented a formal bow to both Allura and Lotor before exiting the conference room.
"Meetings are so tiresome," he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "I don't know how you put up with them."
"It's good to hear what other people have to say and are feeling," she explained. She reached over to pat his arm with her free hand. "Otherwise you would never know that your people are unhappy."
"That's never mattered to me before," he said quietly, leading the way out of the room. "But, I learned from my father. It didn't matter to him either, and it's put us on the edge of a knife. We can either fall into poverty, or rise into glory." He glanced over to her and smirked wickedly. "I intend for it to be the latter."
Allura stopped in her tracks. Lotor continued on another three steps before turning to look at her, confused. She stared down at the floor, her mind racing with his last comment.
"What is it," he asked. She just held her hand up as her mind rolled through the surplus of information in her memory. All the pieces were there, but they weren't yet in the right order.
"Allura." She shook her head as he spoke again. She pressed her digits to her temples.
"I'm thinking, just wait," she said. Her mind rushed through the conversation she had just had with the Drule lords before flashing back to sitting in the kitchen with Lotor several nights before. Pieces of both conversations surfaced and the puzzle began to reorient itself in her mind before clicking into place. She raised her eyes to stare at him and he found himself taking a step back under the icy look. Her hands fell to her sides with a worrisome finality.
"You would have freed the slaves either way. And yet you still let me use it as a leverage point in our negotiations. I knew I was missing something that evening," she murmured, referencing that night, snapping her fingers once.
"Don't misunderstand - I had no intention of releasing my hold on Romelle or walking away from Arus with you still out there," he explained.
"That's not the point!" She glared at him. "I don't like being deceived! Is there anything else you haven't told me? You're making a habit of hiding things from me," she said angrily.
"No, I've been honest-"
"Incense," she said, counting off her fingers. "The fact that I didn't need to use the slaves as leverage because you were going to do that anyway. Everything comes in threes, what else are you hiding from me?" She stared at him intently as he shook his head once.
"Nothing," he said.
Allura trembled with emotion before exhaling to calm herself.
"And can I trust you on that?"
Lotor stared at her carefully before nodding once.
"Yes."
She scowled before walking toward him, dropping her mantle of battle. Her emotional shield shattered at her feet as she retook her place at his side.
"Just, be honest with me, please. Even if you think I won't like it, I'd… I'd rather hear it than not," she said quietly, resuming her pace beside him. "I want... ...I know it's new to you, but I like talking," she admitted, her spirits lightening slightly. "I would prefer to have a difficult discussion about something we may not - or ever - agree on, and at least come to terms with the fact we don't agree... than just... have something swept under the rug or hidden in the closet because it might cause an issue. I prefer to know. And... I am always open to hearing another side of things. Please don't forget that," she murmured, her palm touching his bicep gently as she walked beside him.
He stayed silent, his mind flashing to the vial he had taken from Haggar. He had removed it from his coat and it was buried at the bottom of the dresser, and never had he felt more like a bastard than he did just then. She was asking for honesty, begging him to share his side, and he still decided in that moment the best course of action would be to return it to the witch as soon as he could do so discreetly. As much as Allura wanted to know everything, for better or worse, he didn't fancy trying to explain his intention to chemically cloud her judgment.
"Will you still join me on Arus for the Summer Festival?" She turned hopeful eyes up at him in his silence. He blinked in surprise. "It starts tomorrow night," she added.
"Of course."
The smile that lit up her face was breathtaking. She nodded once, pleased, and redirected her eyes forward.
"The boys should be in better spirits by now, anyway," she added. Lotor stilled. He hadn't contemplated the ramifications of running into the Voltron Force on Arus again.
"What is it?"
"Your comrades," he said flatly.
"They'll be fine," she explained dismissively.
"How do you know they won't attack me?"
Allura looked up at him with a very coy smile on her lips.
"Because they understand the situation and respect my wishes. I trust them. I trust them with my life, and yours too," she said. "It will be nice to see everyone again," she added thoughtfully.
His eyes glanced forward once more, gliding beside her.
"It's beautiful," she said suddenly in their silence. He glanced down to her.
"The Festival?"
Allura nodded so feverishly she nearly jumped up and down.
"I..." she trailed off, a blush staining her cheeks. She glanced away from him as she gathered her words. "...It pleases me that you would like to join me," she admitted at last, not yet meeting his eyes.
"How soon do we need to be there?" He stared at her profile, fascinated by the contours of her flushed face.
"It would be ideal if we arrived either late tonight or early tomorrow morning. The festival lasts all night so, to fully enjoy it, we'll want to try and sleep as much of the day away tomorrow as possible. I'm not sure what is on your radar for meetings however," she added, looking toward him suddenly.
"My schedule is clear. We'll leave for Arus in a few hours."
He felt that strange warm sensation flood his chest and his heart accelerated as her face lit up with excitement and her hands clasped together in front of her.
What is this witchcraft, he thought darkly, unable to tame the festering desire to encourage more of her delighted reactions. He shook his head once and continued to lead her down the hall, lost in thought.
Another chapter! Thank you for reading, as always, I love to know what you think.
