A Ray of Hope

A Bonds of Love Prequel

By (Kitty) Lynne

I don't own any part of the story of Voltron or its characters, but the lucky people at W.E.P. and Toei Animation do.)

Author's note: This story was originally posted under the pen name 'Lynne'. As always the symbols '' around a sentence denote a character's thoughts. I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Light Phoenix and DarkKishi for their very kind and very much appreciated reviews:D

Chapter Four: Tapestry of a Fabled Life

"Oh, I do hope he's all right," Allura murmured, as she watched Sven hobble out of sight. Her fingers idly sought out and smoothed back several loose strands of hair that had escaped from her chignon. Ooh, I must look an absolute fright, no wonder Sven was smiling at me in spite of his pain!

Keith felt his heart thumping in double time as he turned to face his companion. Oh no, she was sitting on the bed! This was not good…anywhere but there- criminy, now she was taking her hair down! It had been half undone anyway, but still...

Images of how the golden tresses would appear when spread out on the velveteen coverlet instantly filled his mind, along with how it would feel to have his hands entwined in the silky strands as he bent over her to give her a passionate kiss. His heart pounding from the forbidden feelings the fantasy engendered, Keith chanced a sideways glance at the Princess. Allura was still gazing after the dashing Lieutenant, as she absently pulled hairpin after hairpin from her coiffure. From the bemused look she wore, it was obvious she was thinking about Sven, a notion that was as welcome to him as a cold shower.

Hah! If she even knew a fraction of the b.s. Rolvaag used to pull at the Academy, she wouldn't fall for his stunt! Keith thought, and grudgingly admitted to himself that he'd also been fooled until he realized Sven had returned limping on the opposite foot!

"Don't worry, Princess, Sven's fine," he stated dryly.

Allura took in his amused expression and frowned. "He shouldn't be bearing full weight on that foot if it's injured! It looked like he was in considerable pain."

Not as much pain as he could be in if he pulls a stunt like this again. Keith thought sourly. "Trust me, Princess...I've known Sven for a long time, and I can say that without a doubt that he'll make a quick recovery!"

"If you say so," she conceded, sounding dubious, "then I guess I had better start deciding on what I want to take before he returns, shouldn't I?"

Keith nodded stiffly, and the Princess returned her attention to fixing her hair. His irritation soon drained away, however, as he watched her stroke her fingers through the unbound waves in a search for stray fasteners. That glorious golden mane ...he was completely enthralled with it, and desperately wanted to immerse himself in its silky fragrance, but common sense prevailed and he only turned away from the intoxicating sight.

Allura jumped to her feet to dump the rest of her hairpins on a nearby night table. "Okay, I'm ready! First thing I would like to take care of is my mother's tapestry- could you get it down for me please?"

"No problem." Keith looked around, searching for something on which to stand; the hanging was out of reach even for someone of his considerable height. He spotted a solid looking straight-backed chair and went to drag it over to the wall. As he worked to disengage the fastening wire from the wall, he inquired, "The panels look like they're in sequences. Would it happen to be some kind of a story? "

"Why yes... one that was a favorite of mine as a child." Allura laughed softly. "You might have liked it too. From my studies, I know that it has all of the required elements of a good Terran fairy tale; monsters, witches, a castle, and a Princess."

"And a knight in shining armor?" Keith joked, as he grasped the freed tapestry. It was an armful and then some, but then again it would have to be, to be able to showcase an entire storyline. It was also quite heavy, and he was pleased when the Princess quickly a reached out to hold the ends of it as he carefully stepped off the chair.

"Of course!" She said. "Unfortunately, I never had the chance to learn too much about him. Mother died before she was done telling me the story."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Princess." The Voltron Captain's dark gaze held understanding and sympathy. "I wish there could've been a happier ending."

Determined not to cry, Allura raised her chin and squared her shoulders. "Thank you, but there's no need to be sorry. I decided a long time ago that I will figure out for myself what happens to them." Despite her best effort to hold them back, the tears were threatening; she quickly averted her gaze and made an encompassing gesture towards the large bundle in his arms. "Could you bring it over and lay it out on the bed so it can be rolled up?" She suggested, proud that her voice only carried a slight wobble. "If it's rolled, it'll make it easier to carry."

"That's a great idea, Princess." Keith responded. "But let's do it together, okay?"

Allura was startled out of her weepiness. She'd often heard the Captain barking instructions, snapping commands and issuing coldly defiant threats, and at times, had heard him sounding sad, confident, flustered, and humorous. But this sweet and gentle tone was something new,something that made her heart pound and her tummy do flip flops. Though the feelings were pleasant and exciting...she wasn't sure if she liked that she was feeling them. She was the Princess of a world under siege, after all. No one knew better than she that this was no time to be acting like a flustered schoolgirl with a crush! Still, she couldn't prevent the heat of awareness from creeping into her cheeks as she helped bring the oversized hanging to the bed.

When laid out, the tapestry covered the bed's entire surface; the sides and bottom actually brushed the floor on all sides, and reached to the top of the tall, massive headboard. Keith stepped back to study the various panels. "Did you ever notice," he said, after a few moments of thoughtful silence, "that the Princess on this hanging looks a lot like you?"

It was surprisingly easy to smile despite her longing for things past. She and Coran had often found that their grief was eased by sharing pleasant childhood memories."Funny that you should say that, because I always liked pretending it was me! According to Mother's stories, this Princess was able to do the most amazing things; fighting evil monsters, defying mean old witches, spitting in the eyes of tyrants..." She sighed. "The Princess of the Tapestry did all of the things I wish I could do now... many times over." After the words were out, she blushed. Most likely, Keith would think her daft or frivolous for saying such things.

However, when she got up enough nerve to glance at him, his solemn expression reassured her that he did not think either of those things.

"Princess, " he said slowly, "don't ask me how I know this, but I have a strong feeling that the time is coming when you will fight every one of those battles...and win!"

"Really?" Her smile went ear to ear. "Do you really think I can fight?"

"I know you can!" Keith corrected, with a look that conveyed that he was speaking the truth. "Never doubt that you've got what it takes, Princess."

Though his voice carried the ring of authority, Keith's eyes were very soft and warm as they rested upon her. Unsure of how to respond or what to think, Allura murmured a word of thanks and shyly glanced away.

As luck would have it, her gaze fell upon a panel on the tapestry that depicted a close view of a very passionate embrace between the handsome knight and the Princess. Allura shrugged mentally; that her fictional look-a-like had fallen in madly in love with a hero shouldn't have been a surprise, as it was something that often happened to fairy tale princesses. Nevertheless, there was something unusually compelling about this particular panel-she couldn't tear her eyes away from the knight. There was something very familiar about him...

That was when an astounding realization hit her.

When the Queen had introduced the knight into her stories, he had been described as being young, fit and handsome; dark-haired, dark-eyed, and always clad in a emblazoned with the crest of a black lion. In the kissing panel and the subsequent panels featuring the knight's chivalrous deeds, it was clear that verbal description, along with the courageous and noble man depicted on the tapestry, was a mirror image of Keith. Furthermore, though her mother hadn't had a chance to finish the tale, every one of those panels also made it quite clear that the Princess was almost as passionate about fighting alongside her champion as she was about being in his arms.

Was it coincidence that the characters woven into the story cloth bore such a strong resemblance to her and the Captain? Was it an omen or a prophecy? Had her mother foreseen the disasters to come and that a dark haired man from another world would become her daughter's champion?

If that was so, then Keith was right about her being destined to do battle at his side.

Destined to fight...and to love...

As the Princess of Arus turned her head towards the man standing beside her, her heart gave a tremendous leap. The space captain was looking intently at her, with an expression that told her that he had also noticed his uncanny resemblance to the knight. Unaccountably nervous, she could only gaze back at him, all too conscious that they were alone, in the most intimate of settings, with scenes of a legendary romance spread before them.

At that moment, a loving voice from the past echoed inside the Princess' thoughts; a mother's cryptic words spoken to an attentive but mystified child.

Life's an adventure, my dear daughter- it's your very own story, and what you choose to make of it is totally up to you! Honesty and courage will help you to choose which roads to take and who your companions will be for the journey. Oh, and always remember, darling; you are only limited by what you think you cannot do...

Allura drew in a sharp breath.

Is Keith the one you were speaking of, Mother? Do you think he will want to stay with me?

Silence had fallen over the room like a soft blanket draped over a fidgeting newborn. Keith's pulse jumped at the sight of the strange excitement sparkling in the Princess' beautiful blue eyes. With that one look, the width of the bed between them seemed to shrink, until he felt he could reach out and touch her without any effort at all. There was, of course, absolutely no doubt in his mind that was what he wanted to do, but what about her feelings? Princess of a planet or not, Allura was in a very vulnerable state,emotionally as well as physically. Not only that, she was so damned innocent that she'd never even realize that the urge to physically connect with someone was part of the will to survive.

The Captain's eyes narrowed. Did it matter to him if that was all it was? There were far worse things he could think of than being a temporary salve for a beautiful woman with a bruised and battered morale. Who cared if they were from different worlds as long as it was a mutually satisfying affair?

But Allura wasn't l that kind of woman, he argued with himself. Yes, she was strong, yes, she was a survivor... but she was also a woman who wouldn't have that kind of relationship with a man unless she had fallen deeply in love with him, he was sure of it. He was also sure that, despite what her guardian said, this Princess wouldn't give a damn if the man were rich and titled…or could hand the means for political clout. Allura would just want to love him...and be loved in return.

God, how he wanted that. And her.

She was staring at him, and he returned the stare, wondering if she could sense what he was thinking. Pink lips parted, whether to speak or in invitation, he couldn't tell.

The silence stretched, drawing taut...he would have to kiss her or go completely insane...

Then, out of the blue, the spell was broken as the thick castle walls shook with the sounds of distant blasts. Running footsteps could be heard in the outside corridor.

In an instant, soldier mode clicked into place, and Keith scrambled across the bed, yanking Allura along with him with one hand, the other clenching his un-holstered blaster. They crouched, peering over the edge of the bed. When the footsteps drew nearer to the room, they dropped down on the floor next to each other and held their collective breath.

Their mutual relief was palpable they heard the familiar voice call out. "Captain, Princess-Yurak's here! We've got to go, this sector cannot withstand another assault-"

Sven burst into the room, his limp but a distant memory, then stopped short upon seeing an empty room.

"Captain? Princess Allura?" He called out softly.

"We're here!" A disembodied feminine voice informed him.

Sven gave a start at the sight of his leader and the Princess slowly rose from behind the tall bed, then hid a smile at their dishelved appearances, taking full note of Allura's loose hair and their brightly flushed faces. But, as sorely tempting as it was to rib the obviously flustered Keith, now was not really the time forlighthearted banter...which was why tne Norseman settled for only a tiny joke.

"Hallo! What were you two doing down there? Looking for Zarkon, perhaps?"

The Princess giggled and blushed. Keith glared and opened his mouth, and then closed it in frustration as his communicator promptly went off. The Captain tapped the receive switch with more force than necessary, and the irrepressible Norwegian grinned happily at him, knowing that Lady Providence had just delivered him from a very stern lecture.

It was Pidge, who didn't wait for an acknowledgement. "We've got trouble on the horizon, Skipper! Better get here, pronto!"

"Understood, Green Lion- Keith out!"

The Princess' face contorted with sudden anguish. "No! Not here, not now...I need more time!" Keith flinched at the pain-laced words and her tortured expression. He quickly looked around at the painstakingly restored room, his heart aching for the beautiful soul who had put loving hours into this shrine. She deserves to get something for her efforts and she needs to have a part of her past as a foundation to build on.

His decision was made. Keith whirled around, strode to the bookcase and started grabbing the carvings and statuettes, tossing them on the tapestry.

Allura and Sven quickly followed his lead. In a flash, the contents of the shelves and the Queen's dressing table were bundled up in the hanging, which the Lieutenant slung over his shoulder like a knapsack.

"Santa's got the goodies!" He proclaimed. "Let's get to the chimney!"

Keith nodded, and then shouldered open the door to the secret passage. Grabbing Allura's hand, he hustled her through the opening, with Sven close at their heels. The portal shut behind them with a thud that echoed down into oblivion. They leaned against the landing's inner wall for a few seconds, catching their breath and letting their eyes adjust to the gloom surrounding them. The smell of mildew and moss permeated the air, and the distant scampering of frightened rodents headed for cover could be heard in the distance. One good thing to be said for the dearth of light, it meant the passage walls had held fast, which would afford them extra protection against any laser blasts that may be headed their way.

Sven gave a small grin as the scene before him emerged from the cloak of darkness. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting, he could plainly see that his leader still held the dainty hand of the Princess tightly in his grasp and showed no signs of wanting to let it go. Allura's lovely face was turned towards Keith, and her expression was most enlightening.

All right then, I will have dibs on the next Princess that comes along, my friend. The Blue Lion pilot chuckled silently, and then looked away from the pair. Som om det var! Like there really would be a chance of finding someone yust like Allura who would fall in love vit a plain old Alliance navigator. Like they say, lightning never strikes twice in the same spot.

Sven's musings were interrupted by the muffled roar of another explosion.

"Lead the way, Princess- you know this place better than we do," Keith instructed, releasing her hand with obvious reluctance.

"Watch your step on the stairs, they are quite steep and narrow," she advised tautly, "stay next to the inner wall and you should be fine!"

They started their long, dark descent. Allura going first, with Sven following and Keith bringing up the rear with his blaster drawn, keeping a watchful eye behind them as the noise and intensity of the blasts continued to increase.

"Skull ships." He muttered.

"Ja, and they'll be here in no time, we'd better move!" Sven panted.

The Princess' anxious voice drifted back to them. "Please Lieutenant, I don't want you to injure yourself more than you already are! Leave my things -you two need to get to your Lions!"

"When we reach the cellar, I will leave your will be safe there!" Sven insisted.

"But-"

"Sven knows how much he can do! Keep going!" Keith ordered.

She complied with his wishes without another word.

The Captain was pleased. Good, she's not arguing. A princess who knows when to follow a command is definitely an asset!

Down and down they went, the air around them growing colder and heavier, until they reached the Princess' subterranean bomb shelter. Sven set down his parcel gingerly, hoping that at least some of the fragile figurines had escaped damage.

"How do we get to Ops from here?" Keith asked urgently.

"Down that hall and up the stairs to the right; there's an elevator that goes directly to the control room!"

The two pilots sprinted down the indicated route, Allura close on their heels.

The elevator door slid open, and in less than a minute, they were entering the dazzling, high tech command center secreted in the hub of the stone Castle.

They blinked rapidly as once again their pupils started to adjust to a drastic change in lighting. They could hear the rapidly approaching footsteps before making out the tightly controlled features of Coran. Sven and Keith exchanged wary glances.

"Princess, where have you been? We're under attack! I was so worried that something had happened to you-"

Allura stepped out to intercept her frantically gesturing advisor. "I'll explain later, you must deploy the launch chutes right away, the lions are needed!"

Pidge, Hunk and Lance ran up in time to hear the exchange; they glanced questioningly at their Commander and Sven, who in turn fixed their eyes on Coran. The older man nodded decisively, and Keith expelled a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. The Royal advisor wasn't going to make a fuss about them taking the lions this time, which was a considerable improvement from just a week ago.

Time after time, the Princess had had to overrule Coran to give the team permission to take out the lion ships. Her distraught advisor had objected forcefully to the idea of the Alliance pilots risking their lives for a 'lost cause', arguing that just the five of them couldn't possibly beat the all-powerful Yurak, even if Voltron could be formed. At the time, it had infuriated the proud Captain that a mere civilian was questioning his men's piloting and combat skills, but now that Keith had gotten to know the older man a little, he sensed there was a profound basis for the man's protestations. However, this wasn't the time to figure that out, or deal with his own emotions about the Princess later. Right now, they had a world to save!

"Let's get to the Lions, team!" He urged.

The chutes were deployed and the rest of his men were gone in a heartbeat.

"Wait!" The Princess voice rang out, stopping Keith in mid stride on his way to Chute Number One.

"Yes?" He rasped, his impatience barely concealed.

"Just...please come back safely!" She said, with a tiny smile.

He grinned and saluted her. "Count on it, Princess!"

He turned to cover the last few feet to the chute, and then, after one last look at her over his shoulder, launched himself into the tube and descended from view.

"So brave." Allura murmured, staring after him.

Coran lowered the elevator tubes and joined her, saying sternly, "So, Your Majesty, where have you been for the last two hours?"

"Cleaning house," she replied vaguely, "I think you'd better get over to communications now; I'll work Ops this time." She strode decisively over to the blinking panels that formed the heart of Castle Control.

Her guardian's eyebrows shot up. Allura finally showing an interest in Ops? This was an interesting and most welcome development. He had been trying for weeks to train her to work the radar and various surveillance programs, but to no avail.

Coran's brow furrowed in thought. He couldn't be sure, of course, but he had a feeling from the way the Princess had been eyeing Keith that a romantic interest in the handsome Voltron Captain may have prompted this sudden interest in battle tactics and operations. And if they got out of this battle unscathed, he would definitely be sending a call out to the caves in search of Hannah Manning.

The Princess now had need of a chaperone, and he desperately needed a break in having to keep track of the elusive Allura.

To be continued!