Hello, okay, so here is the lovely second chapter of my masterpiece, my baby 'Fallen'. It is based off the second song in this album which is 'Bring Me to Life'. And it is also a shift in the point of view from the last chapter that you read. Just so people who are fandom-blind can understand this as well, here is a small run-down of the terms:

Quintant: Day

Decaphoebe: Year

Tic: Second

Thanks a ton to coolgamer for betareading this chapter and clearing up some things for me. I hope everyone enjoys and please leave a review if you have the time. Thank you!

2. Wavering Heart

Morning came and slowly drifted into the night. It was hard to tell what the difference was because nothing ever changed. Her attempts to break free always kept failing no matter what she tried, so now she just curled against the wall. Lotor visited her sometimes – she was never sure from how he looked at her on what he was going to do. He would talk to her, and there were moments when she thought he would finally steal what he wanted from her, but he never did. Instead, he would step closer, his lips caressing the side of her cheek, almost as if it were a taunt of his victory. But he never did any more than that despite speaking of it. He would talk about all the things that he could do, but he never actually did.

His presence always left her with more questions than answers. Her mind creating scenarios that would leave her feeling as if someone had drenched her in something filthy that she could not push away no matter how much she struggled to. What did he want from her? He spoke words like 'royal alliance' yet made her feel as if she was not worthy of being his bride. He was different – Allura had realised this upon the first few quintants of being captured by him. He was not like the Lotor of her reality – someone who had been easier to predict and assess what he wanted from her. But this one – he spoke big, but his actions did not seem to match the words that came out of his mouth. She didn't know what he wanted to be able to come up with a counterplan.

Footsteps could be heard, and subconsciously, her body tensed. It was something she had grown accustomed to, having learnt to pick up the different footsteps. Lotor's footsteps were usually light, almost feather-like as he moved. Zethrid's, in contrast, were slightly louder and rough when they approached, ones that she usually did not have to listen in too hard for it. There was not much to do when a person was trapped in a room all day. Food and water were delivered to her in there, and she took small bites, gulping down a few glasses of water, as much as she needed to stay alive at least. A face appeared in the back of her mind; her resolve both sharpened and wavered simultaneously. He was the reason she kept going most days, the reminder of his gentle touch, the feel of his moist lips against hers – her motivation to keep trying. But why was it taking him so long? Voltron was the strongest weapon in the universe, so then where were they? She knew the way Lotor looked at her, even in front of the other Paladins, made it clear what he had wanted from her. Had he just given up for that reason? No, this was Keith she was talking about – he wasn't like other men. Men who believed that a princess's chastity was her most precious gift to give someone. However, the man she had trusted her heart with had been very different. He would shield her against the whole world that would try to bury her underground if she was no longer pure in the eyes of the majority. But then…why? Why was she still here? Why was Lotor still the one in power?

The door opened, and Lotor stepped inside as he looked at her. When she had first become a prisoner here, the way he looked at her sent a chill down her spine, but time did make things easier. The look had been something she had grown accustomed to, as it began from her face, slowly slithering down her covered body. In some way, because it helped her cope, she knew the look would never fade. Lotor was not Keith. He did not have nearly as much respect for her as the other did and would rip her to shreds just to satisfy his own craving.

"I conquered another planet," Lotor said, moving over to her and taking her hand. "Look me in the eyes when I speak to you, princess." His voice was calm, and her averted gaze moved up to look directly at his face. Her eyes, which had once been filled with a glow that could light up a whole country, were now dull, her body still tense as if prepared for what would come next. A chuckle left his lips at this as his hand moved to stroke her cheek.

"Where was I?" Lotor said, pausing almost thoughtfully. "Ah, yes. I have taken over another planet. Princess Allura. Does it not get dull for you to have the same answer every single time? A royal alliance between the two of us could lead to the type of peace you've always longed for. Isn't what is best for the universe more important than your childish heart's desires?"

If this was the Lotor in her reality, he would make promises to her that she would have servants at her beck and call if she agreed to marry him, of course. He would never promise peace, just that she would be happier with him than fighting alongside Voltron. But this Lotor…he had captured her, held her against her will for…how long had it been anyway? She could not be sure; time didn't seem to run on a set pattern like it did in the outside world. She knew time had passed but not how much. It went against everything she believed in to trust Lotor – her heart screamed at her to say no, to stay loyal to the person she loved, but her mind had stopped. Lotor was conquering planet after planet, Voltron was unable to stop him. If she said no, those people would suffer the consequences, and if he was unlike the Lotor from her reality, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad bargain.

Allura – is that what you really want? Keith's voice spoke in her mind causing her to stop for a moment. Was it what she really wanted? She wasn't sure what she wanted – other than to be able to breathe the fresh air again, to feel the waves splash against her legs as she ran across the sand. It may be uncertain on how long it had been, but she could barely remember what it felt like to have the sun rays shining brightly on her skin as the heat caressed her back. Her hands longed to touch the smooth texture of the roses back on Arus, just once more. Just one last time.

"You'll be able to go wherever you want as you please, whenever you please," Lotor's hand moved down to her neck, but she didn't even flinch. "Is it worth remaining loyal to someone who hasn't been able to rescue in as it is coming to be – two decaphoebes? When you could have so much more with just a simple yes?"

Loyalty, love…those things all seemed so far away. She opened her mouth to say the words he wished to hear, but something pulled her back. Whenever she tried to push the words out, it was like the air grabbed her in a chokehold, pulling her back. The road to freedom was only a matter of her saying yes then why didn't it push her to spit out the words? Something was telling her that this was the road to being captive, even more like her heart would be held captive despite the physical freedom. Captive with a man that if she could, he would be someone she would never even give a second glance to.

"No?" Lotor chuckled, pulling his hand away. "I guess it wouldn't be you without all this resistance, though, would it? Despite knowing that any moment, if I wanted to, I could.…" He brought his lips slightly closer to hers as if about to kiss her, and she froze, not daring to breathe, her hands clenching to her side. Her eyes closed, not sure whether to push herself back against the wall or just silently pray it would be over soon. Just as she thought he would kiss her, his lips pressed against her cheek, breath trickling past her ear before he pulled back.

Allura's eyes opened, and she stared. So many times, it felt like she finally understood what Lotor wanted from her, but it would always end up being wrong. Did he want to wear her down by keeping her here so she would eventually give in, or did he want to take what he wanted by physical force? Not that he'd need to use much power. She may not be agreeing to marry him, but she knew she didn't have the strength to pull away from his touches or stop him. It wasn't like it had stopped him even when she had tried to do so. All she wanted to do was sleep and then wake up to find that this was nothing but a horrible nightmare.

"I find the method of force to be a little bit boring for now," Lotor said softly, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "Once you realise that I am the much better option, there will be no reason to say no." He placed a hand to her heart. "I want your heart, princess. Your mind, your heart, your body."

Allura stayed silent. There was a time she would lash out, snap at him, and say that no matter what he did, he would never have her heart, but now, she kept her lips sealed. Her words – her protests, none of it held any meaning to him. It was just something for him to laugh at, her helplessness being a mockery to him, a proof that he had triumphed over her. She had been unable to escape his clutches, and those she put faith in had been unable to bring about a rescue. The only she had left was her heart, and somehow, it never wavered despite the logical reasonings her mind gave her. Was this what the ancient legends had termed love? A feeling that was somehow in her control yet not as much as she thought it was. It was a pull, a call that only echoed one name despite what she went through and would not take the name of another, even if it would grant her the one thing that she desired more than anything else. Her freedom.

"Still," Lotor spoke again. "We'll discuss that in more detail later. You probably want a more comfortable place to stay than sleeping on a simple sheet. Follow me."

Allura followed the command. The room she had been locked up in for nearly two decaphoebes now was a simple one. It had a window high up, and she hadn't been chained up for the last quintant at least. She was given a small bed sheet to sleep on and a small round pillow. Food was passed to her through the small flap on the door. Whatever he was giving her now, she assumed it had to be better. Besides, it was better to just obey as it made things easier in the long run. Finally, they stopped at a room, which was much more lavish than the room she had previously been in. Fresh curtains were hanging by the window, and a large double bed was there, with the covers looking as if they had been freshly made. The scent of lavender greeted her in place of the stale smell she had become accustomed to in her time as prisoner here.

"This is your new room," Lotor said simply. "You'll have a maid serving you. She's from one of my planets. Rest as much as you would like to. And think about it carefully while you do, Princess Allura. Would he be able to provide you with all of this?"

The taunt towards Keith made Allura bite down her tongue to keep from speaking out – to bring out the voice she had long put on mute because there was nothing to be gained from speaking out. He gave me much more. Much more than a lavish room and false words. She wanted to say this; she really did but was there any point? This was the place that was her home now, after all, because Lotor seemed to have more strength than Voltron. The restraint it took not to speak out against him caused blood to trickle down to her chin, causing her to suck inwards and look away from there. Luckily, Lotor stopped speaking then and did leave her in the room by herself, closing the door behind him as he did. He needn't have bothered because it wasn't like he did not have other safeguards in place to keep her from leaving.

She moved to sit down on the bed, the cushioning of the mattress soft and reminding her of a feeling she had long forgotten. A lone tear cascaded down her cheek, a small part of her feeling as if she was betraying something by enjoying the warmth of the bed. Her head landing against the pillow as she curled into herself. I'm sorry, Keith. I'm just so tired.

Lotor's words earlier had given her a slight sense of hope that if she just gave into him, she would be free again, but her heart yanked her back almost violently from saying the words. Sweet words and false promises of a heaven that may or may not come, but in the darkness that surrounded her, it had provided a small ray of light. But in the end, heaven was only with one person for her. It hadn't been long enough for her to forget that, even if everything else seemed as if it were too far away. Her eyes closed, the memory washing over her as if it had only happened yesterday.

"It's getting pretty late, Allura," Keith said softly. "We'll all need to train as a team tomorrow if we're going to be ready for Lotor."

Allura knew part of the reason he was so concerned with Lotor was that he didn't like the way he looked at her and what she had shared with him about her own reality. She understood all these things but at the same time. "It won't be too late; can we please watch the movie?" She blinked her baby blue eyes at him, all wide-eyed innocence causing him to flush slightly and look away for a moment before looking back.

"Allura…" Keith tried before sighing and shaking his head. "Alright, we can watch the movie."

Allura hugged Keith happily. "Thank you." He sighed more, but she knew he wasn't really upset. Besides, she hadn't forced him; she had just asked. So, it wasn't her fault he couldn't say no to her, right? The two sat on the couch, and she cuddled close to him, resting her head on his shoulder as they watched the movie. She must have been a lot more tired than she had realised because she found herself drifting off to sleep. When she came to, she realised she was moving and in someone's arms. Blinking a few times to wake herself up, she curled in close to Keith's arms, and he looked down at her.

"Hey," Keith murmured softly. "You fell asleep while we were watching the movie." He gently set her down on the bed, covering her with a blanket.

"I must have been more tired than I thought," Allura mumbled softly.

"It's okay," Keith said softly. "Go to sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning." He made to leave but stopped when she reached out and grasped his hand in her own.

"Thanks," Allura replied, her voice soft, and she smiled. He squeezed her hand and gave a nod, not saying more than that as he left, but she didn't expect him to. Keith was a person of few words, but she knew he would always be there for her.

"Princess Allura?" A young girl's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she sat up to observe the girl who looked like the age of a small Arusian child stepped inside. She had flaming red hair and dark green eyes, standing there with her arms behind her back in a slightly bowed position.

"Who…who are you?" Allura rasped out, voice surprisingly normal for someone who hadn't used it after so long. It was odd talking to anyone here. She was more used to the silence – the constant obedience and being trapped in one room for so long. Her voice should have rusted, and she was surprised at how – normal – for lack of a better term, she sounded. She expected her voice to be scratchy and rough with the voiceless life that she had been living.

"My name is Kerri," The little girl said softly. "Prince Lotor assigned me as your personal maid."

Oh right, Lotor had mentioned that but somehow, she didn't expect the girl to be quite young when she had envisioned it. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly, something that should have been familiar flickering inside her like a trapped flame that was struggling to flow out.

"Did he kidnap you?" Allura asked gently, slowly moving toward the little girl. How many more people would Lotor hurt? And for how long would Voltron allow him to? Keith, please hurry. Defeat him. You and your team are the only ones who can do this. The urge to fight was growing stronger within her, an impulse that rarely made itself known because nothing ever got done from it. It was just a pointless struggle that left her more exhausted at the end of it all. She tried to tame the wild flame that danced within her – she couldn't do anything by letting it flare and burn everything within her sight.

"We belong to him now, Princess," Kerri assured her simply. "He can do with us as he pleases. It is a great honour to serve the person he loves. He has sent you a nightgown. Your room has a shower attached to it so you can freshen up and change."

Freshen up? Change? It had almost been two decaphoebes, according to what Lotor had told her. She had been in her Paladin armour since she had come here, never changing nor ever being offered to change before. A part of her wanted to ask why – she couldn't ask Lotor these questions; there was no way he would tell her what he really intended. But had he even told her? She was just a little girl he had brought in to, most likely just to watch her. He hadn't locked her room this time, after all. Still, it wouldn't hurt to freshen up at least a little. She had been in the same clothes for far too long.

"I see," Allura said softly. "I'll go do that then." She moved towards the bathroom, allowing the hot water to take away her stress for a moment. As it caressed each part of her body, it made her think of a time where she truly was safe. The Castle of Lions may not have been the most secure place, but she had been with the people she had come to see as family. Would she ever see those walls, that ground, the room she had come to consider her own ever again? Her heart sunk as she realised the potential possibility that this may never be her reality anymore. I want…I want to believe in Voltron, but if they're still out there, where are they? Was this her destiny? To be Lotor's prisoner for the rest of her remaining life? If it was, she wished her mind and heart would accept this, stopping the childish thoughts that it would ever change. As she turned off the shower, she didn't move to change right away. As much as everything seemed to be going in the direction of her thoughts, if there was one thing Keith had taught her, it was that life didn't take long to change its course in either direction. For as long as she was still breathing, as – as long as he was alive, they would find a way back to each other. No matter how long it took.