Chapter 20 - Chimera

"Things are going to change between us very, very soon," he said. His serpentine eyes glanced to the door to assure himself that it had closed. Allura stepped back worriedly, pulling herself free from his controlling hold. She eased herself down into an armchair and folded her hands in her lap.

He winced at the open alarm on her unguarded face, but she waited for his words with a polite silence. He realized that in their past, the moment between them would have never existed. Allura would have merely fled at the sight of him, but instead she sat cautiously, awaiting his next move, despite her obvious nervousness. This is what her trust looks like, he thought, a surge of pride swelling in his chest.

"How do you mean," she whispered to him when he stayed quiet. Her skin paled as he took his time settling into a chair across from her. Fear flooded her veins and her mind raced through several worst-case scenarios. Coran's words from the coronation ran unchecked through her fatigued mind.

Your wars will be fought with words, with ultimatums, demands and consequences. They will be paid for with sacrifice and betrayal.

Lotor's fingers laced together in his lap between his knees and he cast her a lazy look, undaunted by the escalating panic in the young queen.

"The High Lords are calling an ultimatum." Allura's heart slammed in her ribcage at the word. "Father can either change, or he can abdicate the throne. No one anticipates the first, so in theory, I will become the new King of the Drule Empire," he said openly.

Allura could have sworn that her jaw hit the floor.

"He's… I… you… he…" She shut her mouth and leaned back in her chair, covering her mouth with her hand, completely caught off-guard by the statement. All her pent-up anxiety had braced for a turn against her. She had hoped he would stay true to his honor, but a sliver of doubt had always hovered like a shadow in her mind. His open admission of the state of affairs, coupled with his demonstrated loyalty disintegrated that shadow in blinding light.

"It's all thanks to you," he replied smoothly, undeterred by her floundering. "The issues you raised in the meeting threw everything he's been doing lately into question. Both Talor and, seemingly Anar as well, support you as a liaison with the Empire. Obviously, this did not go over well with Father. Muran and Seto are still undecided, but neither are they against you. While they are still neutral with the proposition to work with you, they do support the idea that what Zarkon is doing is no longer working," he explained with a wave of his hand.

"Wait, Seto… Muran…"

"The other two High Lords that you were not formally introduced to. And Merla is… as she always is, a wild card and not particularly relevant to the situation, but she seems insistent on becoming so. She's a powerful ally, making her difficult to ignore," he muttered darkly.

"Do the High Lords have that kind of power? Until recently, I just believed that whatever King Zarkon wanted was what happened. I know you said that Talor's actions wouldn't be punished, but…" she said, still struggling to wrap her mind around the jarring news.

"One alone cannot override him. They can ignore him, as Talor has chosen to do, and he is far too respected by his population for anything to happen to him. However, the fact that all four are coming forward as a united front – Father won't be able to ignore something of that magnitude. Not for long."

"Wait, so… if you become the new king…" she trailed off, staring across the room at the Drule in open wonderment.

"Then it has just become that much easier for the Drule Empire to work with the Galaxy Alliance," he finished, a wicked smirk on his lips. "The finest love story never told," he added, delighted in the blush that stained her cheeks.

Her hands clasped over her mouth as giddy excitement released as an infectious giggle. She exhaled and calmed herself, thinking through the situation with more practicality.

"Great gods in the sky, this… this could actually happen… and you would… want to work with me under that mantle? That wouldn't create political tension or…?"

"At this point, it would create more strain not to. Everything is aligning itself perfectly. You have offered solutions to many problems that have faced our people for decades. Zarkon is throwing them aside and our people are calling him out. They have been for quite some time, but your blatant promise to Talor has coaxed the restless sparks to flame. You offer a cure to disease, and Father turns it down on principle and pride. …That did not go over well with most of our planets, Allura." He paused to consider his next sentence before continuing.

"You and I have an infamous, pre-existing… relationship," he hedged, unsure how else to describe their elaborate waltz. "It's quite expected that once he abdicates the throne – or is violently removed from it – that I will bridge the gap between the Empire and the Alliance. There are of course, still some concerns as the Galaxy Alliance was founded in direct opposition to the Empire – many planets will want to continue conquering and looting. But there is for the first time, at the very least, room to… negotiate."

She leaned back in her chair, floored by the turn of events. The idea of Zarkon being out of the picture hadn't ever occurred to her – she had counted on him being an obstinate and lethal obstacle for her indefinitely.

But if he's not in power, and Lotor wants to continue working with me… and the High Lords are at least open to discussion... Her thoughts trailed off as her mind went numb. One word echoed in her head, slamming through her chest with such ferocity she thought her heart might shatter from all the hope it carried.

Peace.

"Allura, are you well?" She glanced up at his concerned words. She quickly wiped away the tears that flooded her cheeks without warning.

"I… yes, I was just thinking through the situation and the ramifications that would be involved. What do you make of the meeting we saw between King Zarkon and the Admiral before?"

"I think they're in communication about something," he said openly, reclining in the chair and crossing one leg over the other. "I think they have found a common agenda, and I worry it has to do with you. I don't expect it to stop once I take the throne from him, either. This may still be a ways out, Allura, but it is all set into motion now," he chuckled darkly at her astonished look.

"Will he… try and kill you? I mean… he can't be happy about losing his power, right?"

"Oh, I'm sure he will. I tried to kill him a few times so it would be fair. Even if he does succeed, the population won't embrace him. They'd probably turn to you before taking him back, after everything else that has happened."

"Don't talk like that!" She gasped, covering her mouth.

"Don't worry – one of the High Lords would be next in line. My point still stands, however." He pinned her with his golden gaze.

"That's not what I meant – I don't want to hear you say such things," she said, shaking her head once and crossing her arms across her chest protectively.

"Which things?"

"Like... that he'll kill you, that's… I don't want that," she said after a moment, blushing.

"It's part of our culture; it's a way of life. You fight and win, or you die," he explained simply.

"And it's a part of mine to fight to protect the people I care about. Never stand down, never yield," she murmured with determination. Her expression was steeled and her jaw unwavering. Allura was too focused on the call to arms to see the fire that ignited behind his gaze. She was utterly stunning, a beautiful warrior inflamed beneath the mantle to protect those she deemed worthy. Vengeance never laced her lips, but she promised of victory no matter what. It called to him and made his war-born blood sing.

"People you care about?" He spoke casually, watching her with predatory fascination.

"Yes! I… oh," she trailed off and blushed brightly, her stoic demeanor melting into naïve shyness. "Yes, well, I stand by it," she replied primly, turning her chin up. "You'll just have to deal with it."

"I intend to," he growled out, causing her skin to stain pink.

"An… anyway," she fumbled nervously, tucking her hair out of her face. She fidgeted with the flawless tailoring of her commander's uniform. He watched as she squirmed delightfully under his gaze. "When… um, so when would this… happen?" She hazarded a nervous look toward the intense man and attempted to redirect the conversation back to business.

"Hard to tell. He is not at all inclined to honor the High Lords' call on this, which means it could - will - get bloody. The transition of power on a Drule planet is… messy at its best," he explained. "I'll need to go to Doom for a bit once things come near the end," he added.

"But it's not safe!"

"Like I said – he might attempt something. He can certainly try. I'll win," he said confidently. Allura smiled weakly. She was placated marginally by his bravado, but still worried under it all as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"And in the meantime? How long… I mean. …I have no idea what happens next."

"It will depend. Theoretically it could be over in a day. Most likely, it will take years, as long as he chooses to fight and hold on."

Allura stared at Lotor for a moment as she processed what he said.

"He won't step down," they both said in unison. Allura sighed.

"Alright, so until that's formally in place, it's still possible he'll show up… here… with the Admiral or even on his own?"

Lotor could only shrug.

"You are the heart of the Galaxy Alliance, so yes. It's possible – even probable. You should make sure someone is nearby at all times. Don't ever be alone with either of them," he said. She leaned back in her chair and stared at him with open fascination.

"Great stars in the sky… this… is happening. You and I, all of this, it's… unbelievable," she whispered. "Who knew so many bridges could be formed…"

"Formed?" He laughed darkly, the wicked sound echoing off the musical instruments around them. The infamous evil noise sent a shiver down her spine. With an exhale, he lowered his voice. "You built them," he replied calmly. "The entirety of this enterprise is completely your doing, Allura." She trembled.

"I… I didn't plan to land on Charin with you," she said after a thoughtful moment.

"I don't believe you landed at all," he teased her.

"I did not crash!"

Lotor threw his head back and laughed again, utterly transfixed with the hot-tempered woman sitting across from him. As his chuckle faded, the arrogant, fanged smirk lingered on his lips.

"No," he redirected back to the original statement. "But if you weren't nearly as fascinating as you are, I would have tired of you and your rejections long ago. Instead, you added fuel to the fire. You build connections everywhere you walk. You link people who would otherwise never know each other. You end wars with your words. You even brought all the High Lords into the same room," he finished with a wicked smirk.

"Was that… unusual?" She blinked in surprise at his last statement.

"Allura, you sat at a table with the entirety of the High Council. That… has never been done before," he said carefully, watching her. "It's difficult enough to get them all in a single meeting together, much less to see an outsider," he explained with a shrug. "Nevermind the leader of the opposing army."

"Did they… did they all come together because of me?"

He nodded.

"Remember - Father had no idea you were joining me. The moment he saw you step off that vessel and locked himself in that chamber, he was making calls to all of them. Allura, they came. Not because their king told them to, but because you presented an opportunity they have never seen before, and they were curious. About you."

She sat quietly, processing his information.

"Like I said. You unite people. You even unite Drules when the Empire is on the verge of falling apart. You've managed – as their single marked enemy, I remind you – to bring them together in a way their very king couldn't," he murmured sagely.

Allura only blushed in response, folding her hands in her lap. She waited a moment, pondering the feelings in her mind. Lowering her gaze to watch her hands twist nervously on her thighs, she spoke quietly.

"I don't actually know what I'm doing," she admitted. She paused again, but he remained silent, watching her intently. "It feels out of control to me, like… I'm grasping at things as they fly through my hands. I feel… I feel as if I haven't had time to sit down and breathe properly, to actually contemplate the consequences of all the decisions I've been making. I just… I just keep making them. I have no choice but to follow my heart and my instinct because there simply isn't time to… to think about it logically," she trailed off, carefully raising her eyes to look at him. She stumbled through her words, attempting to orient her thoughts as best she could. Lotor's face was impassive, his chiseled features stern and his eyes veiled.

"How much thought did you put into offering me amnesty on your planet when we first arrived?" His question was careful and calculated. Allura countered it with one of her own.

"How much thought did you put into telling King Zarkon no when he asked you to turn over Blue Lion and myself?"

"Absolutely none," he answered without missing a beat, his eyes narrowing at the thought.

"That's my answer, too," she whispered.

"You didn't even think about it?"

"It was the right thing to do," she answered, reflecting on that specific day. "You know… what do you think would have happened if Zarkon hadn't hailed you on the way to Arus?" Lotor opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it again as he genuinely contemplated her question.

"I would have kept my word, dropped you off and gone home. …We'd probably be in combat right now. There'd be a robeast outside. I'd be trying to claim you," he admitted, leaning back in his chair, his eyes never leaving her. It was Allura's turn to remain thoughtfully quiet as she processed his answer.

"Does... does that mean that Zarkon's arrogance has forced this peace between us?"

"Do not ever let him hear you say that. You thought he was frightening in the conference meeting. I can't imagine how explosive his rage would be at that implication." Allura could only giggle at his dry response.

"I just wish I had a moment to sit down and take a logical inventory of everything. It just keeps… escalating," she said, letting her hands fall back into her lap. "I worry I've gone too far, but I don't… I don't feel like I've had a choice in the matter, as if it's all been prepared for me."

"Allura. When has anyone ever successfully controlled you? It's not possible. Believe me, I've tried." He grinned lethally when she glanced up with wide eyes.

"Lotor!" He continued, undaunted by her scandalized blush.

"If anyone could ever force your hand, you would have been my queen a long time ago."

Allura's eyes narrowed.

"Haven't you noticed that we get along better when you aren't acting like a big bully?" She crossed her arms over her chest warily.

"I rather had," he murmured, watching her carefully. He remained calm but the wolfish light never left his eyes. Allura found herself squirming slightly beneath the unsettling look.

"At any rate, what I meant," she mumbled, brushing out the tunic of her ensemble. "Was that it's one thing right after the other. Right after making the decision to offer amnesty, I was in a teleconference with Zarkon and then immediately after, the Marshal. Before I caught my breath from that, the Admiral was offering me the entirety of the Alliance." She pressed her face into her palms.

"I suppose I could have said no right then and there, and that would have been the end of it." Her words were muffled by her hands, but were not incoherent. "But I didn't. I got greedy," she admitted with a sigh, dropping her hands to her chin and propping her face up on her fists, staring off to the side.

"I don't believe that would ever be a word that could be used to describe you," he said flatly.

"I did though. I saw a chance to keep trying to make everything better. And I took it without a second thought. I've offered up my planet as the central nexus for the entire Alliance, and I have put myself and my people in a position where King Zarkon is able to come and go through the very castle he's tried so hard to destroy," she finished with a frustrated sigh.

"I'm an idiot. And… I was arrogant," she added. "I thought that I knew best – that by taking the Galaxy Alliance into my care, I could prevent more corruption and damnation. I hardly know what I'm doing."

"You're ending wars – both between Alliance and Drule planets, and within the Alliance as well. And, you have the Drule Empire's attention."

"I've always had that," she muttered tartly, not looking to him.

"In a productive way this time," he amended, a smirk touching at his lips. "Though you are technically correct."

"I met with the High Lords and King Zarkon," she repeated his earlier statement to drive the point home. "I have no idea how high I'll climb, but I know the further I go, the harder the fall will be."

"You won't fall." His voice was dark with promise. "Your Commander and I are seeing to that."

She shook her head once.

"I appreciate that, and I feel truly grateful to have such loyal and skilled friends, but… I'm taking too much, I'm going too far, too fast. There has been so many shattering changes in only months - it's... unbelievable. It can't last. But," she stilled as a smile touched her lips. "If I can at least change a little while I have the chance, then it will be worth it."

"You shouldn't say things like that."

"Says the man who talked openly moments ago about his father killing him," she snapped back.

"Well, if you keep speaking like that, I'll just have to stop you," he murmured after a moment.

"Please," she crossed her arms over her chest, rising to his challenge. "I'm just being realistic, anyway." She gasped and her eyes widened when Lotor moved like lighting across the space between them. One of his palms rested comfortably on her armrest, the other hooked his index finger under her jaw delicately.

"Like I said, I'll stop you."

"You wouldn't dare-"

In hindsight, Allura realized that he would do exactly what he promised. His lips seared hers in a quick motion and her insides ignited with his control. Lotor had previously been as careful and restrained as he could in an attempt not to frighten her. As he took the initiative in the moment and stole her breath, he allowed his dominance to express itself properly.

His hand on her chin snaked to the back of her head as he pulled her close, devouring her taste hungrily. A low rumble vibrated in his chest when her palms came to rest against him and her fingers curled into his tunic.

She tilted her head sideways to take a breath but he did not relinquish his grasp. He recaptured her soft lips effortlessly. Allura whimpered softly against him when his fingers wove gently through her hair, tilting her head back.

Lotor pulled back after a moment, just far enough to allow them both to inhale. His lips still brushed against hers as they both panted.

"Marry me," he whispered against her lips.

"Lotor!" Her cry was meant to be substantial and full of denial, but only a breathless whisper left her lips in the wake of his heat.

"I mean it. This is us, Allura. Unite the Galaxy Alliance and the Drule Empire with me. Be my bride."

She stared up at him in shock, the flush from their kiss staining her cheeks still.

"I… Lotor, I can't," she murmured. He only kissed her lips lightly in response, refusing to relinquish his stance over her until she agreed to wed him.

"Can you deny this?" He leaned toward her and brushed his lips on her throat near her ear. She shivered visibly at the gesture as a new surge heat flooded her body. "Why resist it?"

"I…" She gasped when he nipped at her earlobe. "What would they say?" He paused and leaned back to look her in the eye seriously.

"Who is 'they'? What would it matter? If you think your Voltron Force hasn't already figured this out, you're wrong," he said simply.

"Nanny would have a fit," she murmured, dazed by his inferno.

"She'll have one no matter what. Isn't she the one always telling you to settle down with a nice prince?" He grinned dangerously at her, his fingers still threaded through her hair. He relished the sensation of Allura allowing him to take liberties.

"You saw how she lost it when she caught us together! Besides, I don't believe you meet her standards of 'nice', Lotor," she said.

"Do I meet yours?"

"I…"

"I'll take that as a yes," he said quickly, brushing his lips over hers once more before she could add anything else. As she pulled away from him, he relinquished his control of her, letting her hair to slide through his fingers.

"Are you springing this on me because you know my mind is still reeling from everything else? Are you hoping for one more impulsive decision from me?"

"Perhaps," he answered honestly. "Is it working?"

She sighed in frustration.

"You know I can't marry you," she said after a moment.

"I don't know that. And. I refuse to accept that. Allura, you said yourself that you want this. What else is there that matters? Have it. Take it."

She scowled.

"My people-"

"I can guarantee you a union between us would not surprise anyone – except my father who currently has a bet with Haggar that it'll never happen. People in the castle are surprised when we aren't in the same room. Do you think they haven't realized it? You're the only one refusing to acknowledge it."

She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully at his words.

"I… I can't. That's not a future I ever imagined – wait Haggar is betting on us!?" She had earnestly attempted to keep a serious answer, but the weight of the quick sentence in his response didn't go unnoticed.

"She knows her stuff. Besides - did you ever picture yourself overseeing the Galaxy Alliance and meeting with King Zarkon and the Drule High Lords?"

"…no," she said softly. He reached for her gently and touched her chin, drawing her gaze back to his.

"Do you want this." He asked a question, but the tone resonated like a command. She stared up at him, her mind racing through all their history and how it had culminated so perfectly into the last few months. "Don't answer for High Diplomat Allura, or the Queen of Arus. Answer for you, right here in this moment."

"…yes," she whispered.

"Then marry me." His thumb stroked over her cheek. In response to his statement, Allura leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. She sat back and smiled up at him sadly.

"No," she murmured. "There is too much else happening. I… I cannot."

"But you want this," he growled at her, determined to wear her will down.

"I cannot be selfish. It is not a practice I can continue. My people – everyone involved, must come first. Otherwise I won't be any better than Former Marshal Graham. "

Lotor exhaled in frustration, resting his forehead against hers.

"It doesn't mean anything will change between us," she softened, touching his cheek lightly. "I just… it's too much, too soon."

His eyes snapped open at her word choice.

"So it could happen… later?"

Allura flushed brightly and remained silent at his question.

"I have a duty of care, Lotor," she said after a moment. "I have turned everything on its head right now, it's best to let the pieces settle."

"Or just continue the chaos, it's been quite glorious from where I've been standing," he said wickedly.

She laughed quietly and shook her head once.

"Maybe after all this, maybe things will settle down. Maybe I'll find purchase in this new world I've so arrogantly crafted."

"It's not arrogance, Allura," he replied, growing frustrated with the mantra of her selfishness.

"Lotor," she began, reclining in her chair further. When he said nothing, she fixed her eyes on him, a subtle fire behind her gaze. "I'm happy. I feel… I feel hope. I haven't felt that in a very long time. Not since my father died. I've felt determination, drive and will to see everything through, but never before have I felt the hope that it might… I might actually get the peaceful ending I want. Despite the cloud of suspicion lingering over the Admiral and King Zarkon, things feel like… finally, maybe just finally, everything will work out in the end. You've played a very nontrivial role in all this. …thank you. I feel like I actually know you, and I… I rather like the man I've learned to understand. You're very different than I ever expected."

He only nodded once in response. In the silence, Allura giggled slightly.

"Things have been changing so quickly, it's left me reeling. Between us, between the Alliance and the Empire… I… I just need some time for it to settle."

"And then will you be my bride?"

She blushed.

"Perhaps."

He grinned triumphantly.

"I only said maybe, Lotor! Don't get any ideas, that's still a ways out," she scolded, her cheeks reddening further when his grin only widened.

"I feel so overwhelmed and so terribly under qualified to do what I do, but I can't just stop," she admitted quietly, redirecting the conversation.

"You are not," he murmured. He rose from his position over her and stepped back. On instinct, Allura stood too, finding herself standing comfortably before the man in all of space that she should fear most. He touched her cheek lightly, drawing her closer wordlessly.

"You are magnificent," he whispered, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze once more.

"What happens now?" Allura's whispered question was lost to both of them as his lips reclaimed her own without warning. In a very familiar movement the queen's hand raised as he embraced her, but instead of a strike, Allura's soft palm came to rest against his cheek, drawing him closer.

He eagerly obliged, pulling her in with a strong arm around her back. He consumed her lips and Allura surrendered herself to him, enthralled in the companionship she found in the man. He nipped playfully at her bottom lip, devouring the taste of her when she gasped in surprise. With a delightful squirm, she stepped back from him. Lotor grinned evilly down at her as she recovered her breath, but before he could re-engage, a chilling noise echoed through the room.

Allura glanced up quickly as a red, warning siren blared out through the castle, bathing their intimate rendezvous in a sinister, crimson glow.

"Oh no, that's not a noise I have heard in a while," she murmured, breaking her contact with Lotor. He caught her wrist as she turned to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To Blue Lion. Lotor… we're under attack."

Another chapter! As always, please don't hesitate to let me know what you liked/didn't like. I'm always curious for feedback!