A Ray of Hope

A Bonds of Love Prequel

By (Kitty)Lynne

(Insert the usual I don't own any part of Voltron, W.E.P. and Toei do, relative disclaimers...)

Chapter 2: The Legacy

Allura knew she shouldn't have been anywhere near the West wing of the castle. Coran, her guardian, had made that abundantly clear to her in the stern lecture she had received after being caught on her last furtive visit. Although the older man had explained to her in excruciating detail that this part of the Castle was structurally unsound and dangerously unprotected, his reprimand hadn't fazed her in the least. For her, it was worth risking an injury to restore the place her parents had once called their 'refuge from reality'.

The Princess had privately admitted to herself that the rest of the annex was in far worse shape, and should have been attended to first- but truthfully, she didn't care one iota about saving the rest of her crumbling birthright. Only one room meant anything to her in the godforsaken pile of rocks that had once been called a castle- her parent's bedroom, a very comfortable and welcoming space which held many happy and comforting memories of the two people she had loved most dearly.

It was also the last place Allura had seen her mother alive.

The Princess had spent many hours cleaning and repairing the room's contents in order to restore them to their former comfort and splendor. She had dusted and swept, washed, and scrubbed her fingers raw cleaning up the debris from the furnishings and rugs. The sheer blue draperies of the canopied bed had been painstakingly taken down and both they and the embroidered royal blue coverlet had been washed several times to free them from the acrid smell of smoke. The teakwood dresser set, night tables and the Queen's personal vanity had been polished with oil until they shone with a rich patina.

What was left of her mother's collection of novels was carefully shelved along the built in bookshelves on one wall, along with her collectable statues of famous romantic couples in Arusian history. A few of the King's wooden lion carvings also remained, their deliberate positioning around the statues appearing quite protective. Two overstuffed chairs, a love seat, and a small rocker sat in front of the bookcase and the marble fireplace on the opposite wall.

The royal family of Arus had spent many pleasant hours in that corner; Alana and Allura singing, talking, or inventing stories, Alfor usually reading technical manuals, diplomatic documents, or writing in his endless collection of diaries. However the King would look always look up from time to time, with a twinkle in his deep blue eyes, to throw in droll observations on the absurd stories being told by Alana. At least he always said they were absurd, but Allura noticed he listened as keenly as she did; he only pretended not to, in order to tease her mother.

Coran had already confiscated her Father's journals, in the hopes of finding entries about Voltron or any other means of defense. Alfor had constantly been working on other ideas for fortifying Arus; he had known full well the malevolence they were up against and had tried to prepare for it; trying to stop it had cost him his life.

The Princess looked down at the frame she was clenching in her hands, and then quickly walked to the vanity. She automatically reached out one hand to straighten the pearl colored brush and comb that lay upon its surface. The brush still held a few strands of her mother's golden hair; because of that, Allura refused to take it, preferring to leave it where it had last been used. Cosmetics were piled neatly in a shallow glass bowl, along with a crucible filled with cold cream. Behind the cosmetics sat a huge crystal bottle with a lion's head stopper, empty now, but ready to be filled with the floral essences that made up Queen Alana's favorite fragrance.

Next to these personal items she placed the silver plated frame containing one of the rare photographs she had of the King and Queen. It was her favorite candid photo of them; a close up profile of the Royal couple smiling at each other, noses pressed together, as if they were sharing a particularly delightful secret. Coran had told her he had taken the picture the day it was announced Alana was expecting her first child. The weary brown eyes of her guardian had shone softly at the memory, and a rare smile had tilted the drooping mustache upwards for a moment or two.

Allura smiled through her tears as she ran a loving finger over the glass shielded faces in the snapshot. The knowledge that her parents had been deeply in love with each other and had used that love to create her had consoled Allura, and had helped her through their untimely deaths. Her mother had often informed her that she was a legacy of the love Alfor and Alana shared, and a symbol of their commitment to one another and Planet Arus. That statement had taken on even more profound meaning since the last attack on Arus by Planet Doom.

Mother, Father… I'm going to save Arus and make you proud- I swear it!

The Princess sighed and unconsciously squared her slumped shoulders. She was unshakably resolute in her desire to honor her parents and her people by learning to defend their world. If I'm permitted to, that is, she qualified, as she brushed away the last beads of moisture that clung to her lashes.

This room was her doorway to the past, a shrine to her parents and what used to be. It also was a reminder to Allura of what was really important in life. Love was everything; without love, one had nothing. If it wouldn't mean the ruin of Arus, she would have gladly given up her title and lands for a few precious moments with her parents. Tears stung her eyes once again and she furiously blinked them away.

Determined not to give in to despair, she cast about for something to distract her from her grief.

The first thing that came to mind was that even with the new draperies and bedspread, the overall atmosphere of chamber felt dark and dreary. Allura studied the dingy walls with a critical eye. The whitewash was faded and peeling in some places…but wait; there was a splash of brightness in the 'reading corner', as her mother had christened it. Allura walked to the spot and smiled brightly as her gaze fell upon the still-colorful tapestry hanging near the bookshelves.

The fabric squares in the hanging depicted the adventures of a young princess in a magical land. Her mother had spun many tales about this imaginary princess for her wide- eyed daughter as they lay on the plush rug in the hour following supper. The princess' journey and the people she met were depicted in succession within the various panels. In one spot on the canvas a witch worked her black magic and monsters poured forth to chase the young woman. The next panel depicted a dark haired knight appearing to assist the golden-haired princess, and they battled the monsters together. That had been an especially exciting and romantic part of her mother's narrative; Allura had been completely enthralled that night.

Although the scenes following the monster-filled panel seemed tender in nature, Alana had never related the tale that went with the depicted romance between the Princess and her Knight Protector. The Queen's life had been taken soon after she had related the first meeting of the fictional couple, so the charming fairy-tale had been left for Allura to finish on her own. Fortunately the panels were detailed, and implied quite a bit, and the Arusian princess hoped that someday she'd be able to relate the entire tale for her own children. Of course, that depended on her surviving Doom's raids to actually have some… and solving the problem of with whom she should have them. In between the constant attacks on her planet and having to stay in hiding with Coran, her interest in having a romance had been nil until the young Space Explorers had arrived.

An image of the dark haired Voltron pilot leapt into her mind and the Princess smiled dreamily. Keith was intelligent, handsome and valiant, and she was positive his future children would follow in his footsteps. She had also seen his innate kindness and compassion these last few days. If she weren't careful, she could find herself in the midst of a full blown crush…and it didn't help that his soft, sable eyes always seemed to be beckoning her to plumb the depths of his soul…

Allura mentally shook herself. It was no use fantasizing about that particular male; he was all business and wouldn't have much time to humor a moony- eyed Princess, not to mention the fact that he and the others probably would be getting orders to leave after Arus was saved, and the Alliance needed help elsewhere. The thought brought a piercing sadness that shocked her to the core and she immediately closed herself off to it. All the men of the Voltron Force were wonderful, but to pine after any of them would be folly, at least at this point, and would probably add to her multitude of heartaches.

It doesn't matter how wonderful he is, Allura thought regretfully. Romantic diversions aren't an option for me, not until Arus is safe. She gazed wistfully at the panel where the knight was holding the princess in his strong embrace, and then stared in awe at the knight who suddenly seemed eerily familiar. Tall and muscular, with hair the color of ebony, he was dressed in-

Her perusal abruptly ended as the hair on the back of her neck began to prickle and her inner sense told her that she was being observed.

The Princess' heart began to thud with nervousness and her throat went dry, but she bravely spun around to confront whoever or whatever was behind her –and then stifled a small shriek as not one but two dark haired knights stepped out of the shadows to greet her.

To be continued...:)