Chapter Nine - The Confession
Allan looked around to see if the room was occupied. It was.
"Keith."
Keith whirled around; surprised that someone was still up that unholy hour.
"Allan."
"Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all."
Allan positioned himself beside the Voltron Captain. He allowed himself to be momentarily lost in the beauty of the Arussian landscape before him, before he spoke again.
"You should be resting. Doctor Gorma will have a fit if he finds out you snuck out of the infirmary."
Keith chuckled a bit. "He's used to it by now. For some reason or another, the sedatives he gives me don't have the effect he expects them to have."
Allan shook his head in disbelief. "First you defy the laws of nature by apparently having more that one life, and now, you defy the laws of science by making yourself immune to medicines that are supposed to help you. You are truly an amazing man."
Keith shot the prince a glance. "You've been talking to Lance, haven't you?"
"Guilty as charged." Allan said, earning him a raised eyebrow from Keith. "Your second-in-command told me of the several near-death encounter's you've had."
Keith looked away, out into the landscape, a small smile on his lips. "My team thinks I'm not human."
"He also told me that all of those near-death encounters involved a certain Prince of Doom, and a particular Princess of Arus."
The smile on his face quickly disappeared. Keith had a feeling he knew where the conversation was heading.
"I save the princess from Lotor because it is my duty as a soldier and as the pilot of the Black Lion."
"Are you sure it is only because of duty, captain?"
Keith remained silent, his gaze still intent on the view before him.
"I wanted to thank you for saving us from that Lotor earlier today." Allan said, when he didn't get an answer from him.
"Your highness..." Keith began.
"There is no need to explain anything to me, Keith." Allan said, raising his hand to make him stop. "Allura is a remarkable woman. It wouldn't be any surprise to me if you had fallen in love with her."
Keith swallowed hard.
"Your majesty, I..."
"Let me finish, captain," authority suddenly evident in the prince's voice.
"With all due respect, your highness, let me interrupt."
Allan was taken aback. Keith was no monarch, but his voice had this regal prestige that even he himself hasn't mastered yet. He nodded.
"Yes, your highness, I am in love with the princess. I know that it is not my place to do so, and I have decided on the proper course of action for such an inappropriate sentiment."
"And what is that, captain?"
"I have decided to relieve myself from my duties here on Arus."
"Really. Starting when?"
"As soon as possible. I have already contacted Galaxy Garrison and they shall bring-up the topic of my replacement by tomorrow morning to Coran, the Princess Allura..." he trailed-off, his gaze shifting from the landscape to the superior standing beside him.
"... and yourself."
Allan turned to face him. "If that is your decision, then so be it. But, tell me something, Captain, have you told Allura about this?"
"She will find-out tomorrow morning."
"Don't you think she deserves to find-out before?"
"It wouldn't matter, your majesty..."
"Yes it would."
Keith looked away again, confusion evident in his face.
"Talk to her."
"I wouldn't know what to say."
"Say, 'goodbye.'" Allan placed a hand on the troubled space explorer. Keith, startled by the gesture, found himself looking at the prince. 'He looks so sad,' Keith realized.
"Tell her the reason why you're leaving."
"That I am no longer capable of fulfilling my duties?"
"That is a matter of your opinion."
"What reason then?"
"The truth... that you love her."
"This is crazy."
"You're crazy." Allan said, emphasizing the statement. He put down his hand and looked-out again.
"I can't believe that you're just going to deny your heart it's desire."
"It is not my place to love her."
"That is not for you to decide."
Keith found himself snickering. "Lance said the same thing."
"You're friend is a lot smarter that he looks."
Keith silently agreed.
"Talk to her. Now." Allan compelled him. "She's in the garden."
"Why would it matter? My telling her tonight?" Keith wanted an answer to this.
"It matters because..." Allan chose his words carefully, remembering the promise he gave Allura earlier that night . "She is also your friend."
*-*-*-*-*
Keith halted as he watched his princess in front of him. Her head was tilted-up, angled at the full moon and brilliant stars in the horizon.
Allura felt a presence behind her. She turned her head and found her captain watching her. She snapped her head forward, afraid that she was hallucinating again. She pinched herself on her arm --- just to make sure. She winced at the stingy pain.
"Princess? May I talk to you?"
She felt her heart beat faster as she nodded to give him her consent. She had not looked back, ever since the first time she did, still afraid that she was in a reverie again.
Keith had moved closer behind Allura. He slowly took a deep breath to compose himself and prepare himself for what was about to happen.
For some reason, Allura felt that there was something wrong. She glanced sideways and found Keith standing behind her, his eyes closed in concentration, and his proud shoulders oddly slumped forward. He looked really drained. 'From the battle earlier that day, perhaps?' And, yet, she had a feeling that that wasn't what was bothering him.
"Keith? I think we should talk in the morning. You should be in bed, resting."
"No, princess. I'm afraid it can't wait. The prince was right when he said that you should be the first to know."
Allura turned her whole body to face him. "First to know? The first to know what?"
He finally looked-up and met her eyes. She felt her heart tighten when she saw the melancholy in his eyes.
"I'm leaving my post here on Arus. I have requested Galaxy Garrison to have the papers done by tomorrow. Marshall Graham himself will make the call tomorrow morning regarding my replacement."
"Why?" she choked-out, "Why are you leaving?" Tears uncontrollably flowed down her cheeks, her voice a reflection of the sadness that was in her heart.
Keith looked away, cursing himself for making her cry. "I believe I am no longer fit to perform my responsibilities..."
"What are you talking about?" she screamed, "That is not the reason for your leaving. You and I know very well that you are more than capable to fulfill the tasks at hand..."
"Not when my attention is diverted to something else. Not when I cannot keep my own emotions in check. Not when I know that it is not my place..."
"Keith, what are you saying?" she asked, taking a step closer towards him.
He closed his eyes.
"Your attention diverted? Your emotions in check? It is not your place; not your place to what?"
He slowly opened his eyes, meeting hers, his heart beating faster as she continued to scrutinize him.
"Distracted from the what-ifs, shoulds, and should-nots. My inability to control what my heart, my soul, my entire being desires. It is not my place to have these sentiments about..." he paused and corrected himself, "for you."
For the first time since that conversation began, she understood what he was trying to say. She relaxed a bit, her hand reaching-out to brush her tears away. To her surprise, Keith beat her to it. He cupped the side of her face and with his thumb, he gently caressed her cheek.
Keith mentally reprimanded himself for making such a bold move, but he could no longer deny what his heart had been urging him to do. He will be leaving in a matter of days, and will no longer be able to see her for the rest of his life. The feel of her skin will be but a memory; her eyes and her smile, part of a dream.
"Keith, would you change your mind about leaving if I told you that I feel the same way?"
Time stood still as Allura slowly, but surely, admitted what was in her heart. She had almost lost him, again, in one of his confrontations with Lotor --- she was not about to loose him because he felt he was no longer qualified to be her champion --- especially, now that she knew that the feelings were mutual.
Keith blinked rapidly, trying to clear his mind. He abruptly dropped his hand. Did he hear her right?
"Princess?"
A dumbfounded expression replaced the serious, dejected one that was on her captain's face. Allura couldn't stifle a giggle. She reached-out and brushed-away a lock of hair that the wind blew to his cheek, allowing her hand to linger a little longer on his face after the task had been done, before completely dropping it.
"Keith, please don't go. I won't allow you to. I care too much to let you," her eyes imploring him further. "Tell me that you won't walk away from what we have."
Keith felt like he was dreaming. If he was, he knew that he didn't want to wake-up. But his heart told him otherwise. He was awake. He was in reality. His dreams have finally caught-up with him.
"But I'm just an Alliance Officer. I have nothing to offer---"
Allura silenced him by placing a finger on his lips. "Tell me, Commander, did you develop your feelings for me because I was a princess?"
He slowly shook his head, an uncertainty of what the princess was trying to do evident in his eyes.
"It goes the same for me. I didn't fall for you because you were a 'captain.' Our titles have nothing to do with what we feel for each other. They are not boundaries that dictate to us whether or not we should be together."
Keith's eyes lit up in dawning understanding. He lifted his hand and placed it under the hand that held his lips at bay. Gradually, he lifted it a little higher, slanting it a bit so that his lips could touch her long, slender fingers, his gaze not breaking away.
A small smile curved her lips. Her eyes once again swelling-up with tears, this time, joyful ones.
Keith heaved a sigh of relief. A heavy weight had been lifted-off his shoulders. But something still bothered him...
"What about Prince Allan?"
"Allan? What about him?" Allura asked, surprised.
"Didn't he propose to you? Didn't you choose him to be your consort?"
It was her turn to carry the puzzled expression on her face. "Keith, where did you get that idea?" She laughed. "Allan? My consort? That's preposterous!"
Her amusement slowly vanished as she watched his expression grow more perplexed than earlier; a deep furrow forming between his eyebrows. She smiled up at him tenderly, once again reaching-out to touch the side of his face with the back of her hand before smoothing the groove he had created in utter confusion.
"I love Allan." She started, "But, I love him because he's my best friend. He's like a brother to me." She stepped closer, her head tilted up. "And, as for you..." she started, slowly.
Keith was intoxicated by the look in her eyes, and the sound of her voice. His arms slowly drew themselves upward and locked his princess in their embrace. He tipped his head and stepped forward, closing the gap between them.
Allura placed her hands on his chest, loving the way he held her. Her eyelids grew heavy as she watched his head move closer and closer. She patiently waited for his lips to touch hers. But before they did, she heard him whisper, "I love you, princess;" the words that she had longed for him to say.
When their lips met, Allura was instantly swept off her feet and into the clouds. Her hands crept upward, towards his neck, and clasped themselves behind it, pulling him down towards her; wanting him to deepen the kiss.
They stayed that way for long moments. Completely oblivious to everything around them... even the silhouette of the dismal prince, who, despite a clear conscience, retreated back to the castle with a broken heart.