Author's Note: I wish I could get these updates out faster, especially since now we're starting the really good part. I own only my characters, and I guess that's a good thing, seeing as how they're tending to become a part of the Voltron universe in my world.
In case anyone was wondering, I am an aficionado of wine, Ciroc vodka, and yoga - this is why you see so much of those in my story. No, I don't have a yoga body; see the aforementioned wine and Ciroc. Dang it. Oh well, gotta live your life, right?
To Emie Mac - The last chapter was for you, since you were stuck at work. Thank you so much for the compliment. I love my babies! But Keith won't find out about his sister's relationship with his former Academy roommate any time soon. That's what Book #2 is for!
To Sally On - Don't worry about Pidge, I like him too much to backhand him. Worry more about Romelle and her relationship with her husband. Although... No, wait, I won't spoil it. ;)
To Wade Wells - You're right, it's tough to be the leader, nobody likes the guy on top. Even if he DOES have his heart in the right place. Hey, he can't say he didn't warn 'em.
Title Song: "Like a Stone" by AudioSlave
Despite the fact that several princes had already arrived at the castle, and the princess had been on hand to personally greet each one, Erimar was Allura's constant companion. Not only had he been deemed the best-looking by Nanny, Larmina and Lenora - "Oh, Keith, you are so lucky I brought this dress," Lenora had groaned - but he was also sweet, charming, and had the added bonus of being Allura's childhood friend. He had also managed to endear himself to Larmina, if there was such a thing, by regaling her with stories about his brother and her father.
The morning before the ball, Larmina knocked on Lenora's door early in the morning. "Hey Len," she greeted her, "can we do some yoga? I need it. I have go for my final dress fitting today, and I'm all stressed out over this whole ball etiquette stuff."
"Yeah, it sure sounds like you need it. Come on in."
They were both dressed in yoga pants and a tank top - Lenora had given Larmina a pair of hers to take to the royal tailor, who whipped up a copy for the princess in no time and simultaneously made her despise him less - and the Space Marshal spread the yoga mat out on the floor.
They began with multiple rounds of Sun Salutations, which the cadet was becoming very familiar with. After they'd finished five rounds of Sun A and five rounds of Sun B, Lenora began to coach Larmina into a sequence designed to achieve Bakasana effectively.
When she finally did it - and held crow pose effectively for five breaths - Lenora clapped. Larmina toppled over.
"Mina! You did it!" she cried out with huge amounts of excitement. "You held Crow!"
"Yeah I did!" Larmina was so proud of herself, she couldn't contain it. She looked at Lenora and grinned. She'd found the one person in the universe who really understood her. It was about time.
After Savasana, Larmina felt better, and Lenora helped her up from the yoga mat. "Len, I need you to come with me to the dress fitting this afternoon. I need the moral support."
Lenora nodded. "I'll be there."
She didn't feel romantic love for Erimar, but she definitely felt a certain amount of comfort. It had been a long time since she'd been around anyone who knew her family, other than Nanny and Coran. There were very few of those people left, and certainly not many who were around her age.
"Allie, whoever your chef is, he or she deserves a raise," Erimar said, placing down his cup of tea. "This is one of the best breakfasts I've had in a long time."
"Oh, if you liked this - this was nothing," Allura bragged slightly. "Wait until dinner at the ball tomorrow night. You'll never taste anything like it ever again."
He winked at her. "I'm sure of that."
She smiled back at him. She enjoyed the prince's company, yes, but he wasn't Keith. She liked him, but she couldn't see herself married to him. She couldn't imagine kissing him. She couldn't imagine being locked in a steamy embrace with him, or him pushing her up against the wall, or the way he'd move her in bed...
She'd fantasized about all of those things with Keith.
"Erim, what do you have planned for today?"
The prince shrugged. "I'll be honest, not much. And I do feel bad about monopolizing all of your time, especially since you are here to meet with so many other members of royalty." He smiled that charming smile, one that told onlookers that he was a different breed of class and charm. "I suppose I can't help it. It's difficult for me to leave your side when I feel like you're the only thing I have left from my old life."
Uh-oh.
Thinking back to her earlier conversation with the Space Marshal, Allura cleared her throat. "Erimar, have you heard of the Galaxy Alliance? Their newest Space Marshal, Lenora Stensson, has been staying with us. Perhaps you might like to meet her."
Confused, Erimar's olive-green eyes met her emerald ones. "Of course I've heard of Space Marshal Stensson, and I would be most honored to meet her. But why do you want me to meet with a woman who is already engaged to be married?"
Blast it. He already knew about Lenora's engagement. "Because," she answered, without skipping a beat, "the Space Marshal is an important person to know. Perhaps if you, as the representative of Planet Tyvel, forge a relationship with her, the Alliance will be more likely to come to your aid should you need it."
He nodded. "Fair enough. I will see to it that I meet her this afternoon."
She smiled. It would be easy enough to have Erimar meet with Lenora in the afternoon. It would be quite another thing to pawn the prince off on the Space Marshal for the duration of the ball, especially since he seemed to be in the game to capture his old friend's heart. She sure hoped that Lenora's dress was indeed outlawed in forty-seven states.
"Man, these princes just keep coming," Larmina grumbled under her breath as she stood by her aunt's side in the Great Hall. The day so far had been hectic - after yoga practice and a shower, the cadet had gone to class with Vince and Daniel, then off to her final dress fitting with Lenora in tow, and now she was back at the Great Hall to meet another prince. She sighed. This was getting ridiculous.
"Tell me about it," Allura whispered back to her niece. Normally, she didn't indulge the cadet in this sort of banter, but even she was getting tired of the amount of princes who were arriving in an attempt to win her hand. "Have you seen Prince Luthcar? From Planet Brann?"
"The one with the flaming red skin and the blond combover?"
"I'm going to have nightmares about him for weeks."
Larmina laughed. "You and me both. You cannot pick him out of a line-up of suitors. I will disown you if you do."
As they both giggled, the prince of Planet Exxus was announced in the Great Hall.
Prince Stephane, the last prince invited to this ball, was small and wiry. His shoulder-length hair was dark brown, and his eyes were a piercing navy-blue color. Allura hated to sound mean, but this old childhood friend of hers had nothing on Erimar.
"Princess Allura," he greeted her kindly, "many thanks for the invitation. I am only sorry that my sisters, Queen Clarissa and Princess Emmaline, are unable to attend."
His voice sounded a little too soft and feminine. Again, the princess hated to sound mean, but she thought it might be possible that instead of fighting for her hand, he might be more interested in some of Voltron's other pilots. "Prince Stephane, it is lovely to see you again," Allura responded graciously. "Please meet my niece, the Lady Larmina."
By now, Larmina had her speech down pat, and she could actually give it without the unintended giggle or eye roll. "Prince Stephane, welcome to Planet Arus and the Castle of Lions."
Stephane kissed her hand. "Enchanté."
Larmina could barely keep a straight face. Fortunately, neither could her aunt.
The Honorable William Brandt was ready to rule. He'd given Wade's trial a thorough hearing - there had been countless testimonies, eyewitness accounts, and cross-examinations. Every piece of information pointed in the way of one verdict: guilty.
And yet...
And yet two people had yet to take the stand: the accused and his main victim. The former Sky Marshal, C. Herbert Wade, and the current Space Marshal, Lenora M. Stensson.
Brandt called for a recess, and once he was safely in his chambers, he contacted his secretary. "Send Commander Jonathan Hawkins in at once."
"Yes, Sir."
Moments later, Jon entered the judge's chambers. "Your Honor?" he asked, closing the door behind him. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes." He motioned for the commander to come closer. "I want to preface this by saying that I am not throwing out your testimony on account of your engagement to Space Marshal Stensson. What you do in your personal time is irrelevant to this case."
Jon nodded and crossed his arms. "Thank you. That's good to know."
"That being said, Wade's lawyers are calling for her testimony. They refuse to accept a guilty verdict without her being on the stand."
"And since when do you cower to the defendant's lawyers?"
"Since they will only put Wade on the stand if we put up Stensson."
"Hmm." He closed his eyes. If anything, he wanted to keep his fiancée away from the trial at all costs. But if she didn't testify, there was no way that Wade's lawyers would allow a guilty verdict. It was a trap he couldn't outmaneuver. "She's on Arus."
"Can you get her here for Monday?"
"I suppose so."
"You've got no other choice."
He sighed. "I understand. I'll have her second-in-command contact her on Arus. Hopefully we can get her here for Monday." He heard the man. He didn't want Lenora there, but he had no other choice.
Allura was in her quarters, hanging - according to the Space Marshal - her "New York socialite" dress in the closet. She was busy looking for shoes to wear with them, mentally cursing herself out for not getting a new pair, when she heard the knock at the door.
"One second," she shouted as she closed her closet door. "I'll be right there."
She wasn't expecting Keith, Pidge, Hunk and Lance in the hallway all at once, serious looks etched upon their faces. Immediately, she frowned. "Oh no. I cannot deal with any bad news right now."
"Technically, it's not bad," Keith stated. "But we want to tell you in the privacy of your quarters so that no one else will hear."
"Fine." She held the door open to let her teammates file into her room. Oh, Nanny would have a field day if she ever found out about this. All four of her favorite hooligans in the princess's bedroom? The woman might have a stroke.
The guys were eyeing her room like it was a paradise. "Ooh, dibs on the bed!" Lance shouted, nearly diving head-first onto the mattress. "Now this is what you call a comfy mattress."
"Don't get too comfortable over there, Lance," Hunk teased, sitting down on one of the chairs.
Once they'd all taken a seat, Pidge cleared his throat. "So, Princess, you've probably heard us all talking about the Sven-and-Len situation."
"Barely." Allura stared her teammates down. "All I know is that Keith doesn't want any of us to tell them about each other. That's it."
"That's all you need to know, Allura," Keith told her gently. "We've decided that we're not going to tell them. They don't need to know." He paused. "Worse, if they do know, it might make bigger problems arise."
Annoyed, she crossed her arms. "So are any of you going to tell me why?"
Four pairs of eyes shot towards their captain, who shook his head. He sat there emotionlessly, like a stone. "There's no need to. It doesn't matter."
"But it matters to me. Lenora and Sven are both my friends."
"They're ours too, Princess," Keith sighed. "They're both our friends, too." He stood to leave the room. "Come on, team. Let's leave the princess alone here."
Hunk and Pidge followed Keith out of the room. As Lance stood up off the bed, Allura grabbed his arm. "Please, Lance," she said quietly. "Please tell me."
Making sure Keith had left the room, Lance's voice didn't rise above a whisper. "I'll tell you in a little bit."
Coran was too busy readying the castle for the ball. He shouldn't have had to worry about any incoming transmissions. Yet there it was, blinking insistently on the monitor. He sighed. He had no choice but to pick it up.
He wasn't sure what to expect, but he certainly wasn't expecting the dark-skinned, light-haired female who appeared onscreen. "Is this the Castle of Lions?" she asked unsurely.
"Yes. This is Coran, the castle diplomat. And you are?"
She bowed her head slightly. "I am First Officer Asimov, the Space Marshal's second-in-command."
"Would you like me to get her?"
"Please." She nodded solemnly.
"One moment." Coran paged the Space Marshal and the rest of the Voltron Force to Castle Control. He didn't need to page the rest of the team, but in this castle, secrets were very few and far between, and even a personal call usually entailed at least two or three eavesdroppers. "I've paged them all. They should show up here soon."
"Thank you. I will wait." She smiled pleasantly at him. Coran wondered how it was possible that the Garrison was being overrun by attractive women. Not that he was complaining, of course.
Lenora was the first in Castle Control, followed quickly by Allura, then Keith. Lance trailed in next, with Hunk and Pidge following right behind him. The cadets were still in the simulators and were not to be disrupted.
"Space Marshal." Kelly saluted.
Lenora saluted back. "At ease, Asimov."
"Len, we've got bad news from Wade's trial."
"Seven hells." Lenora looked down at her fingernails. She had chewed off the bulk of her nail polish watching the trial a few days earlier. They looked horrible. "How much worse can it get?"
"Apparently, much worse. Wade's lawyers won't let Brandt give him a guilty verdict unless you testify."
The Space Marshal sighed. "Wonderful. Thanks for the great news, Kell."
"On the bright side," Kelly informed her cheerfully, "the deal Brandt struck with Wade's lawyers is that if you go up, he has to go up. Not to mention that they can't throw Hawkins' massive two-day testimony out just because the two of you are engaged."
"Kelly, if you're trying to cheer me up, it's not working."
"When does she have to get back to New York?" Keith interjected.
Kelly's glance moved down in the direction of Keith's voice. "Keith. Seven hells. How have you been, buddy? You're lookin' good."
"Oh, so how come he's looking good? What about me?" Lance teased her. "Don't I look good too, Kell?"
Over the monitor, Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Lance, you only look good after three Lemon Drops. In an hour."
"Ouch," Hunk laughed.
"Score one for Kelly," Pidge chimed in.
Lenora cleared her throat. "So, could we get an answer to Keith's question, please? When do I have to be back in New York?"
"Monday at 0900 hours sharp."
"Seven hells again." Lenora looked back down at her fingernails. "So you're telling me that, like that old faerie tale, I can go to the ball, but I have to leave by midnight?"
Kelly laughed. "Your new name's Cinderella."
She nodded. "Then I guess that's my answer. I'll have Hunk check out the automatic pilot on my cruiser." She looked over her shoulder at the engineer. "Maybe I can bribe you to put my flight path in, too?"
Hunk sighed sadly. "Of course I will. But it doesn't mean I want you to leave, Lennie."
"All right. This is all settled." Kelly saluted again. "I have to go inform Hawkins so he can report back to Brandt." Lowering her arm, she looked wistfully at her former floormates. "I miss you guys. It was good seeing you again."
"Same here, Kelly," Keith saluted back.
As the transmission ended, the sadness in the room began to take hold. Allura felt bad about the Space Marshal leaving so soon, and she knew that Larmina would take the news worse.
The only good thing about Lenora leaving was that the guilt they'd all felt over not telling her about Sven would finally be over.
The courtyard was empty, just as Allura had expected it to be. The sun was beginning to set, and anyone passing by would think that the princess had merely wanted to enjoy the sight. Of course, she should have been inside the castle, entertaining her guests, but that could wait.
When Lance finally entered the courtyard and sat down beside her on the bench, her heartbeat sped up. "Lance, thank you for coming."
"No problem, Princess."
"I just don't understand why Keith won't tell me about Sven and Len. I don't mean to sound childish, but I am the princess, and I am a member of this team." She frowned. "Even if I didn't go to the Space Academy with the rest of you, I feel like I should know why you made this decision."
Lance gave her a wry smile. "I'm glad to see that you like Len."
She nodded. "I do. Even in the short amount of time that I've known her, I consider her to be a friend."
"So I'll just put it out there. Lenora and Sven got engaged before we came to Arus."
Allura inhaled sharply. She'd expected that perhaps they'd dated. Or perhaps they'd been lovers. But she certainly hadn't expected Lance to tell her that they had been engaged. "Are you serious?"
"Very. They dated for all five years we were at the Academy. Sven had planned this big, elaborate proposal for graduation, but then Graham told us that he'd chosen the five of us to come to Arus. So Sven rushed it. He proposed to Len the same day. They exchanged wedding bands, but they never saw each other again after graduation. He still wears her ring around his neck, and she still wears his."
"No wonder Keith didn't want to say anything."
"Yeah, and here's the really messed-up part." Lance stretched his arms out over his head. "Len went to go meditate in Green the other day, and while she was gettin' in her zen zone, Green told her that she was supposed to be the fifth pilot. The Voltron Force was originally supposed to be me, Keith, Hunk, Sven and Len. But for some reason, Graham held her back and sent Pidge in her place."
Allura's jaw went slack. She knew there was no way Lance could be making this story up. The lions were sacred; no one kidded around about them. "Because Graham knew, even back then, that she was going to succeed him as Space Marshal."
"Maybe so." Lance looked over at the princess. "Anyways, you know how our fearless captain is about honor and duty and all that stuff. He's afraid that if we tell the two lovebirds about each other, they'll go run off together. Which would leave your cousin Romelle divorced and a single mother, and Hawkins a single dude in his forties." He shrugged. "Though I don't think Hawkins would be so bad off."
Allura looked down at the ground. Now that she knew what the background story was, she wasn't so sure she was satisfied. Her loyalty was torn between her new friend and her cousin. She wanted everyone to be happy, but in this scenario, someone was going to lose out.
She could suddenly understand Keith's reasoning.