Hi all!

I am so sorry for the delay, I have been having some computer issues.  Hopefully, everything is alright now and I'll be able to update more quickly.

Thank you for your wonderful reviews.  I really appreciate it!

Enjoy,

Failte

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"What's going on?"  Lance asked as they raced into Castle Control.

"Doom," Koran said, not removing his gaze from the radar in front of him.  "Three fighters and a large ship, most likely a coffin or carrying a coffin."

Lance whirled around to look at his team.  Sven, Hunk, Pidge and Allura all stood around him, ready to fly.  The door slid open and he raised his eyes to see Keith limping in, his arm wrapped around his stomach.

"What is it?"  Keith asked.

"It's Doom," Allura said impatiently.  "And we're wasting time down here.  Let's get up in the Lions, give me Black's key."

Lance looked down at her outstretched hand and then up at Keith.  They spoke wordlessly for a moment before Keith turned to Sven.  "How're you feeling?"

"Fine, Keit."

"Alright, you're in Red."

"What?"  Allura asked, incredulous.

"Sven is flying Red so Lance can fly Black, now go," Keith commanded.

Allura's face turned an angry red and she opened her mouth to argue, but the others had already raced to their Lions.  Keith met her eyes and glared back.

"You better be here when I get back," she hissed at him.

"I will be," he promised.

Allura ran to Blue's entry tube and tried to push aside the betrayal she felt.  Why had Keith assigned Lance to fly Black?  She was well within her right as the monarch of Arus to overrule his decision, but they did not have the time to argue about that right now. 

The three Doom fighters flew back at the sight of the Lions, but the massive transport ship flew closer.  A door slid open and a large coffin ship was ejected, gliding down to the ground and landing with a ground shaking thump.

"This is it, gang," Keith called from Castle Control.  "Don't mess around, form Voltron and get rid of this robeast before it has the chance to do any damage."

"Will do, Captain," Lance responded, watching as the coffin slowly opened and the robeast rose.

It was another ugly creation they knew Haggar was proud of.  The robeast was, of course, as tall as Voltron, it was school bus yellow and slightly resembled a dog.  Its tail swung and knocked down two trees, it's enormous paws just barely missed hitting the castle while it's one foot crushed half of Allura's roses.

"Alright team, let's form Voltron!"  Lance yelled as Green, Yellow, and Red surrounded him.  "Allura!  Now!"

Blue was flying directly towards the transport ship, seemingly ignorant of the others.  Her face was visible on all their monitors, she appeared calm, but deep in thought.

"Allura!"  Keith snapped.

She continued to ignore them.

The Princess only saw Haggar.  The witch was calling to her, taunting her.  Where were the guys?  She should not be in this fight alone, but if she was, she was going to win.

A sharp tug had Allura's head snapping forward and back, hitting it against the back of the seat.  "What is going on?"  She asked.

"Allura, what are you doing?"  Lance demanded angrily.

Looking around, Allura realized Black had Blue's tail in her mouth and Lance had reversed the thrusters, pulling Blue away from the Doom ship.  "What are you doing Lance?  Let me go!  Don't you see what they're doing?"

Keith and Koran exchanged worried looks. 

"The battle's over here," Lance said, still dragging Blue.

"No Lance!"  Allura pushed forward on Blue and tried to pull herself from Black's grip.  "Why don't you see it!  They're going to destroy us!"

"Allura!"  Lance boosted the power to the thrusters and fought to keep his hold on Blue as the robeast swung at the three Lions flying around it.  "Snap out of it!  We have a robeast!"

She let out an exasperated sigh, "But Haggar is…"

"Allura we form Voltron now or I have Keith remove you from the team," Lance said quietly.

Shaking her head, she looked around and saw the destroyed flowers of her garden and the knocked down trees.  Green tumbled through the air as the robeast swatted it. 

"Oh, no," Allura whispered.  "When did that happen?"

Keith watched all this from Castle Control and felt his stomach knot up.  "What is going on with her?"

"I've already contacted Kadmus," Koran whispered.  "I told him there was something wrong with the Princess, he should be here tomorrow morning."

Keith nodded, "Good."

The five Lions came together to form Voltron.  The robeast struck out with its paw and sent Voltron tumbling.  The robot slowly got to its feet and stepped back, trying to draw the creature away from the castle.  The robeast stumbled over the trees it had knocked down earlier and fell to its knees.  The Force took the opportunity to form the blazing sword.  Three strikes later, the robeast was destroyed.

"Good job gang," Keith said tiredly.  "Come on in."

The five Lions separated, but Lance hung back to watch Blue.  She hovered for a moment, as though Allura was trying to decide where to go.  He looked up and saw the Doom transport ship had gone.


"Allura."

The Princess looked down at the monitor in front of her.  Keith had opened up a private connection with her.  "Yes?"

"Come back in, please."

She nodded and steered Blue toward the lake.

The rest of the team had beat Allura to Castle Control, but Keith waved them away while he waited for her.  He leaned against the tube, his arm wrapped around his stomach, trying to ignore the stiff pain in his side.

"Captain?"

Keith looked up to see Koran standing beside him.  "I'll talk to her, Koran."

The older man nodded, hesitated, and then returned to the main console.

Keith reached out and grabbed Allura's arm as she leapt from her tube.  "We need to talk."

She nodded, "Yes, we do."

"Come on, we'll go to your study."

As soon as the door to Castle Control shut behind them and they were in the hall, Allura turned to him, "I can not believe you did that!  I should have flown Black, do you realize how that looked to everyone?  You essentially just told the Force, Koran, and the guards that you don't think I can handle my duty!"

"Stop it," he hissed as a maid passed, looking at them strangely.

"Don't tell me to stop," Allura whirled around and looked at him.  "I am so sick and tired of the way I've been treated lately, you all seem to think I'm incapable of doing the simplest things!  You are all walking on eggshells around me and following me, like you can't trust me."

Keith tightened his grip on her arm and wordlessly pulled her down the hall and into her study.  He didn't speak until the door was shut behind them.  "What is going on with you, Allura?  You cannot tell me you don't know."

Allura paced the room while he sat gingerly on the chair in front of her desk.  "You guys are completely overreacting to a few nightmares and sleepwalking."

"Allura, you've been caught three times wandering the halls of the castle, convinced you were seeing Haggar when she wasn't there."

"It's only been twice," she muttered.

"No, it's been three times."

"The night after you were injured, I was upset and had a nightmare, it happens.  And then tonight, I don't know, I guess I just had a feeling that this attack was coming."

Keith looked up at her, "You did it again tonight?"

"Yes, it has happened twice."

"I didn't know about tonight, that means it has happened four times."

Allura let out an exasperated sigh, "It has not!"

"You don't remember the last two nights, do you?"

"I went to bed, I slept, I woke up.  That was it."

Keith ran a hand over his face, "Last night Koran caught you in Castle Control again and walked you back to bed before placing a guard at your door.  The night before you came to my room and demanded the key to Black saying it was your birth right to have it.  Then, just now, in the battle you were actually flying Blue to the transport ship.  Allura, I'm worried, what is going on with you?"

She sat on the edge of her desk in front of him, "I don't know, I don't remember the last two nights."

"If you don't believe me you can check the security cameras," he said wryly.

"I didn't say I didn't believe you."

"Don't fight me, Allura, I love you and I'm worried."

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she admitted quietly.

Keith stood slowly and took her hands in his, "Koran has called Kadmus, he thinks he can help."

"Why can't I remember?  What have I done?"

"You haven't done anything too bad, we've been looking out for you."

"This is scary," she whispered, leaning forward to lay her forehead on his shoulder.

"Tell me what's been happening, Allura," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her.

Taking a deep breath, Allura told him, "She's in my head, Keith.  She said she sees and hears everything I do and she knows everything I know."

"Haggar?"

She nodded.

Keith stroked her hair, "Why didn't you tell us sooner?  Why were you fighting us?  We only want to help."

"I know, Keith, I was scared.  I didn't really understand what was wrong with me and I didn't want to admit that she could get to me."

He pulled back to look at her, "You let your pride get in the way, Allura, you can't let that happen.  Do you have any idea what might have happened if I had let you fly Black?  You very well might have given it to Lotor.  You should have come to me the first night so I could have helped you."

"Keith, you were laid up in the hospital."

"Then you should have told Lance or Koran or Hunk, no one would have thought any less of you.  Don't you realize what could have happened?  How much information they may have gotten from you?"

"Don't you dare lecture me, Captain, I think I know better than anyone what is at stake."

He brought his hands up to frame her face and force her to look at him, "Allura, you are an amazing person, I have never known anyone like you.  But you can't do it all by yourself, we're here to help you.  Let us help you, let me help you."

She blinked her eyes, feeling the exhausted tears gather there, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, you have nothing to be sorry about.  You have to know we wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"But it already has, Keith, don't you get it?  She's in me, she knows what I know about the castle, the Lions, everything."

"Allura, she already knew so much about the castle and the Lions, you have not betrayed us, this is her doing, not yours."

She leaned against him, careful of his still tender side.  "I'm afraid to go to sleep."

"Do…do you want me to stay with you?"  He whispered, hesitantly.

She did.  Allura felt safer in his arms than she did anywhere else and the idea of him holding her while she slept was a comforting thought.

"Allura?"

"I do, Keith, but it wouldn't be proper."

"We wouldn't…we wouldn't do anything."

"I know that, but it wouldn't appear proper."

"I don't care how it appears, I want you to be able to sleep.  You need rest."

"So do you," she murmured.

Rather than responding, Keith tightened his arms around her.  Allura turned her face into his throat, suddenly realizing just how tired she was.  Her whole body felt tired and heavy.

"Princess?"

Keith sighed at the sound of Koran's voice, "Come on, let me walk you to your room."

She nodded and allowed him to take her hand and walk to the door.

"How are you?"  Koran asked softly as they met him in the hallway.

"I'm fine, just tired," she assured him.

"When do we expect Kadmus to arrive?"  Keith asked.

"Mid-morning."

"Let me know as soon as he gets here, I'm going to take Allura to her room."  Keith stared at Koran, daring him to argue.

When the older man just nodded, Keith and Allura bade him goodnight and left him standing outside her study.  Keith couldn't help but notice how tightly she was gripping his hand. 

"I can have Nanny come in and stay with you or one of the female guards," Keith said as they approached her door.

"No," she opened the door.  "Maybe…maybe you could stay with me, just until I fall asleep." 

"Anything you want."  Keith had been in her room before, but it felt different this time.  He looked around, taking in the room in an all new light.

"I'll, uh, I'll be right back," she disappeared into the bathroom.

Over the past few months, Allura had started changing her room from the pink and white little girl room to one more suited for a young woman.  A massive four poster bed with thick maroon curtains tied to the posts and luxurious blankets and pillows of gold and maroon took up a good deal of space in the room.  He knew it had once belonged to her parents, the guys had helped move it into her room.  There was a large fireplace dominating the wall opposite her bed.  On the mantle were a picture of her parents on their wedding day and a picture of her with her parents when she was quite young, flanked by dolls from her childhood.  Bookshelves held books, old toys, and photos.  A large desk sat below the windows that looked out over the lake and a small sitting area made up of a table and two chairs took over a corner beside the windows.  It was a royal room of ridiculous proportions for such a small woman.

Noticing the slight chill in the room, Keith knelt beside the fireplace and set about lighting a fire.  If worse came to worse, he could sleep in one of the chairs beside the window, it wouldn't be too comfortable, but it would work for the night.  He stood and lifted one of the dolls off the mantle.  It had a soft body but porcelain hands and head.  Blonde hair, so soft it was hard to believe it was fake, fell down the doll's back over the light green gown she wore.

"I kept them in hopes that someday my daughter might play with them."

Keith turned to see Allura stepping out of the bathroom.  He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise at the sight of the short nightgown she wore.  It barely brushed her knees and was held in place with two thin straps.  Any response he might have had died on his tongue as he stared at the bare, pale skin of her shoulders.

She smiled softly and walked over to him, taking the doll from his hand, "Her name is Dalia, my father gave her to me for my fourth birthday."

"Uh, how, uh, how are you feeling?"  He asked, swallowing hard.

She set the doll back on the mantle, "Tired."

"Get some sleep, I'll hang around for a while and make sure you fall asleep, then I'll post a guard outside your…" He stopped when she stepped closer and placed both hands on his chest.  "Allura."

She stood on her toes and gently brushed her lips over his, "I love you."

"I love you too," he breathed, lowering his head and deepening the kiss.

Allura slid her hands up and around his neck, tightening her hold on him.

With great reluctance, Keith broke the kiss and lifted his head, "Come on, Allura, you need to sleep."

She looked at him and asked shyly, "Will you lay with me?"

"I, uh, I don't know if that's a good idea."

A pretty pout settled on her lips, "I'll sleep better with you next to me."

Keith brought his hand up to cup her cheek, "Allura, what is going on?"

"I'm scared," she whispered.  "Just lay with me, please."

With a slight nod of his head, Keith let her take his hand and lead him to the bed.  She pulled the blankets back and crawled in, settling back against the pillows, she patted the empty space beside her.

Feeling unsure, but unable to deny her, Keith sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his boots off.  He turned and laid stiffly beside her, on top of the blankets.

"You don't look very comfortable," she told him, cuddling up beside him.

"Well, this isn't very comfortable for me," he admitted.

"Why?"

"Because it is really hard for me to be lying in bed beside you and not…well, and just lying beside you."

Allura bent her elbow and propped her head up on her hand so she could look down at him, "You really want to be with me?"

He toyed with a lock of her hair, "More than you will ever know."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

With a smile she kissed him.

"Why all the questions?"  He asked her.

"Just wondering," she laid her head on his chest.

Keith looked down at the top of her golden head, "Allura?"

"Hm?"

"Is this you asking me?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

She tilted her head back to look at him, "You think its Haggar acting through me?"

He shrugged, "I'm not used to you being so forward."

"She's not here, Keith."

"Get some sleep, honey, Kadmus will be here in the morning to figure all this out."

Allura furrowed her brow, "You don't think I want to be with you?  You think this is Haggar?"

"No, I don't think that."

A teasing smile tugged at her mouth, "You are so full of yourself."

"What?"

"You think Haggar wants you too, huh?  So now I have to worry about fighting an evil, powerful witch for you?"

Keith laughed, "What can I say? I just can't contain my powerful charisma."

"Maybe if we just gave you over to Haggar, she would leave us alone."

"So I am that dispensable?"

She kissed him gently, "It's for the good of my planet, won't you do it for me?"

Keith tugged on her hair, "I will give myself to Haggar for the good of your planet on the same day you give yourself to Lotor so the guys and I can have a couple of days off."

Her mouth fell open, "Not funny."

"No?"

"No," she skimmed her fingers over his ribs.

"I'm not ticklish."

"Yes, you are, I have to find the spot….there!"  She laughed as he squirmed beneath her hands.

"Stop, please," he gasped.  "Okay, stop, ow!"

"Oh, Keith, I am so sorry," Allura jumped back when he flinched and sucked in a painful breath.  "I'm sorry, honey, are you okay?"

He shifted and turned so he was laying on his uninjured side, facing her, "It's alright, Allura, I'm fine."

She studied him, noticing the tired look in his eyes and the tightness of his jaw.  Gently, she stroked his jaw, feeling him relax under her touch.  Keith tangled his hand in her hair and kissed her gently at first, but more hungrily as she slid her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to her.  He tugged at her hair, pulling her head back, skimming his lips over her cheek and down her throat, stopping to nibble on her shoulder, rolling her onto her back.

Keith lifted his head to see she was laying back against her pillow, her eyes closed, breathing slowly.  She slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"Good night," he whispered, giving her a quick peck on the lips before letting her go.

"Good night," she murmured.  "That was pretty sneaky."

"I know, but you need to rest."  He rolled onto his side and watched as she slipped into a peaceful sleep.

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"You said this would work!"  Lotor roared, throwing a goblet and just barely missing Haggar's head.

The old witch didn't even flinch, "She is not as weak willed as she once was."

"I don't want to hear your excuses!  You said you could get Allura from within!"

"She is fighting back, I had not anticipated that."

"Then you fight back and win!"

"She has the Captain, she is stronger because of him."

Lotor stormed over to her, "She has a silly crush, you are inside her head, you can convince her otherwise."

"Because I am inside her head I know exactly what she feels for the Captain and I can tell you that this is not just some silly crush."

The Drule hissed angrily at Haggar and whirled on his heel, "Get out of my sight, witch."