Author's Note: Second update! Yeah I know pretty quick update. What can I say, it's either feast or famine with me. As always, all grammatical mistakes and errors are mine and mine alone. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, owned Voltron. I simply play in their world.
Yeah you know the drill by now...Reviews!
Chapter 44
"She wasn't born herself
she found herself
over a long
and treacherous road
and the more treacherous
the road became
the more of
herself
she found."
Atticus
"Allura where are we?"
He had decided it was time for them to talk and Allura agreed but she had taken him out of the main castle and through a path that he had never seen, not in all of his sweeps. This part of the castle was built not with the newly enforced steel but the remnants of the old, weathered stone that had been part of the original Castle of Lions.
"When I was a child my father had this garden built so that my mother would have a place to call her own, a place where she could go to find herself or simply slip away from the chaos that being royal can bring."
The garden, which Allura knew had been destroyed with the rest of the castle, had been lovingly restored over the past several months.
The grounds they now walked upon was a rich carpet of green with a riot of flowers that were now just starting to bloom. The creeping vines with their pale lavender and peach star shaped flowers grew on the walls like a cascading waterfall. There were no flowering tree's, for those had burned down but she knew that in a few year's time, sapling would once again begin to grow and this secret place would once more be a sanctuary for the weary soul.
"I once snuck out here to see where my mother would disappear to without my father or me around. I realized, even as young as I was, that this place was special."
Allura walked over to where a small pond had been resurrected, the underground waters rerouted so that fresh water now filled the shallow basin.
Water flowers waved lazily in the soft breeze, their colors of burning orange and golden yellow, made it seem as though a sunset had appeared on the water.
She knelt down and touched one of the petals that was closer to the rim. Being here, seeing her mother's garden restored, had brought a deep joy to her heart.
Allura looked up at Keith, who wore a bemused look and she could not help but smile. "I brought you here because I made Coran promise me that we will not be disturbed for anything less than a full assault from the Drule Empire."
She lifted a hand up to him. "Will you not come sit with me?"
Taking her hand, Keith allowed himself to be pulled down by her side, their fingers entwined.
Allura sighed softly and laid her head against his shoulder. Too long, she thought as a peaceful silence fell over them, since I have had more than a few seconds to spend anytime with him.
She found, now that she had him to herself, that she was reluctant to speak of the matters that lay between.
A shift of movement and then a soft weight on her head and Allura realized that Keith has shifted so that he could lay his head on top of hers, her body nestled into his lean frame.
Allura closed her eyes and willed time to stop, to capture this perfect moment.
So, she thought, this is what happiness feels like again. No arguments, no demands. Just the two of them, content to simply be in each others company.
It seemed as though hours had passed before she felt Keith lift his head up from hers and she opened her eyes, knowing without even looking at him, that it was time to talk.
Reluctantly, she lifted her head from his shoulder and as soon as she shifted she felt his hand cup her chin and just like that her face was lifted to look into his dark eyes that swirled with such emotion she could not read them.
"Keith..." she whispered, an ache in her voice for something that she feared she would never have from him when he silenced her words by simply stealing the breath from her lips.
His mouth on hers was the gentlest kiss she had received from him, filled with such sweet tenderness that tears spilled from her eyes.
She blinked, slightly dazed when he lifted his mouth from hers and wiped the moisture away from her eyes with the pad of his thumb.
"I love you."
Allura blinked and wondered if she was somehow dreaming. There was a surreal quality about them and she trembled, praying that she wouldn't find herself waking up in bed, alone.
"Pinch me," she whispered softly, "I think I'm dreaming."
Dark, male laughter wound it's way through her soul. "Why do you think you're dreaming?"
"Because I just heard you tell me you love me...but we haven't spoken...and I..."
His mouth was on hers before she could even finish her sentence, his arms crushing her into his body and Allura slipped her arms through his, her nails digging into his back, returning his ravenous kiss.
He lifted his head after several breathless seconds, capturing her bewildered gaze with the intensity of his eyes.
"I love you Allura," he told her with a harsh finality that once more had tears sparkling in her eyes, "I love you and I am not giving you to anyone. Not to Lotor, not to Lance and yes I am aware of how he feels about you, and not to some archaic law that states you cannot be queen because you don't have a king."
"Keith...oh Keith..." Allura wrapped her arms around him and burst into tears. "I...I thought...I was afraid..."
"I know...Allura," he stroked her hair and allowed her to cry into his chest before he pulled her back and once again wiped away the tears from her cheeks, "I'm sorry."
She blinked up at him through wet, spiky eyelashes, looking absurdly young as she did this. "What are you apologizing for?"
She seemed genuinely puzzled by his apology.
"Because I've hurt you with my actions. I've been running for so long, I forgot how to stop and you paid the price for my foolishness. No let me finish," he placed a finger on her lips when she opened her mouth to speak, "I was afraid. Afraid that if I admitted I loved you then I would lose you. Just like I lost my parents. Just like how I lost Beverly. Everyone I have ever loved has been taken from me."
"Keith, you must know I will never leave you..."
"I know Allura, but that didn't stop my irrational fear of losing you to some outside force," Keith shook his head, darkness swirling in his eyes as he forced the words that needed be spoken, "but the more I tried to keep you safe, to protect you, was when I realized I was actually causing you pain. I love you Allura, but the thought of you being in danger, of losing you, drives me to madness."
"Keith, stop...please."
This time it was Allura who wiped away the tears from his eyes; he hadn't even been aware he was crying.
She held his face in her hands, unable to look away from pain that he no longer tried to hide from her, "I love you, I think I have loved you long before I knew your name or saw your face. Yes sometimes I do get frustrated with you when I feel like you trying to lock me up but I won't stop loving you for it. We can do this, you and I together. We'll have a thousand more fights and we'll cry some more but there will be laughter and happiness and I promise you, no matter what, I will always love you and want you by my side."
She was in his arms again and they were kissing, their tears mingling together and yet she had never felt happier.
He loves me...he loves me...
It was a litany in her head as she returned each of his kisses, until she could barely breath and didn't care.
Abruptly he pulled away and was pulling them both to their feet.
"I can't do this sitting down."
Allura stared at him, once more feeling dazed and off-kilter by the sudden change in his demeanor.
"Do what?"
Taking her hands into his, Keith drew in a deep breath...and dropped to one knee, still holding onto her hands.
"Princess Allura of Arus, daughter of King Alfor and Queen Amarya...I offer you my heart, with all of its broken pieces and my soul, which holds more darkness than light and even though I have never been anything but a soldier...will you marry me?"
