Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.
Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist." "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"
Chapter Thirty-Six
The day before on Doom…
"So what does your crystal tell you this time, witch?" Merla stood with her arms crossed and a grim expression on her face. So far all of the witch's attempt to capture the Arusian prince had failed and failed miserably. She didn't count any part her own behavior may have caused in the plans failures. "Let me guess, an opportunity to kidnap the prince."
Haggar hissed and turned to the Drule princess. Bringing her staff within inches of Merla's nose, she said, "Do better on your own if you can Princess." She withdrew her staff and noted that the woman hadn't flinched an inch. She was a cold one to be sure. Cackling, she returned to the crystal in front of her. "According to my crystal the prince will be going out alone tomorrow with only two escorts. It could be a time to strike."
"To take three trained fighters, we'd have to go in with a squad. There's no way to sneak up on them that way." Merla glanced over at the crystal. "Why doesn't that thing ever give us really useful information? I thought it was supposed to show you the future."
Laying a hand gently upon the crystal, Haggar said, "The future can't always be tracked. It is fluid and open to change. Sometimes I can get specific glimpses but often I am taken wherever the current of fortune directs."
Merla snorted, "Sounds about as reliable as my brother."
"Ha! The crystal is better than that." Both women laughed at that.
"So what do you suggest, Haggar?"
Moving over to a bubbling pot, Haggar dropped a black hilted dagger into the brew. Picking up a pair of tongs, she withdrew it and set it on the table. After a moment, she picked up the blade and walked with it lying across both hands to the Princess. "This blade will put the prince in a trance that simulates death. Once they think him dead, they will relax their security and we can go in and remove him."
Merla picked up the dagger. "So you want me to get close enough to cut him with this?"
"No, no, Princess. My lovely blue kitty will take care of that. We only need to be there to whisk him away as they mourn for him." Haggar said.
Placing the dagger on the nearby table, Merla asked, "What makes you think he will do what we want when we get him? How long can you keep him under a spell?"
"I have a variety of spells that I can use." Her eyes pulsed with light as she related the next information. "My castle sources indicate that the prince has been having nightmares about his power."
"Nightmares?" Merla asked with interest.
Calling Koba over, she picked up the cat and began scratching it behind its ears. "Indeed, Princess. Nightmares about using his power against his friends."
"Interesting. Do you have any idea why he would have such dreams?"
"It's actually not of my doing. I have been researching the information we have on past Sorcerers and have discovered that a large number of them turn to the dark arts to serve their own purpose."
A gleam shone forth in Merla's eyes. "Is Keith one of them? Could he turn on his own?"
"I'm not sure," Haggar hesitated to say. "The Arusians did not keep a lot of detailed records on their Sorcerer monarchs…. perhaps for this very reason. But if we can figure out what can turn him, then it will make our job that much easier."
"When do we leave?"
Dropping Koba to the ground, she responded, "Tonight."
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The next day…. Back to the timeframe of Chapter 35…
Haggar had watched as Prince Keith had declared his love to the blonde pilot that Lotor favored. She had smiled to herself when the pilot did not immediately return his voiced affection. When the prince had made a move for his horse, she had moved deeper into the trees to locate McClain. Finding him, she had waited. Now she watched as the prince headed back toward the castle alone. Calling Koba to her quickly, she made a motion with her staff and faded away.
Haggar reappeared at the spot where the trail came out of the woods near the Lake Bridge. Merla stood waiting.
"Well?" The impatient princess asked.
"He's coming and he's alone." Haggar made some motions with her hands and said a few words. In just a blink of an eye she transformed into a middle-aged woman with a basket of fruit. Moving to the trail, she dropped the basket and then lay down upon the ground. Looking to the younger woman she said, "Quickly! Get in the trees, and whatever you do, do not let them see you!"
Merla nodded and sprinted for the cover of the trees.
Only moments later the prince emerged from the forest trail. So intent was he on returning to the castle that he almost trampled a woman who had fallen on the trail.
Lifting her hand to ward off the rearing horse, Haggar cried out. "Please! Don't hurt me!"
Immediately, Keith's dark thoughts of remorse and shame for baring his feelings left as he looked at the woman on the ground. Jumping from his horse, he said, "I'm so sorry. Let me help you." As he was reaching for the apples that had fallen, Koba came bounding from the trees. Turning sharply to face this new threat, he didn't get a chance to say or do anything except raise his arm to protect his head. But that was all the cat needed. Keith felt the blade of a knife slash against his forearm. It wasn't deep, but he was cut. Standing, he stared after the cat as it raced back into the woods.
Keith reached down to help the woman up as Allura and Lance came racing out of the woods on their horses. Turning to his friends, he said, "The blue cat was here. It had a knife that cut my arm."
Jumping down from his horse, Lance moved over to Keith and drew his blaster as he looked at the woman near the prince. "Who are you?"
"She fell, I was helping her up," Keith said. He felt dizzy and reached out to steady himself by grabbing Lance's arm.
The woman moved back and her disguise dropped as Haggar waved her staff and vanished before Lance could get off a shot.
As Keith collapsed against him, Lance called to Allura to cover them and contact the castle.
"Control, come in please. We need a medical team at the end of Lake Bridge. Hurry! It's the prince!" Allura's blaster was in her hand as she surveyed the woods behind them. They were in a vulnerable spot.
Lance checked Keith's breathing and said, "We can't wait, we've got to start carrying him back. His breathing is ragged and his pulse is thready. Get on your horse and I'll hand him up to you."
Quickly mounting, Allura holstered her gun as Lance pushed Keith across the saddle in front of her. She was terrified; it was like she was bringing a body back. For a moment she froze until Lance slapped her mount on the rump and she took off across the bridge. It was all she could do to hang on to Keith, but luckily the horse knew it was headed home. In a moment, Lance was alongside and pulled her mount to a stop as they met up with the med team over halfway back to the castle.
Dr. Gorma looked over the prince as he was laid on the gurney. He asked questions about what happened. Nodding his head and giving directions to the nurses as he listened. Swabbing the area that was cut he put the samples in sterile containers as the nurses hooked up equipment to monitor vitals and placed a breathing mask across his face. Then the med team was off to the castle with no further words to Lance and Allura.
"What the hell happened?" Allura asked in tone that said she was in shock herself.
Lance clinched his jaw, "We failed at our job. That's what happened." Turning, he saw her pale face and blank expression. Taking her arm, he began walking toward the castle and the MedBay. He wanted to ask her what happened, but he wasn't sure now was the best time. However, he was saved from having to ask as she just started talking as they walked.
"It was wonderful. He told me he cared about me, that he loved me. We kissed. And then he… then he asked me to marry him." Allura turned and grabbed Lance by the arms and stared into his eyes. "He asked ME. To. Marry. Him." Letting go she started walking again. "He asked me after our first kiss. Who does that? He's a prince; I'm a pilot. This doesn't happen. He's got his duty to follow. He's supposed to marry a princess."
Lance listened as she continued to ramble, but he had figured out that she had been surprised and caught off-guard by the proposal. In an effort to buy some time and just figure out what was going on, she had given Keith the impression that she didn't love him. He thought that her career was more important to her. Yeah, I can see why he came flying back down the trail. Being turned down by the person you considered your soul mate had to be rough. Not that I know anything about that. He stopped as he realized that Allura wasn't moving. "Come on, Pinkie," he said in an effort to snap her out of her shock.
Her eyes were wide with terror as she said with a shaky voice, "What if he dies thinking I don't love him?" Then she took off at a run.
"Hell," Lance said as he ran after her. He only caught up with her as she entered the MedBay waiting room.
This was the second time she had been here waiting to hear how he was. The first time was after Merla had deceived him. Is that what he was thinks about me now? That I played him? Teased him? Allura looked at Coran, Hunk, and Pidge. What can I say to them?
"What happened out there, Lieutenant?" Coran asked as he stood and moved toward Lance. He gave a quick glance at Allura and then back to Lance.
Giving the advisor a slight negative shake to his head, Lance looked over to Pidge and Hunk before answering. "We were coming back down the trail and Keith had gone ahead of us without waiting for us. When we came out of the trees, we saw him with what looked a village woman who had fallen and dropped her fruit. Keith said that Haggar's blue cat had cut him on the arm with some kind of knife. Then the woman backed away from Keith and turned into Haggar before disappearing. Then we came with him to the castle."
Hunk and Pidge looked dubious as they looked from Lance to Allura who hadn't said anything. Lance once again shook his head and they knew not to ask.
At that moment, Dr. Gorma came in. "I'm afraid I don't have any good news. The Prince's heart and lungs continue to fail. We've put him on a breathing machine, but it can only do so much. I'm still waiting to get results from the blood samples I took from the wound area. We're treating him for all known poisons, but if it was Haggar, it could be magic." He stopped and let the words sink in. If it was magic, there was nothing Gorma could do. "If you would like to see him, you can come in. It won't affect his condition." Gorma left the room and the group in the waiting area slowly followed him.
Lance put his arm around Allura's shoulders as they entered Keith's room. His shirt had been removed and he was lying with his arms above the covers which were pulled up under his arms. IVs went into both of his arms and the breathing mask covered his face. The beeps and the pumps were the only sounds in the room until Allura started sobbing.
Moving up to the side of the bed, her tears fell on his face as she whispered, "Please don't die. You don't know how I really feel." She reached over to brush a lock of hair off his forehead. Straightening up, she sniffed and stepped back. At that moment, the monitors went silent and the breathing machine stopped. Allura looked with alarm from Keith to Dr. Gorma who checked his vitals. The doctor sadly shook his head indicating that there was nothing he could do. "He can't be gone! He can't!" Allura cried out before she ran from the room.
She didn't stop until she was at the end of Lake Bridge looking at the site where the attack occurred. Clenching her fists at her side, she thought, Haggar wants his magic. She doesn't want to kill him. Merla wants him too. There's too much he can do for them alive. They wouldn't kill him. Allura clung to that thought as she walked back toward the castle. The team was waiting for her near the entrance and in the fading light, she told them that she thought it was spell to make them think Keith was dead.
"You're probably right, Allura," Pidge said. "They've been pretty careful about not killing him and wanting to take him alive."
"Yeah, they're probably going to wait and try to take him after the funeral, when we won't suspect it." Lance added.
"Then we should have a fake funeral and let them think they've fooled us. We need Haggar in case she has to undo the spell. We just need to be there to grab them when they come." Hunk said.
"That's a great idea, Hunk," Pidge said.
"We just have to pretend that we believe he's dead and go through with the services. We have to act the part," Lance said.
Allura's tone was sad as she said, "That won't be hard for me to do." Walking toward the castle she called back, "I'll see you in the morning. I'm going to go sit with him now."
The team watched her go and when she was gone, Lance told Hunk and Pidge what happened.
"Man," Hunk said. "It'll kill her if he dies."
Pidge shook his head, "How could she not see that he was head over heels in love with her?"
"Fear. Fear that if she believed the fairy tale could happen it would be snatched away." Lance shook his head. "It seems that while Keith was able to put all that talk about the duty of prince to the side, our Allura wasn't able to believe it was true."
"She believes it now," Pidge said softly.
"Yes, yes she does," Lance said sadly.
Author's Notes: I watched DotU episode 30: "The Sleeping Princess" before writing this chapter and the next. There may be a few direct quotes but not many. Some sequences go right along with the episode. No infringement intended – just used to keep with canon.