Birthright: Chapter 2

Planet Arus

      Allura lightly knocked on the personal recreation room door frame, smiling to herself seeing that Keith was sitting by himself, in one of the chairs. He looked up, smiled as she walked into the room, carrying with her a small tray, a tea pot and 2 cups resting on it. She seated herself down next to him, slowly pouring the hot liquid into the cups. She handed him one of the cups and she sighed as she leaned back, taking a sip out of her own cup.
      "I can remember when my father used to spend the nights following the death of my mother, in here, reminiscing about all the times we had fun together," Allura began. "I used to think that thiking about here would make me feel even sadder, knowing that she was gone. It only made me lover her even more. It was nice talking about her, that way she continued to live in our hearts and our memories." She then turned to him. "I never knew that you were an orphan."
      He smiled as he took a sip from his cup. "I'm just used to having everyone know already," he explained. "I apologize for not letting you know."
      She nodded. "So you really have no idea who your real parents were?"
      He shook his head. "The only clue was this pendant they found around my neck." He slowly pulled out a gold chain, and dangling from it was a small pendant. "It's the only clue that I have," he said.
      Allura studied the pendant. It was of an unknown type of bird, carved into some golden metal. A red stone clutched in its claws. "Did your father ever find out who your parents were?"
      He shrugged. "If he did, he never told me," he said. "All the better I guess. I never regretted for him giving me a life."
      Allura smiled. "Feeling better?"
      Keith turned to her, meeting her gaze and could not help but smile. "Yeah," he said. "Thanks."
      "You're not the only one here who lost someone close to them," she said.
      Though, before he could say anything, she placed her cup down on the tray and stood.
      "I know that it helps to talk about it," she said. "I also know that being alone to sort out all the feelings on your own, also helps as well." She looked down at him. "I'll tell Coran to let us rest in tomorrow," she said. "No practice, okay?"
      "Making decisions for me now?"
      She shrugged. "Giving you some time to mourn," she said. "Rest, okay?"
      "I will," he said after a moments hesitation.
      She nodded as she headed for the door.
      "Allura?"
      "Yes?"
      "Don't lose that pendant okay?
Allura looked at her hand realizing that she was still holding his pendant.
      "The bird on that pendant is not of Earth origin," he added. "See what you can dig up."
      She smiled. "Get some rest, Keith. I will see you in the morning."
      "Goodnight."


Planet Vallis


      Alysson stared at herself in the mirror as her personal servant brushed out her hair for her.      "Anala, says that she will contact us as soon as she reaches Arus," Vera stated as she started to braid her mistress' hair. "It is a long travel from here to Arus."
      "I only hope that all that we have fought for all these years, are not put to waste," Alysson stated. "The princess..."
      "My lady, he comes."
      Alysson looked toward the door to her room, as Vera tied off her braid and grabbed for her robe. There was a light knock and as Alysson tied her robe around her, asking her visitor to come in.
      "Lady Alysson."
      Alysson smiled as Kelar entered her room, carrying with him a boquet of flowers. He smiled as he placed them in a nearby vase as Vera slowly got her bed ready for the night.
      "I heard that you sent Anala off on a little get away," he mentioned as he turned to her.
      Alysson smiled as she poured herself a glass of water. "Yes," she said. "I am looking for new flowers to plant in the garden. Nera has been bothering me to add some new species," she said. "And Anala was becoming restless. I figured that she would enjoy the get away, while finding me some new flower species."
      Kelar smiled as he came up to her. "You always had a fascination with flowers," he said. "That girl does everything for you."
      "Can I help it that she loves to travel?" Alysson asked. "Besides, you told me to find something to do since I was half bored out of my mind with nothing to do in this big castle. I figure getting a nice garden would keep me busy."
      "Very busy," he stated. "Are you planning to have some free time tomorrow evening?"
      "Hmm. I can arrange it," she said. "What do you have planned?"
      "I am having some guests....dignitaries visiting us," he said. "I'd be very happy if you were to join us tomorrow evening."
      "I'll see what I can do," she said.
      He smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her on the side of her cheek.       "Thanks," he stated. "You get some rest, you look a bit tired."
      "Worked all day in the hot sun," she said.
      "Well, don't work too hard tomorrow."
      "I won't."
      "Goodnight, Lady Alysson."
      "Goodnight to you, my lord,"
      Alysson watched as he left her room, and she slowly let out her breath as Vera rushed to lock the door behind him.
      "That man totally disgusts me," she said as she took off her robe and walked over to her wash basin. "I can't believe I've had to live like this for so many years."
      "His time will come, my lady," Vera stated. "Princess Lyana will see that his reign as rule here will end."
      "But without help, our fight will just be that...a fight," she said as she wiped her face with a towel. "What we have will be all out war."
      "Do you think Anala will be able to gain the trust of this....Voltron Force?"
      Alysson slowly turned to her. "She will have to," she said. She then walked over to her dresser pulling one of the drawers open. Under one stack of her clothing, she pulled out an old picture frame. In it, she stared at the young man she had once shared her life with, for the short time she had known him. Then her eyes slowly drifted to the tiny bundle she held in her arms. "He was only 2 mos old when I left him behind."
      "My lady, you had to do what you could to protect him," Vera said. "If Kelar knew that you had a son."
      "I know, Vera, I know," she said. "Kelar would have had him killed."
      "Anala will have much to do in her short time there."
      "Admiral Hayashi was given clear instructions should anything happen to him," Alysson said. "He will finally know and he will learn of his rightful place here."
      "Will he accept who he is and actually come?"
      "He is my son, Vera," she said as she turned to her. "If he is anything like me, he will come."
      Vera nodded. "Do you even know what name he was given?"
      "Keith," Alysson said as she turned back to her picture. "After his father."


Planet Arus


      "Package!"
      Pidge dropped a brown satchel into Keith's lap as he sat in one of the chairs in the Recreation Room.
      "Is that the package Benson spoke of?" Lance asked as he came to stand behind Keith, leaning over at the rather large budle that he held in his hands. "Looks familiar."
      "You should Lance," Keith said with a smile as he stood and walked over to the table Pidge and Hunk usually used to play chess on. "It was that dusty brown box that was hiding in the corner of my attic at home."
      "The one that we could never get open?" Lance asked. "We tried everything on it."
      Keith smiled. "Not everything," he said. "I wonder why we lost interest in getting the darn thing open after that summer we spent together."
      "Nicole Fredericks became your next door neighbor." Lance stated that caused Keith to smile.
      "Nicole Fredericks?" Pidge asked.
      Lance laughed as placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Long story," he said. "Just that she was a heck of a lot older than us, and the only female influence in our part of the neighborhood."
      "That and my bedroom was directly across from hers," Keith said. "I think Lance spent more time at my house than his own after that summer."
      "And boy those were fun years."
      Keith shoved Lance away as he wore a dopey smile remember those days long ago.
      "We were only 12 years old," Keith said. "And Lance's hormones were already in overdrive."
      Pidge smiled. "So she flat out turned you down?" he asked.
      "That and threw him into the pool in my backyard," Keith said.
      Hunk laughed as he slapped his friend across his back. "So that's your first turn down?"
      "Hey, like Keith said, we were only 12."
      Keith smiled as he shook his head. He then looked over the small box on the table before him seeing that it was still locked after all these years. He had no idea on how he would be able to open it, but knew that something important must have been inside for his father to see that he gets it after his death.
      "Okay, we couldn't get it open when we were 12, how are we supposed to get it open now?" Lance asked. "Im sure your father didn't leave you the key?"
Keith shook his head as he looked it over. He then noticed that part of the leather covering that was on it was peeling away. He pulled at it, seeing that there was something hidden inside.
      "Hey, do you think my father made it that simple?"
      "What do you mean?" Lance asked.
      Keith slowly pulled away the covering and within the rip he had found, laid a small key. He picked it up as it fell out of its long time hiding place and saw that it was the same make as the lock on the front of the box.
      "It would be your father to make it that easy," Lance stated. "Always the most obvious."
      "Like you said, Lance, you guys were only 12," Pidge stated.
      "Ha ha ha," Lance said.
      Keith opened the small lock and slowly lifted the lid on the aging box. Inside laid some old books and trinkets, a collection of items obviously his father had been harboring over the long years. There were many small medals, one for every year Keith had won, in various tournaments and contests. As he sifted through the items, it was like opening a small time capsule that held a treasure long forgotten.
      "He the most important things, didn't he?" Pidge asked.
      Keith nodded as he started to pull out the item from the box and laid them out on the table. Lance smiled as the bottom of the box lent to some unseen photographs, and he immediately grabbed one that caught his eye, a smile spreading across his boyish features.
      "I wonder what Allura would say if she saw this one?" he said aloud.
Keith looked up at him as Lance held up a baby photo of a bare-bottomed Keith, in all of his birthday-suit glory. His eyes widened in surprise as Lance showed the picture off to everyone on the team.
      Hunk smiled as he snatched the photo from Lance. "Why do parents like to embarass their children like this?" he asked.
      Keith grabbed the photo from his large friend, keeping it away from Lance as much as possible.
      "Its the only picture I have from when I was a baby," he said. "Sheesh, give a guy some dignity."
      "Well, if its dignity you're looking for, you wont get much of it if you keep showing that photo to everyone."
      Keith turned around quickly, seeing that where he was holding that photo was in plain view of Allura, having walked into the room as they were opening the small box. She had remained quiet until they got the box open, but when Lance pulled out that photo, she was caught by surprise. She smiled seeing Keith blush as he quickly hid the photo under the books that littered the table.
      "What is all of this?" she asked as she tried to sway the subject away from the incriminating photo.
      "Admiral Hayashi's treasure," Lance said. "Kinda like a history look into what are Captain was like."
      "If that picture is a reflection of what he is like, then I'd have to see more," Allura quipped. She smiled as she looked into the box, catching site of a wooden frame under the last few books that laid inside. "What is this?"
      She slowly pulled out the frame, and stared at the picture that laid inside. Her expression changed to confusion as she stared at the picture. "Was your father a married man?" she asked.
      "No...well..yeah...," Keith said. "But his wife died long before he took me as his foster son. Why do you ask?"
      "Well, was this her?" she asked. "And did he have any children before you?"
      Keith took the picture frame from her and saw that it was definitely a picture of a young couple, holding a rather young child in the mother's arms. Lance came around and looked at the photo.
      "Hey, that isn't Admiral Hayashi," Lance said. "Who the heck are they?"
Allura studied the picture closely and noticed the slight similarities in the young man in the photo to the young captain who stood before her. Her gaze then traveled from the photo then up to Keith as he too studied the photo.
      "Oh my," she said as she grabbed the photo from him.
      "What is it?" Lance asked.
      "Keith..." she said. "These are your real parents."