I do not own Voltron or anything even remotely associated with it. Heaven knows if I did, I would still have the toys. This is another one that got away from me so it is REALLY long, I apologize.

Arus

Keith's first glimpse of Arus was not what he had expected. Had he not known better, he would have thought they had landed on another planet, so vastly did the sight that met his eyes differ from the one he had seen ten years ago. Gone were the ramshackle buildings and dilapidated farms. Gone were the ambling roads and scattered dwellings meant to resemble towns. In its place were glistening buildings, never higher than five stories, organized paths and streets, and an air that sang with prosperity. Frankly, it was no longer a planet straight out of the tales of legendary kingdoms. In fact, it seemed less like a kingdom and more like a bustling metropolis. The only sight that did not please him was the obvious garrisons and the guns stationed on every block. Arus would never be caught unprepared again and while it was necessary even under the current status of peace, it saddened him just the same. Arus was not all hustle-bustle, however. A great part of it was still forested and he had it on good authority that the "love bridge" was a popular tourist attraction, but there was no denying its difference. Whatever else she might have done as a Queen, Allura had made certain that her planet was prosperous and protected even without the might of Voltron. A distant part of him acknowledged that he was proud before he quickly smothered it. He should have expected no less of her. One had only to spend five minutes in her company to discover that the former Princess loved her planet and her people more than anything else in the galaxy. That she had gone to such efforts to improve their livelihood was not surprising.

"Stop gawking, Keith. It's only a planet, after all," Lance chided, moving to stand alongside him as the ship gradually began to slow. Grinning briefly, Keith turned his gaze back to the window and replied,

"It might as well be the first time I've seen it. I never would have recognized it."

"GG's compensation at work. Strikes me that it doesn't really make up for all the destroyed

homes...the lives lost in five years." Resting his elbow against the window, Lance stared out at the rapidly passing landscape and frowned.

"Wouldn't it be worse if their sacrifice went unnoticed?"

"Maybe. Some of them have forgotten and to the children born afterwards, it all seems like a grand story, but for the people of Arus who do remember...it doesn't even come close."

Such seriousness was unusual from Lance, even now, and Keith found himself studying his friend for several moments, almost as if he had never seen him before either. There was something behind Lance's sudden frown that he couldn't determine, something that hinted Arus' prosperity was not all that it seemed. Shaking himself briefly, Lance threw Keith the grin he remembered and said lightly,

"Sometimes the ambassador in me refuses to die...it makes coming here even harder because I was a part of it. I can't be neutral."

"GG wants you to sniff around while you're here."

"Keith, your terms are so quaint. Naturally they couldn't resist such a prime opportunity. And what better time when my business is not strictly theirs? No one will be on guard around me."

"And they usually are?"

Lance shrugged and threw Keith another look that was too ambiguous to decipher what emotion lay behind it.

"Let's just say that the last time I visited here, everyone was very careful not to mention

Arusian politics in my presence. I'm not exactly considered trustworthy."

One of Keith's brows arched and he took a step closer to the suddenly edgy Lance, his voice deliberately low as he inquired,

"What really happened the first time you came here on GG business?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Zarkon, Keith, you'll find out for yourself soon enough. Don't say anything to the big guy though. He's only visited with his family and it's been one rip-roaring vacation for them. Pidge might suspect something, he's more observant than God, but I can't tell for sure. This isn't the side of GG you're involved in, nor is it one that you'd like if you knew, but it's my side of it and it's better that you keep your nose out of it unless you somehow become involved. Don't become involved."

"Lance..." Keith began but the sound of footsteps behind them cut off any reply he could form. Face strangely serious once more(it just didn't suit him)Lance suddenly looked as haggard as Keith as he said softly,

"Trust me on this one, Keith. Please."

Against all his efforts, Keith's brows raised but he let the matter drop. Though he was nearly certain there would be other things on his mind as soon as he set foot on the planet's surface, he was almost grateful to Lance for providing him with a distraction, should he need one. He would honor his friend's wishes and remain uninvolved however, even when he discovered what it was. No matter what awaited them on Arus, he was Lance's commander no longer and this mission, whatever it was, was his and his alone.

Predictably Hunk and Pidge were the source of the approaching footsteps, the latter with the disturbing figure of Mycin perched on his shoulder. Fidgeting uncomfortably with the belt of his uniform, Hunk flashed Keith and Lance a look of pure misery and grumbled,

"Uniforms were not made with fat men in mind." Desperately his friends tried not to smile and failed. Only Pidge retained a hint of sobriety as he and Hunk came abreast of the other two. Moving to stand next to Keith, the entirely too serious young man leaned over and whispered,

"Are you ready for this?"

"I don't think I could be if I tried," Keith answered just as softly. Pidge smiled reassuringly and fleetingly put a hand on his shoulder. Understanding gleamed just as briefly in his eyes before he moved away as if he had never spoken. In the old days, Keith had always felt like a sort of older brother towards Pidge. Hunk was the one he had been the closest to and still was, but there remained between them a sort of uneasy understanding of each other. He had always known what ideas to encourage from the youth while Pidge had always known what not to pursue with him and what to silently acknowledge. It was pleasant and yet unsettling at the same time. Looking at Pidge now, Keith found himself missing the sometimes overeager yet open young boy he had known. Where had he vanished to within the slender young man that now stood behind him? Perhaps, Pidge, too, had demons he fought against.

Outside the whizzing scenery began to have details and a tension he wished he didn't feel simultaneously began to build within Keith's stomach. Their destination was Arus' official terminal, an airport of sorts, but really more of a platform/checking in station where ships departed and landed on a semi-weekly basis. As a result of its role in establishing peace across the galaxy, Arus was now a major player in the confederation of planets. Lance was not the only ambassador who frequented its surface, but it seemed strange to him in spite of everything that happened. To him Arus would always be the unknown planet with the miraculous key to everyone's safety that he had never had cause to hear of until he arrived. Common sense told him that the moment he was dreading wouldn't happen once they landed. As momentous a happening as this reunion of the original Voltron force was, the royal family would not come to the platform to greet them. That torture would wait until they reached the palace and the time spent in apprehension loomed before him almost tauntingly. Thus far, he wasn't sorry he had come...he only wished that the worst of it was over and done with. The ship began to slow and the tension began to seep into his shoulders as their pilot unnecessarily announced that they had reached their destination. As the ship came to a stop, all four men lurched from one side to the other, causing Lance to mutter about whose brilliant idea it had been to be in the hanger when they landed before he remembered it was his own. Amid bursts of steam and creaking noises that were far from reassuring, their transport finally came to a stop and the door in front of them slowly began to open. Simultaneously a platform extended down towards the landing pad and Keith suddenly found that the breath had left his body, despite all his reassuring thoughts. Suppose he was wrong...suppose they really were waiting for them on the platform in all their royal splendor...he would face it as calmly as if he were going into battle. In a way, he was, although he would much rather be crossing swords with the minions of Zarkon a hundred times over than doing this. Throwing a look over his shoulder, he nodded with a confidence he didn't feel to his companions and descended the ramp. Almost naturally the others fell into form behind him, Hunk and Pidge walking abreast in the middle with Lance taking up the rear. Their luggage had been left behind–someone from the castle would see that it reached their quarters, or so they had been informed.

For the second time, Keith was greeted with a sight he didn't expect and he was beginning to suspect it wouldn't be the last. As he descended the ramp, it was not the sight he feared that met his eyes but an altogether different one that was no less frightening. Amassed on the landing pad was a large group of Arusians, perhaps hundreds, maybe even nearing a thousand, and all of them were cheering. Some waved posters of Voltron while others had miniatures of the lions themselves. It was all he could do not to stare. Behind him, he could hear Lance snickering softly at his reaction and he threw another glance over his shoulder.

"What is all this?" Keith muttered. All three broke into smirks, and even Pidge's seemed genuine. Running a hand through his hair, Hunk couldn't wipe the grin from his face as he answered,

"We're kind of celebrities here, Keith."

"What?"

"The people love us," Lance threw in, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

"Voltron's become something like the legends of Camelot and Robin Hood to the Arusians. You could say that you're their very own version of King Arthur," Pidge said helpfully, his smile only slightly more subdued than the other two. Unable to stop himself, Keith scanned the cheering crowd a second time and replied,

"I'd say better late than never but this is...I don't know what this is. What do we do?"

"You could try waving," Pidge suggested, his smile becoming more and more like the boy Keith remembered as the younger man watched his former commander struggle with the idolization he clearly didn't think he deserved.

"Yeah, Keith, wave. I bet some infatuated young woman will blow you a kiss."

"Lance."

"They do give gifts, sometimes," Hunk put in, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Keith's eyes widened and he surveyed his grinning friends for a long moment before giving in to his laughter.

"Using your fame for your own advantage, I am ashamed of the lot of you. Fine, we'll bow or something, but I am NOT waving. And you are NOT kissing any girls. Or taking any food or whatever gifts they might have. Or stopping to tell any stories." Fixing each of them with as stern of a look as he could manage, Keith sighed heavily and stepped towards the cheering crowd. The clapping and cheers only grew louder and he smiled the same smile he had learned to utilize during the official functions GG always held and bowed in acknowledgment of the crowd's adoration. The cheers became frenzied for a moment as his companions went through the same motion and then Keith quickly began to walk the length of the platform once more. All around him he heard people calling his name or speaking speculatively of how he had changed. One girl proclaimed in a loud whisper that he had only grown more handsome and his shoulders only stiffened all the more. Part of him was flattered and so immensely flattered that he didn't dare to admit to himself how touched he was by the Arusians show of appreciation. And then there was another part that hated to think of himself being part of any legend. He should have known, however. There were books about them, nearly hundreds of them, and on some he had been asked to collaborate and had always refused. The first series Lance had sent him as a joke. He had stopped reading after about a hundred pages and buried the entire set in a box in one of his closets. The descriptions of all of them had been fairly accurate; Lance was the joker always in trouble, Pidge the brainy brat, Hunk the lovable guy, Allura enchantingly beautiful and out of reach, Sven mysterious and brave, and himself the rigidly honorable leader. There was nothing of Nanny or the mice and even Coran had been reduced to a supporting role but he couldn't bear to read them. Looking at the Arusians craning their necks for a better view of them, he didn't doubt that a copy was on every shelf and had been read through cover to cover more than once. Again part of him understood while another part wished that it hadn't become what it had become to them. He almost resented it. While it was not a part of his life he chose to remember often, it was still his life and the thought of having to share it with thousands of people he didn't know or care to know was more than a trifle disturbing. This, more than anything, proved why he could never truly be a figure in the public eye. His privacy was too precious to him.

Lost in his musings, Keith didn't see the palace official waiting to escort them until he was nearly upon him. Coming to an abrupt halt, he found himself face to face with a tall, eager looking young man who could scarcely be a day over twenty. Brown eyes widened at first in wonder and then in recognition and a hand came up to the forehead in a smart salute.

"Captain Halberd at your service, Sir. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the planet of Arus and an honor to meet you at last, Commander." Looking the young man up and down, Keith found himself analyzing him much in the same manner as he did his students before he could stop himself. He had a good stance about him and his build suggested that he didn't take the physical side of his training lightly. For all his youth, there was a seriousness about his features that contrasted vividly with the eagerness of his gaze, but Keith found himself liking the potential that he saw in spite of it. In a few years, perhaps, he would be a good soldier, especially once he got over goggling at figures out of legends.

"The honor is mine, I assure you, Captain Halberd. I apologize for nearly stepping on you."

If it was possible, Captain Halberd's eyes grew even wider and his mouth opened and closed silently several times before he managed to utter,

"It would have been no trouble, Sir, begging your pardon, if you had trod on me."

"It would have been an honor?" Keith asked gently, his brows raising ever so slightly. The

young man flushed to the roots of his hair and stammered,

"I meant no offense, Sir, it's just...well, it's you, Sir and..."

"Have you even noticed the rest of us, Stevan?" Lance put in, throwing Keith a knowing grin and giving the young man the time he needed to recover himself. Saluting smartly, Stevan Halberd nodded in turn to the three members of the Voltron Force he had met several times before.

"It's a pleasure to see the three of you, too. Though I can't say your last visit was very pleasurable. The maids have been warned about you."

Lance shrugged sheepishly as Hunk playfully shoved him and Keith and Pidge simultaneously shook their heads. Nervously Stevan's gaze flickered to the creature on Pidge's shoulder and one hand extended towards Mycin as if to pet it before he thought better of it and withdrew it.

"Stevan here is the Captain of the third regiment of palace guards," Hunk said, moving forward to place a hand on the young man's shoulder. Stevan lurched under the motion but managed to flash Keith a prideful grin.

"How many regiments are there?"

"Ten, Sir. We have regular rotations to keep ourselves alert and to allow us lives outside of the palace. It's my goal to be asked to join the first regiment, Sir."

"More important duties?"

"Serving in the First Regiment is a requirement to even be eligible to learn to fly the Lions, Sir."

"And you want to fly one of the Lions?"

"More than anything in the galaxy."

Stevan's sincerity was almost painful and Keith turned away so the young man wouldn't see his grimace. So now flying the Lions had become something out of legends, too, something young Arusian men aspired to. He couldn't bear it. Vainly he looked towards the transport already in the process of taking off and wondered if there was any way he could convince the pilot to take him back to GG where Voltron was only whispered about after he had passed. Watching him, Lance took the opportunity to step closer to him and murmured,

"He's a good kid, even if he does have the bug. A lot of them do here. You'll get used to it."

Keith tried to smile but had little success and Lance simply looked back at him. Suffering briefly under Hunk's fatherly teasing, Stevan caught Keith's gaze and addressed him once more.

"My orders are to escort you to Chancellor Mika, Sir. He will be your guide to the palace."

"Lead on, young Stevan," Keith replied, gesturing grandly and watching with pain as the young man beamed back at him. He couldn't help liking the youth for his enthusiasm but he was too much of a reminder of the way he had been once. Keith had never been one to gape at his superiors, but in his own way he had been just as eager for recognition and just as ambitious. If it had been up to him, he would have let one of the others walk alongside the young man, but Stevan had already attached himself to him and his own politeness wouldn't allow him to edge out of it. Obligingly he asked the young guard why exactly he wanted to fly the Lions and that kept Stevan talking all the way to their rendezvous point with Chancellor Mika. Though the young man was clearly fascinated with Keith, he did not seem partial to the Black Lion or being the one to control Voltron. He was more interested in either the Red or the Blue, saying that he would like to be in the action rather than orchestrating it. Apparently he had already picked Lance's brain several times on how the Red Lion functioned and what flying it had been like though he didn't dare ask Her Majesty to share any of her knowledge about the Blue Lion. Glumly he also informed Keith that the waiting lists for the Lions were miles long, in fact, the only one that was short was the Black Lion. When Keith asked why(he was both strangely offended and relieved that his Lion wasn't popular), Stevan turned to him and said in a grave voice,

"The Black Lion is haunted."

"What?"

"Oh, not by you, Sir," Stevan reassured him quickly, looking suddenly mortified by Keith's obvious surprise. "It's just...there are stories, Sir. Those who've trained in it...they say they hear things while they're flying in it. They say the Lion talks to them."

Keith's brows shot up but he didn't say anything more and Stevan surprisingly let the subject drop. Part of it may have been due to the fact that they had finally reached their destination but he sensed that the young man was genuinely disturbed by the reports of the Black Lion. Behind them, the others walked along, their lack of surprise stating that this was not the first time they had heard such a statement. Pushing it to the corner of his mind to ponder at a later time, Keith prepared himself for dealing with Chancellor Mika. According to Lance, he was a pompous fuddy-duddy who didn't care much for the Voltron Force or the fame associated with them. Though Allura ultimately ruled over Arus, the planet was too large for her to tend to all its problems herself and therefore a political system of Chancellors had been devised. Arus had been divided into five areas with a Chancellor and five delegates to act as each areas representative. The term was for ten years during which the Chancellor and delegates would spend their time equally at the palace and in their respective areas. Chancellor Mika was from the Northern Sector and was of what Lance called "Old Stock." Apparently several of the wealthier families of Arus had gone into hiding shortly after Zarkon's attack and hadn't come out again until peace had been permanently established. Mika was a member of one of the more prominent families and his opinions often reflected it. Still, he had been elected by his peers and his delegates were not quite as snobby as he was, though Lance often said it would be a photo finish if they ever ran a race. Unfairly, Keith was predisposed not to like Chancellor Mika–Pidge and Hunk hadn't had anything to say in the man's defense either–but he wasn't about to reveal it in their first meeting.

Their destination was one of many shuttle stations scattered throughout Arus. Along with the presence of regular weapons, Allura had established a system of mass transit across the planet that consisted of shuttles able to carry up to ten passengers from town to town. There was one loop that went around most of the planet, though parts of it were still in construction, but otherwise it was limited mainly to a fifty mile radius from the palace. The idea of it intrigued Keith and he found himself studying the transport awaiting him with a healthy dose of curiosity. He didn't even look at the man surrounded by three burly looking men garbed in the same blue uniform as Stevan. The latter, upon sighting the Chancellor, straightened his shoulders and assumed a stiffly dignified manner as they approached. Tearing his gaze from the shuttle, Keith forced himself to look at the man viewing the four of them with a strangely neutral expression. Chancellor Mika was not a young man by any means. His face was almost entirely composed of wrinkles and the hair that shot up from his forehead in spikes was a startling shade of white. Keen blue eyes looked out from underneath bushy brows and his lips were thin and rare to smile. His nose was overly large and round in shape and his sagging chin was covered by a neatly trimmed beard. Dressed in flowing robes of green embroidered with the symbols meant to represent the Northern Sector, he stood with his arms crossed on his chest, his forehead wrinkling as they drew nearer. Stopping a few feet from the Chancellor, Stevan executed a flawless bow and said,

"Chancellor Mika, it is my honor to present the Voltron Force." The crowd that was predictably gathering around the shuttle station let out a loud cheer. Mika pursed his lips together disapprovingly.

"Welcome. I am Chancellor Mika, of the Northern Sector. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last, Captain Keith. I have heard much of your deeds of ten years ago." His voice was dignified even if it did quaver at times and Keith promptly returned his bow.

"The pleasure is mine, Chancellor Mika. This is a very different Arus from the one I used to know."

"You will find more changes the longer you are here, Captain. All four of you being here is quite a remarkable thing. The people have been told that it is to celebrate the anniversary of your arrival and it is imperative that it remain their perception."

"That explains all the fanfare."

"If you will follow me, gentlemen, I think it is best we be on our way to the palace now. Their Majesties are awaiting your arrival." Mika bowed a second time and gestured towards the waiting shuttle. Acknowledging him with a nod, Keith glanced back at the others in an attempt to try and gauge their reactions but with the exception of Lance, who was looking at the Chancellor with poorly concealed dislike, he could discern nothing of their thoughts. Stevan started forward and Keith had no choice but to follow in his wake, even as his ears strained to catch Mika's greetings to his companions. To Pidge and Hunk he was as polite as he had been to Keith, inquiring about the latter's family and the former's research with seemingly genuine interest. But with Lance there was only a frosty silence, followed by one of Lance's usual remarks that sent the older man storming on ahead. What had Lance up to! He had no time to wonder on it further, however, as his usual preoccupation won him the misfortune of being the one to sit next to Chancellor Mika. Stevan, along with the other burly men had taken up a position at one of the corners of the shuttle and stood staring out at the Arusian countryside. Lance had taken a seat where his back could be to the Chancellor while Pidge and Hunk sat facing Keith, both wearing sympathetic expressions. After waving at the crowd, Mika flicked a switch on the arm of his chair and the shuttle started forward. Since he hadn't had the pleasure of visiting Arus previously, Keith was forced to endure Mika's transformation into a tour guide, listening politely as the man told him things about Arus' reconstruction he never would have dreamed of asking. He asked all the right questions, however, and made all the right responses. Being as important to GG as he was, he had learned how to survive official functions and was fully capable of appearing to be interested in everything Mika had to say without really paying any attention to it. Instead, he stared out the window, studying the passing city and making silent comparisons with his memories.

"What in the hell is that!"

The outburst, surprisingly, came not from Lance, but from the Voltron Captain who was now staring out the window in a mixture of horror and revulsion.

"That, Captain, is the Voltron Memorial," Mika replied, not without a trace of pride in his voice. Aware that the others were watching him and not caring, Keith stared out the window at what had to be the most horrific sight he had seen in ten years. It had been hard not to notice the statue of Voltron, it loomed above all the surrounding buildings and that, alone, hadn't surprised him. It was almost somewhat comforting to see the statue of the robot even if it did bring back a flood of memories. Holding the Blazing Sword, Voltron stood in a defensive pose, its expression one of wariness and warning. A plaque was next to it, large and filled with words Keith couldn't hope to read from this distance even with his eyesight. No, it was not the statue of Voltron that was so disturbing, it was the building behind it. There were five Lion heads, each one a perfect replica of the Lions that formed Voltron, with his own at the center. The arms branched out to each side, while the feet were in the back. Dimly he heard Mika informing him that each Lion Head was an entrance to the building where the accomplishments of the Voltron Force were outlined in detail through pictures and official documents. There were also miniatures of the Lions along with the ships of their foes. Planet Doom had its own section along with Lotor and Zarkon. There were wax figures of the latter pair, along with Hagar and all the members of the Voltron Force. Outside each head was also a statue of its original pilot and inside, he was informed, there was one of all five of them. Sven was the one represented outside the museum, though the Princess was included inside. Her husband, it seemed, didn't like the idea of his wife being on display for everyone to look at and so her role had been minimized as much as possible. Tours were given daily, it was even a popular tourist attraction. Videos had been made from old news clips, along with a special section on where the pilots were now. Keith wanted to set a torch to the entire place. Oblivious to Keith's discomfort, Mika continued to tell him the story of the museum's origins. It had begun as a desire of Allura's to remember her friends by and had soon grown into something more. The Arusians had fallen in love with the project and had provided more than half the cost themselves. GG, naturally, had a hand in it, along with several other planets who thought the idea was a sound one. And so what had been intended to be one statue soon became several and the information gathered soon became more than one room could house. Construction had only finished two years ago and the memorial itself had been open only for the past year. Lance's last visit had coincided with the grand opening celebration and the presence of one of the original pilots had caused a stir among the Arusians. Several had been turned away because the tour guides couldn't handle the numbers of people that wanted to see it. Hunk and Pidge's visits had been nearly just as catastrophic.

"I will never set foot in it," Keith said suddenly, not even realizing he had spoken until a gasp escaped from Steven and he turned away from his post.

"But, Sir, His Highness was so looking forward to taking the four of you there."

"His Highness?"

"Prince Cael, Sir. He's an authority on everything Voltron. His parents were against it, but he gives tours once a week. Under guard of course. He's talked of nothing else since he heard of your arrival."

"I'll consider it," Keith amended with a sigh. Prince Cael. The name sounded strange to his ears and he wished he had never heard it. It was not the boy's fault by any means, but he had no desire to be taken on a tour of his past deeds by Allura's son. And yet, it seemed he would have to. Searching for anything else to release his anger on, he focused his gaze on his companions, all three of them wearing deceptively innocent expressions.

"None of you said a word of this." At his post Stevan flinched at the flat tone of his voice and even Chancellor Mika turned a look of surprise on the Voltron Captain. Sheepishly Hunk dropped Keith's gaze while Pidge said quietly,

"Would it have changed anything if we had?"

"Besides, Keith, we wouldn't have missed your face for the world. I haven't seen you look that pale since Lotor..." Lance's retort died as he realized exactly what he was saying and Keith fixed the fiercest glare he could on his supposed best friend. Not backing down, Lance shrugged carelessly in the face of his anger and added, "What's the harm of it?"

"None, I suppose."

"You're just worried that your statues are ugly."

"I don't care what the damn things look like. We're not gods."

Staring moodily out the window, Keith felt rather than saw the looks that passed between the three of them. At his post, Stevan was having a difficult time controlling his emotions and Keith rather suspected that he had just shattered some of the young guard's perceptions about him. It would do Stevan good to realize that he was a person and not something to be idolized.

"That isn't what they're meant for and you know it. And stop being such an ass. The people of Arus have a perfect right to recognize what you've done for them in any way they see fit. No one needs to ask your permission and you shouldn't feel slighted that they didn't. It's heartfelt, however excessive it may be," Lance retorted harshly. Raising his gaze to meet his, Keith stared back at him for several moments. Too easily he could remember a time when Lance wouldn't have dared to speak to him in such a fashion but he also admitted that during that time, Lance wouldn't have needed to. This had not been a good idea. He should have listened to both Lance and Sam when they had tried to talk him out of coming.

"I'm sorry," he muttered and turned his gaze back to the window once more. A ripple of surprise passed among his companions–Keith seldom admitted he was wrong and hardly ever to Lance–before they wisely fell silent. Uncomfortable and yet wearing a somewhat devious expression on his face, Chancellor Mika cleared his throat loudly and announced,

"The palace approaches."