Hey there! Back again! Warning now, this may prove to be a slow chapter, well as slow as anything that NaTal gets involved in that is. Anyways, this chapter's focus will be mainly on an important event in any person's life, and thus giving us a look into Drule culture. Why am I doing this? I have no idea. Am I going to have fun? Hell yea! On with the show!
NaTal sat at her window, ideally twirling one of her curls and thinking about the days to come. She was more then a little worried for herself, considering what would be happening. Was she really ready for this? She stood up, straightened her dress and walked out of the room.
"Okay, Lance, start talking!" Keith snapped, pushing his friend into the chair and standing over him, "There's something's bothering you and you're not going anywhere until we find out what it is!"
"Then we're not going anywhere a long time I guess!" Lance growled, glaring up at his best friend.
"I suppose we are," Keith growled in return.
"Lance, Keith! This really isn't necessary. If you would both just calm down and..."
"No disrespect intended princess," Lance started, not taking his glare off of Keith, "but unless the next words out of your mouth have something to do with pie, you'd better not say them."
Allura backed away from the impending fight and out of the room. Out in the hall, she met up will Hunk and Pidge, who were waiting for the ruckus to die down.
"How long will this take?" she asked, looking between the two for answers.
"That depends," Pidge said, pushing up his glasses.
"On what?" she asked.
"On how stubborn they're both feeling today," Hunk answered flatly.
"They both seemed to be feeling like putting up a fight today, I'm actually hoping that King Zarcon attacks today so that they have something to distract them from this. Do you guys really have no idea what's wrong with Lance?"
The two men looked at each other for a moment before answering their princess.
"Well, Keith doesn't know this, but NaTal and Lance were an item back at the academy," Pidge explained, pulling out a picture of the aforementioned pair and handing it to the princess.
"They were practically made for each other," Hunk added, leaning against the wall.
"So, what has Lance acting like there's a sniper on the loose?"
"NaTal... still lives by Drule traditions. And her coming of age ceremony will be taking place soon."
"So, Lance is concerned as to how he's going to get there without looking like a traitor?" Allura asked, crossing her arms.
"That would be my guess," Pidge said with a shrug.
"You think we should find a way to cover for him while he's gone?" Hunk asked, looking at the princess pleadingly.
"That would be the best course of action for this situation," she said with a smirk playing on her lips.
NaTal walked into her brother's room, not even caring if he was with someone, which he was.
"Lolo," she called after closing the door again, "I need to talk to you."
"I'll be out in a moment," he answered, startled to hear himself addressed by that nickname.
"Alright," she called back from her side of the door.
She wasn't left waiting for long as he'd made quick his exit to see what was wrong with his sister.
"What is it?" he asked, trying to read his sister's face.
"You know that my coming up in a few days," she said softly.
"That's all you're worried about?" he asked before getting a look from his younger sibling, "I didn't mean it that way."
"Then how did you mean it?" she demanded, folding her arms.
"I'm only saying that you don't have anything to worry about," he said, trying to sound comforting, "Everything's going to be alright. It's not like they can tell you that you're no longer allowed to be an adult or anything like that. And don't you dare tell me that was you were worried about."
"No, that's not what was bothering me. It's been five years since your ceremony. Do you really think there's anyone still alive that would even care?" she asked softly, looking away.
"Will you relax?" he asked, grabbing hold of his sister by her shoulders, "Everything's going to be alright, don't worry about it. And one other thing,"
"Yes?" she asked, hoping that her brother was going to impart a very important piece of knowledge upon her.
"Go to bed, you need sleep," he said simply, turning around and returning to his room.
"That was it?!" she asked herself, staring at where her brother had been just a moment before.
Lance slipped into the break room, as the note he'd found had instructed him to, and waited for whomever had asked him here to show up. The lights flipped on and he found himself flanked by both Hung and Pidge with Allura standing in front of all of three of them.
"Did I do something wrong?" Lance asked, nervous that he was going to be beaten.
"No, we need to talk to you about your girlfriend's coming-of-age party," Allura said quietly, looking her friend over before turning her back, "The three of us are going to cover your trail until you get back. However, I have a favor to ask you."
"What would it be?" Lance asked, more then a little nervous about the whole situation he was in.
"I would like for you to bring this to her on behalf of Arus," Allura said, turning around and holding out a small box with gold edges.
"What's in it?" Lance asked, holding the box up to eye level.
"A necklace that is to act as a peace offering to at least one of their people. Any ally that Arus can gain is one that it desperately needs," she explained, closing Lances hand around the box, "Please make sure that she gets this," she finished, starting to sound sad.
"I'll make sure that she does," Lance whispered, holding the box close to his chest, "You can count on that."
With that said, he turned and ran out of the room.
"You think he'll make it?" Pidge asked, looking at his princess.
"You mean without running into Keith? Not likely. If you mean that he'll get out of the castle, then he will find his way, but we still have to keep Keith distracted until he returns,"
"Understood," the two said in unison before turning and walking out of the room.
I'm having fun, how's about all of you guys out there? Good! See you all next time around! Nyo!