Lance didn't like the way the temperature dropped by several degrees with every few steps through the dank brick tunnels. He could already see his breath making little clouds in front of his face. Allura, on the other hand, was practically skipping as they made their way to King Alfor's tomb. She was clearly still high on the incredible sex they'd had that morning. He could only conclude that his own sex-addled brain had contributed to his agreeing to come down to the catacombs to ask her father for his blessing.

At least they both knew how to define shared experiences now – ridiculously, brain-explodingly awesome. No wonder Dr. Lunnen wanted to monitor them during sex. He was definitely not agreeing to it. No one could possibly understand what he and Allura had shared a short hour and a half before, wrapped in the most intimate of embraces. He could still feel the echoes of her pleasure sweeping through him, creating tingly sensations in places he didn't even have…

Another temperature drop interrupted Lance's happy reflections. He glanced around, confirming that he wasn't just having a bad dream in his usual post-coital oblivion. No, they had definitely gotten into the shower once they'd both been able to move again. The fact that his still-damp hair was stiff with what may have been ice when he ran his hand through it lent credence to that. So…heading to visit his girlfriend's dead father not long after making her scream like a banshee. Nothing awkward at all about that.

Given the option, he preferred not speaking with his dead parents. It wasn't that he didn't love them and miss them, just that…it was freaking weird. He got that it was more of a cultural thing that came from growing up on a planet that was half water and rock, half magic, but Alfor seemed to know things a guy who hung out in a clammy tomb all day shouldn't have known. And not just creepy prediction-type stuff. That had been his impression on the rare occasions he'd been here, anyway. That and the distinct air of eeriness.

His voice sounded too high in his own ears as he said, "We're not letting the kids play down here, right?"

Allura stopped short and turned around with a surprised smile. "Kids?"

"Don't give me that look. We're kinda committed to having at least one and I know you would have liked growing up with some little brothers or sisters so…yeah." He finally returned her smile with one of his own. "Kids."

I love you. He felt instantly warmer as she threw herself into his arms for an enthusiastic kiss. But I hope you aren't suggesting we start a family right away.

Not at all. I need a few years of monopolizing your attention, at least. He reluctantly let her go as she turned to continue down the mossy final staircase. As long as they were discussing their future, he wanted to make one thing clear. "No Nanny. We can have a nanny, but not Nanny. She can visit with the Svenling, but she's not corrupting my Lancelets."

"Nanny isn't so bad. But I agree that she won't be raising our children." He felt he'd won a victory until Allura continued, "She dislikes you too much. I can only imagine what her reaction will be when she finds out about us. Oh, and when I spoke to her last week, she told me Haakon is doing very well. He should be walking soon."

Lance shook his head. "Haakon. You must have to say it with the goofy accent for it to sound good."

"Apparently it was a royal name in Sven's homeland."

Lance had the feeling she wanted him to ask a follow-up question without any prompting, but they had arrived at King Alfor's tomb. He was already standing there waiting for them, all translucent and shimmery. "Greetings, my children. I am pleased to see you here together at last."

Lance blocked his first instinct to get closer to Allura. "Um, hi. Your highness," he added as an afterthought.

"Your bonding is almost complete." The king reached a spectral hand toward Allura's cheek and she didn't shy away from it. "As much as we loved each other, your mother and I could not bond. I am pleased you have found true love. I know you will cherish each other, as we did. You have come for my blessing and you have it."

"Thank you, father."

Lance felt her elbow in his ribs. "Yeah, thank you. I, um, I do love her. Just so you know."

"I am aware of that, Lance." Lance discovered that it was hard to look a ghost in the eye. "You will discover the remainder of the lost armor."

And there it was. There was no way King Alfor could know about the silver wrist thing he'd found, but he obviously did. "Yeah. There's a team of divers out at Silvanus Falls now." He and Allura had had an argument about that when they'd returned to the castle the previous evening. For some reason, she believed the planet's cultural heritage outweighed his desire that they have a romantic trysting spot away from the castle. Lance had his doubts, but had eventually reluctantly agreed. Not that she'd needed him to agree to anything, but he liked that she hadn't called in the treasure divers until he had said it was fine.

King Alfor, in the meantime, was looking through him as if he were the ghost. "You will discover it."

"Me, personally?"

"The sword will be yours. You will return to your Lions soon, before danger arrives. Cherish each other…" He faded from view.

Lance waited for a few moments until Allura lifted her bowed head. "Allura, it's not that I don't like your dad, but, um…"

"He was much warmer and more understandable when he was alive."

"I'm sure. Speaking of warmer, can we get back upstairs?" He took her hand and led her away from the tomb, trying to be cheerful. "I could go for some breakfast. Think Hunk's eaten all the leftovers yet, or…"

"He said we can return to our Lions soon. I assume once our bonding is complete."

"That's good. I wish he'd told us when the neurologist will be leaving us alone. I'm sure she's looking at the data from our Voltcoms right now, wondering what just happened." He traced his finger over the lion-face on his Voltcom. He was starting to feel better as they ascended into more familiar sections of the castle. "I mean, does it look like normal conversations, or like when we're in each other's heads, or something else entirely?"

She seemed pensive. "You'll just encourage her if you mention it."

Something wrong?

No…not wrong. Just something my father said.

Don't worry about it. I told you, I'm SCUBA certified. He had decided the previous day not to tell her he'd taken the course while on vacation with a girl whose name he could no longer remember and, in spite of his spacewalking experience, had made an excuse to get out of diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Breathing in space was fine, but underwater? Weird. Almost as weird as chatting with his current girlfriend's dead father. Right. We can head out to the falls later today. And once your divers leave for the day…

It's not that. It was something my father said about the sword. I had always thought…but… "I guess it isn't important. The sword must be lost with the armor."

"Uh, yeah." He wanted to say that Keith was the sword guy, but decided against it. He settled his arm around her shoulders as they finally emerged from the catacombs into one of the castle's wide hallways. "What about the danger he mentioned?"

"He told me a new evil was coming the last time we spoke, but nothing further."

"He said we'd be back in our Lions before it happens. Guess that's means they'll be fine once we're bonded."

She leaned into him further as they walked. "We should have Pidge increase scans throughout the sector in the next few days, just in case. Maybe we can get some idea of what's coming."

"It'll be okay." He pressed his lips against her temple. "Now how about we go get something to eat?"