{{  "Wait a second," Becca interrupted.  "So Euclida did let it out about your engagement?"

"She told her father while there were other people there, it spread like wildfire," Keith explained.

"Whatever happened to her?"

"Stop interrupting and you'll find out."

"Did she ever get over you?"

Keith rolled his eyes, "It wasn't like that."

"What happened with Lotor?  I can't believe he sent that letter," Becca said.

Lance snorted, "He always had a set of steel…ow!"  He smacked Darcy's hand when she pinched his leg.

Keith smirked, "He gave us a couple of days to respond and when we didn't, he decided to come and get the answer in person…}}

"Romelle!"  Allura jumped up and down excitedly when the steps were lowered and Romelle and Sven exited their ship.

The two women embraced and giggled, both trying to talk at the same time. 

Keith was never a fan of giggly girls, they tended to get on his nerves.  But when he watched the woman he loved as she spoke with the one close female friend she had, the fact that she was feeling safe enough to have fun, to be a free young woman, he found that he didn't mind giggly girls as much as he once did, at least certain ones.

"Hey, Keit," Sven approached him, a large duffle bag thrown over his shoulder.


Keith took the hand he offered as they partook in the traditional male, handshake-half-hug-back-slap.  "Hey, Sven, it's great to see you again, buddy."

"Vhat have ve gotten ourselves in to?" Sven whispered as they watched their fiancées chatting.

"I have no idea, man, but I think it's a good thing."

"As long as ve survive de vedding planning and de actual ceremony."

"I figure if you can, I can."

"So de pressure's on me?"

"Yup."

"Tanks, man."

"What are friends for?"  Keith shrugged as they followed the women into the castle.

"Have you heard anyting more from Lotor?" Sven lowered his voice as he followed Keith.

"No, which worries me."

"How long has it been since de last attack?"

"Nearly a month."

Sven whistled lowly.

"Yeah.  I've upped the number of guards on duty at any one time and the Garrison has ships out scouting for us."

"Maybe he is finally getting de hint," Sven shrugged.

"I'd like to think so, but we can't let our guard down."

"Keith, can you show Sven where their rooms are, please," Allura asked.  "Romelle and I are going to go talk."

"Where are you going?"

The Princess rolled her eyes in a disrespectful manner that he knew she had picked up from Lance.  "Just to the Observation Deck.  If you're good, maybe you can join us."

"Hey, I don't need any of your sassatude," Keith teased.

Allura stuck her tongue out at him.

"Sassatude?"  Sven asked.

"Sassy attitude," Keith explained.  "Allura's full of it."

"Yeah, well, you're full of something," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, dear, we'll see you later," Allura called over her shoulder as she grabbed Romelle's arm and pulled her to the Observation Deck.  "Okay, let me see it, I've been dying to see it for real."

Romelle proudly extended her left arm.

"Oh, Romelle, it's beautiful," Allura examined the ring on her cousin's finger.  It was a platinum band with a diamond at least a full carat in size and two smaller diamonds set in the band on either side.  "It's an antique?"

"Yes, it belonged to Sven's grandmother," Romelle grinned.  "He had to send all the way to Terra for it, he was afraid I wouldn't like it, here, look at this."  She pulled the ring off, "It has his grandparent's initials and their anniversary date inscribed in it.  I think it is so romantic."

Allura squinted at the tiny inscription and grinned, "That is.  Why did he think you wouldn't like it?"

"Because it wasn't our initials and date.  I told him I loved it, so he got me this," Romelle pulled a chain from beneath her blouse and showed her the flat, heart shaped pendant.  "It has our initials on this side and when we get married he said he would get the other side engraved with the date."

Allura sighed and handed the ring back, "How did we find these guys?"

Romelle slipped her ring back on and studied it, "I think we all fully realize how fragile life is."

"And we know better than to take anything, or anyone, for granted."

"Exactly."

"So, let me see yours," Romelle held her hand out and examined Allura's ring.  "Oh, it's lovely!  I just love how the diamond is heart shaped!  Where did he get it?"

"He ordered the diamond from Planet Novia and had a jeweler set it on Terra."

"Wow, it is so beautiful.  They are famous on Novia for their diamond mines.  Who knew Keith had it in him to do all that?"

"He is very thorough," Allura said, slipping her ring back on.  "I know he researched and found where to get the best diamond and where to have it set."

Romelle leaned across the arm of her chair and whispered, "So, did the proposal lead to anything more?"

"What?  Well, we tried to keep it quiet, but Euclida Remikade, man, I hate her, she let it slip and…"

"You told me all that, Allura.  I meant, have you and Keith gotten any closer?"

Allura looked at her cousin, her eyebrows shot up and her face reddened when she caught Romelle's meaning, "Do you mean, you and Sven, you've…"

Romelle nodded, "After he proposed, things kind of got a little out of hand and, well…"

Allura lowered her voice, "How was it?"

"Oh, Allura," Romelle fell back in the chair.  "It was amazing.  I have never felt so loved, so wanted before in my life.  It was…I don't know how to explain it.  He was so gentle and I've never felt so close to anyone before in my life."

"But, I had heard that it hurts the first time."

Romelle blushed and looked down at the arm of the chair, "It wasn't my first time."

"Oh, Romelle," Allura took her hand.  "I am so sorry, I wasn't thinking."

She shrugged, "It's alright.  I can tell you, though, that I now know the difference between sex and making love."

"There's a difference?"

"Trust me when I say there is.  What you and Keith do will be loving making, and yeah the first time will hurt, that's just part of nature.  But it's nothing too bad and it will only get better for the two of you."

"I'm a little scared," Allura admitted quietly.

"That's understandable, but I don't think Keith would ever do anything to intentionally hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable.  He isn't pressuring you, is he?"

"No, of course not, we came close a couple of times, but we were interrupted."

"Would you have?"

Allura nodded, feeling the heat rise to her face.

"Hello, ladies."

Allura and Romelle both jumped as the door slid open and Keith and Sven walked in.

"And vhat are you beautiful vomen talking about?"

"Girl stuff."

"Weddings."

"Which is it?"  Keith asked, amused.

"Uh, both, actually," Allura told him.

"Is dat code for us to leave you alone?" Sven sat on the arm of Romelle's chair.

The women looked at each other, unsure how to answer.

"You know," Keith fell back into the chair beside Allura's.  "It's as much my wedding as it is yours, maybe I want to talk wedding stuff too."

She reached over and patted his hand, "Why don't you two go find your friends and play."

"Actually," Romelle spoke up.  "I'm pretty hungry."

"Oh, of course, I am so sorry," Allura jumped to my feet.  "It is nearly time for lunch, how rude of me."

Keith took Allura's hand as they left the room and lowered his voice, "You looked like you were caught with your hand in the cookie jar, what were you talking about?"

"Nothing," she blushed.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"What are you hungry for?"

"Smooth change of subject."

She kissed his cheek, "It was just girl talk."

*********************************************************

"Have you given any thought to what flowers you're going to have?"  Allura asked Romelle as they walked through the garden later that afternoon.

"It's going to be very simple, just flowers from the castle grounds," Romelle told her.  "You will be my maid of honor, won't you?"

"Oh, of course, I was hoping you would ask!"

Romelle turned and hugged her cousin, "Thank you, so much.  I think Sven is supposed to be asking Keith to be his best man right now."  She nodded her head to where the two men were standing and talking a few yards away.

"Have you thought about your dress?"

"I'm working with one of the maids to alter my mother's wedding gown."

"You still have your mother's dress?"

"Yes, my father packed up a lot of her belongings in trunks and hid them away in one of the spare rooms.  They surprisingly survived."

"You'll have to let me know what you want me to wear."

"Allura!"  Keith called to her when she and Romelle walked around the trees and were out of his sight.

"We're right here, Keith, we're fine!"  She called back, rolling her eyes at Romelle.

"I was thinking we could discuss that while we were here.  It's going to be a small ceremony.  You and Sven's sister will stand with me and Keith and Bandor will be standing with Sven.  Will you all be able to come?"

"Keith and I talked about it.  If we take the Lions and come back the same day, we can.  Otherwise we'll have to split up."

"Well, I had hoped you could come the day before and help me."

"Maybe we can do both.  Keith and I can come the night before and then the other guys can come the day of the wedding."

"I'd like that."

"I'll talk to Keith and see if we can't work that out.  If we take the Lions, it cuts the travel time in half and if there was a problem back on Arus, the guards should be able to hold them off until we got back."

Romelle grinned, "I can't believe this is actually happening.  I am so excited and scared and nervous.  I am marrying Sven.  I have to pinch myself sometimes to know that it is really happening."

Allura smiled as they continued their walk towards the woods, "It amazes me at how lucky we are."

"There was a time when I thought my life was over," Romelle whispered.  "Sven saved me in more ways than one."

"I have to thank him too for bringing you back to us," Allura added quietly.

"Princess."

Allura stopped suddenly and looked up to see Lotor blocking their path.  Romelle felt the air rush from her lungs as she stumbled backwards in a blind panic.

"What do you want?"  Allura's eyes narrowed as she reached for the weapon on her belt.

Lotor took a step closer, "You didn't answer my letter."

Romelle backed into a tree and whimpered.  It was the first time she had seen Lotor since she had been thrown into the Pit of Skulls.  Horrible memories came rushing back as sheer terror rushed over her.

The ruler of Doom shifted his gaze past the Princess and to his former slave.  A thin smile crossed his lips, "I know you."

Romelle's mouth moved wordlessly.  She hated that he still had this power over her, but she didn't know what else to do.  She silently pleaded with Sven to come.

"I thought you were dead," he continued.  "I came for the Princess, but now I've got two of you."

"No."  Romelle's whimper was barely audible.

"Lotor, this is between us," Allura stepped between him and her cousin.  "Get off my planet."

"Not without you."

She leveled her blaster at him.

"You won't shoot me," he taunted.

"What makes you say that?"

With one swift movement, Lotor reached out and wrenched the weapon from her hand, grabbed her other arm and twisted her around so her back was pressed against him.  He tossed her blaster aside and cupped her chin in his hand, squeezing painfully, forcing her head back to rest on his shoulder.  With his lips pressed to her ear, he whispered, "I wanted you to know that I can still get on your planet.  I can still get to you."

Allura cursed herself as she felt her body tremble, "You don't scare me."

Romelle shook convulsively as she watched helplessly while Lotor held Allura.

"Know this," he hissed into her ear.  "If you go through with this sham of a marriage, I will make sure that as long as I am alive you will have reason to fear me.  I will make sure that your children will pay for this indiscretion of yours."

Ice cold dread flooded Allura's veins as his words permeated her mind.

"Allura!"  Keith sounded annoyed, she was once again out of his sight.

"Keith!"  Romelle's voice came out in a high pitched screech.

They all heard the sound of feet pounding the ground as Keith and Sven raced toward the sound of her voice.


"This isn't over."  Lotor released his grip on her and pushed her hard.  Allura landed on her hands and knees in front of him.  He took the opportunity to kick her in the side and watch her fall painfully to the ground before he turned and disappeared into the woods.

Allura pushed herself up just as Keith fell to his knees beside her.  "What happened?"

Sven held Romelle as she shook silently in his arms, "It's alright, it's alright.  Vhat happened?"

"Lotor," Allura spat as she sat back against a tree, her arm wrapped around her middle.

Keith looked around, "Where did he go?"

"That way," she pointed half heartedly in the direction he had gone.

Keith pulled out his communicator and called for squads of soldiers and guards to sweep the area.  He looked at Allura and gently stroked her cheek, red from Lotor's tight grip, "Are you okay?"

Allura nodded and using the tree she was leaning against, pushed herself up, "I'm fine."

He wrapped an arm around her waist to support her, "Come on, let's get you checked out and then I want you to tell me what happened."

"It was nothing, Keith.  He came and spooked us before disappearing.  It's more important that you try and find him, find out how he got here."

Keith looked up at Sven and saw his friend holding his fiancée to him as she quietly cried into his shoulder, "I'll get dem up to de castle if you vant to check tings out, Keit."

The Captain nodded, "Alright.  Take them straight to the hospital wing and have them checked out."

"I'm fine," Allura insisted as Arusian soldiers began to flood the woods.


"Humor me," Keith said, using his I'm-the-Commander-don't-argue-with-me voice.  "I'll let you know what I find."

Holding her head high, Allura limped back to the castle with Sven and Romelle.  Her side throbbed with pain, but she hardly noticed it as Lotor's words replayed in her mind.