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-Eight

Keith sat in the cockpit of Red Lion leaning up against an instrument panel. "You thought I was dead?" He asked Lance.

"Yep. We did until Allura figured out it had to be a spell."

"Allura figured it out?" Keith asked. It seemed that was all that was coming out of his mouth were questions. "I think you just need to explain it to me or I'll just stay confused."

Lance let out a chuckle. He was almost as relieved as Allura that Keith was okay. "I'll do my best, but let me just say, that I don't want to relive the last twenty-four hours again anytime soon. We'll be talking about your security when you're up to it." Glancing at Keith, he saw the prince had the grace to blush. "So what's the last thing you remember?"

"Telling you I was heading back to the castle after I talked to Allura." He tilted his head and said, "I'm sure you know what the outcome was of that discussion."

"I do, but things aren't always what they seem." When he saw Keith was going to question again, he said, "It's not my place to talk about that. You'll need to talk to Allura for those answers. Now, as to what happened…" Lance went on to describe a brief outline of what had occurred since Keith was attacked. "So now we have you back and there's more to tell, but I'm getting ready to land in the hanger. Doc is going to want to give you a thorough exam."

"Yeah, I know… duty as the Crown Prince and everything," Keith said with resignation.

After landing the Lion, Lance could see that Gorma and everyone was already below waiting on him. He had slowed down just a little on the trip so he could give Keith the summary. Standing, he offered his hand to help Keith up. "Are you ready for this? Coran and Hilda were distraught when they thought they had lost you."

Keith reached up for Lance's hand and stood. Looking at the floor, he said, "I know I acted rashly… but I can't really talk about it now. I need a little time."

Lance nodded and then moved to the hatch that would let them exit into Red's mouth. He had landed the Lion in such a way that the prince wouldn't have a big jump to get down. He seemed fine, but then, he'd been practically dead for a day and looks could be deceiving.

When they exited the Lion, Lance was right, Coran rushed up to embrace Keith in a bear hug while Hilda sobbed behind him. Finally releasing him, Coran stepped back and there were tears in his eyes as Hilda moved in for her embrace. When she let go, she gently scolded him, "No more scares like that young man. My heart can't take it."

Keith felt a little guilty at having caused everyone such heartache. He really would heed the Lieutenant's warnings in the future. "I'll do my best, Hilda," he said softly.

Dr. Gorma walked over with a hover chair and gestured toward it. "If you don't mind, Prince?"

Looking disdainfully at the chair, Keith said, "I can walk on my own, doctor." Hearing Lance clear his throat behind him, Keith smiled weakly at Gorma and said, "Okay."

As the medic pushed the chair toward the elevator, Gorma turned to the group and said, "He should be ready for visitors in about thirty minutes. I plan to keep him in MedBay overnight and release him if all is well." After his pronouncement, he headed after the prince.

Coran had seen that Keith had responded to Lance's encouragement. Walking over to the lieutenant, he asked, "How did you do it?"

Lance didn't even pretend not to know what Coran was talking about. "I think he finally realizes the lengths that Doom is willing to go and how hurt we all would be if they succeeded."

"Indeed," Coran said. He glanced over to where Allura was making her way with Pidge and Hunk to the elevators. While they were talking animatedly about what had happened, she was unusually quiet. "Can you tell me what he said about Allura?"

Lance shrugged casually, "There's not much to tell that you don't already know. She unintentionally hurt him badly. He's trying to figure out what went wrong and what he did wrong. I didn't have time to tell him how broken she was after his attack and supposed death. I'll tell him part of it, but some things he needs to hear from her."

"She feels so guilty right now. Do you think she'll talk to him?" Coran asked.

"I don't know. I just know it's something they have to work out themselves, but I'll help them along if I can."

Coran nodded and then headed for the elevator. Lance went back to Red and climbed back in. It was time to take his Lion home. He had a lot of thinking to do- what to tell Keith… how to encourage Allura…. Hell, I'm a military man, not a counselor. But he knew that Sven would have tried to help and so would he. Revving up the Lion, he carefully pulled out of the bay and headed to his volcano home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thirty minutes later, everyone was in the MedBay waiting room waiting for the okay to go in and see Keith. They all stood when Dr. Gorma entered. "This is getting to be a regular thing. I don't like it. Try to keep yourselves healthy and do your best to keep the prince out of here if you can. He's a cranky patient." Seeing their nods, he said, "I'll be keeping him overnight for observation, but he seems perfectly healthy. However, he's rather tired, which is a little odd considering he was in a suspended state for an extended period of time. I expect him to doze on and off all day. So keep your visits short, but feel to stop in any time. Just don't wake him."

"Understood," Coran answered for them all.

Everyone soon filed into Keith's room. He was nervously fidgeting with the sheet covering him as he spoke. "I wanted to thank all of you for not giving up on me."

"Never," Coran said and then added, "But it was Allura who came up with the idea that Doom wouldn't kill you, that it was probably a spell."

Keith's eyes flitted over to Allura's and then away as he answered, "Thank you, Allura. I'm sure I'd be in one of Haggar's labs somewhere by now if you hadn't figured it out." Then his eyes went to Pidge. "And thank you, Pidge, for risking your life with that grenade."

"Anytime, Prince," he said with a smile.

"Well, I'd rather not go through that again anytime soon," Keith smiled back. Leaning his head back, he said, "I'm tired and would love to take a nap."

"Of course, Keith," Coran said. "We'll head out and check in on you later."

As everyone went to leave, Keith said, "Lance, if you'd stay for a moment."

Lance glanced at Allura briefly and then turned back to the prince, "Of course, Keith." He waited for everyone to leave and then said, "You want to know what I didn't tell you on the Lion?"

At Keith's nod, he drew up a chair. Lance told him of Allura's shocked state on the bridge but not what she said. He spoke of her frantic run to his room and how she cried out when she thought he was dead. Her idea that is was a spell was revisited and then he told how she had spent the night with his lifeless body. "It doesn't sound like the actions of someone who wants a fling or is worried about her career."

Keith's eyes searched the wall opposite of him for something he couldn't see. "I just don't know, Lance. It might just be guilt." Hearing a snort from his friend, he turned, "I can't marry her if she doesn't feel the same. You know that if she doesn't and she isn't my soul mate… that I'll turn."

"We don't know that for certain."

Keith's eyes turned back to stare blankly at the wall in front of him. "I'm certain. When she… when we… when I left the precipice, I felt anger like I've never felt before." Dark brown eyes turned to Lance as he finished, "It felt good."