Hello everyone! I know, I am slow with posting...but still writing so trying not to catch up to myself too soon! The next few chapters will be slow but will get hyped up soon! Thank you to all who still follow and to all my new additions! Welcome! xoxoxo

I do not own or profit from Voltron or any of its characters. All OCs belong to me :-)

The Resistance: Book III

Chapter 3

Lunch, much to Lance's relief, was filled with minor banter and light conversation. No drama…score! The princess had already excused herself to take a phone call from Romelle- who was more than likely calling to ream her for taking Sven away, yet again. After finishing their meal, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge wrapped up conversation and headed toward the maintenance bay when they heard Allura call out to Red.

"Forgetting our date, McClain?" she announced, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. All four slowly turned to look at her- Keith slightly mimicking her stance.

"Um, what now?" said Lance.

"Wow, Lance. I never thought that you would forget about the opportunity to watch me get undressed…" she paused to flash a wicked grin at the shocked expressions elicited by her statement. The princess rolled her eyes "Shopping…remember? I need a bodyguard?" she clarified.

"Ah, yes! The fashion extravaganza to be observed by yours truly." He recalled with a smile as he approached her. "…and that is quite the body I will be guarding my fair lady." He winked, taking her hand to kiss it. Red's pilot snickered as he sensed Keith's eyes boring holes into his back. Allura joined in his amusement. Linking her arm through his, they turned to face the rest of the team.

"Don't worry, Fearless One. I'll take good care of her." He smirked. The princess giggled as they turned and walked away.

Keith rolled his eyes and faced Pidge and Hunk. "Pidge. You and I have a meeting with a team of scientists from the Alforian Institute of Technology on Friday at 0900." He stated.

"Really? What about?" he asked.

"Apparently they have discovered some new kind of stealth cloaking technology and the princess wants you to look over the schematics and make sure it's for real." He explained.

"Hmm…that sounds promising. Do you by any chance know who the lead is?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. His name is Eugene Iasona. Maybe call and see if he can provide you with any details ahead of time. This is pretty important to her and I want to make sure she's not being misled." He added.

"No problem. I'm pretty sure I know the guy. If it's who I think it is, he's pretty brilliant. I'll give him a call and see what I can dig up." He assured.

"Thanks Pidge, that would be great. Hunk, I'll head down to the maintenance bay with you. Black and I need a little one-on-one time." He smiled.

"No problem, Cap. I can always use the company. Better yet, I can actually show you the upgrades we installed. They're pretty awesome, if I may say so myself." He said, patting himself on the back.

"No doubt, Hunk" he chuckled. "Lead the way my friend" he said and followed Hunk to the Bay.

xxxxx

The capital city of Altea had been relocated to an area behind the Castle of Lions after it was demolished following the death of King Alfor. Keith felt that the new location offered more protection from attacks. As usual, he was right. Altea was surrounded by high mountain ranges on all sides, making it difficult to be bombarded by enemy craft. Because of this, the city flourished faster than any other in Arus' northern hemisphere, which helped increase the people's resolve and morale. Various shops, cafés, and night-life hot spots had popped up everywhere. The city was modern and sophisticated in comparison to others on Arus. In addition, University square, where all of the esteemed universities were located, was situated in Altea.

Allura was thoroughly enjoying her time out with Lance. They sat at a café and talked for over an hour. She told him about the proposal and he, of course, had the same reaction as Keith; however, he chose not take sides or badger her. Instead, he listened and offered some suggestions. The Red Lion pilot had missed the time he used to spend with the princess. Allura rarely had a free moment and in the off chance that she did, she spent it with Keith. That didn't bother him, he was elated that the two had finally come to terms with their feelings; it didn't change the fact that he missed her- I am her best friend, after all. He found solace in the fact that she still came to him with her problems. Lance loved that Allura still confided in him about everything…well…almost everything…and continued to feel comfortable around him. A content grin crossed his lips at the thought of their friendship.

The outing was perfect, just like old times. Of course, the citizens of Altea were consistently approaching them as they walked along the streets. Great, can't wait to see the papers tomorrow Lance thought and rolled his eyes. The princess didn't seem to mind. She smiled at everyone, was polite and cordial, striking up conversations here and there. How does she do it? This would drive me crazy…and I love attention. Ha! Keith would lose it for sure! He chuckled.

"You know, we've been out here for a couple hours, Lura-Lu, and you haven't modeled anything for me yet. I'm starting to feel a bit cheated." He smirked.

Allura rewarded him with her infamous giggle. "Sorry, you're right. A promise is a promise. We're just going to take a little detour." She said. Lance looked at her, confused. She linked her arm through his and continued. "I've been thinking. I want Arus to be known for something other than Voltron. Arusians have a lot to offer. We have always been brilliant artists and scientists. I need to find a way to expose the universe to that side of Arus again. My people are more than Voltron and it's time to give them their identity back." She explained.

"OK, I get that, and I'm right there with you but, what does that have to do with shopping?" he asked.

Allura smiled and pointed at the building in front of them. Arusian Design Academy. Red's pilot gave her yet another quizzical look.

"As you are well aware, I am considered to be the most photographed princess in the Alliance, or so I've been told." She winked.

"True. You're certainly more popular on Earth than most Terran princesses for sure." Lance agreed.

"Well, that being the case, from now on I intend to use this popularity to help promote industry on Arus." She paused as they walked into the academy. Allura was immediately greeted by a team of four designers of whom it was obvious she had spoken to before. She hugged each one as they exchanged air kisses. Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into he thought.

"Lance, I would like you to meet Aggie, Ferdinand, Shana, and Fina, creators of Lily of Arus." She said proudly. Lance nodded his head in acknowledgment, but remained at the peak of curiosity.

"Are they ready?" inquired Allura.

"Oh yeah, Princess! They sure are! If you approve, we'll have them delivered to the Castle this afternoon!" exclaimed Aggie.

Allura was giddy with excitement. "Aggie, I want to show them to Lance. Based on his reaction, I'll let you know if I approve." She winked.

"You got it, Princess! I'll get everything ready and I'll let you know when to come on back." smiled the tall slender girl who sported a Goth look from head to toe. Lance couldn't help but notice, of course. Nice. He shook his head to free himself of all lascivious thoughts and turned his focus back to the princess.

"Allura, what's going on? Is this something that Captain Possessive is going to kill me for?" he snorted.

"Relax, Lance." She chuckled. "Look, you know what looks good on women. That's why I wanted you here with me. I know you'll be honest. From now on, whenever I make a public appearance of any kind, I will only wear clothing designed by Arusian designers. I'm trying to make a name for them. For this reason, I need to make sure that these designs will elicit a certain response. I need them to attract the right kind of attention. Up until now, the paparazzi of the universe were interested in me because I am a princess…unattainable…overly protected and the only female on the Force…heck knows it wasn't for my fashion sense. Well….that's about to change. From now on, I'll be known as the princess who can kick major ass and look fantastic doing it!" She said with confidence and a wink.

Lance arched a brow. "I'm almost too afraid to ask but, what exactly is my role in this transformation?"

Allura laughed. "You, my dearest friend, are going to give me your honest opinion, that's all. I'm going to put on a few of the designs they created for me and you're going to tell me what you really think." She explained.

Lance shrugged. "OK, I can definitely handle that."

"Remember, the idea is to look sexy in a classy and sophisticated way…not sleazy sexy…got it, McClain?" she said with her hands on her hips.

"Aw man, so you're not going to try on anything sleazy? That's it, I'm goin'!" he said, pretending to leave.

"Lance! This is important to me!" she pleaded.

He flashed her the signature Lancelot smile she was so fond of. "Of course, Lura-Lu. I'm all yours. Let's get this show on the road." he said as he sat down the empty chair next to Shana.

Allura clapped her hands, jumped up and down in excitement, then went in back with Aggie. She proceeded to model about eight different outfits, all of which took Lance's breath away. She was no longer their shy, virtuous, and adolescent Princess Allura. No sir, she was now Her Royal Highness Princess Allura Arleana Altair, future Queen of Arus- and she was most definitely all woman.

xxxxx

After spending over an hour in maintenance bay with Hunk, Keith returned to his office to finish up some reports that needed to be sent to the Garrison. Although he was proud of his military career and accomplishments, he resented being a member the Garrison. Keith took pride in being very well read, and continued to educate himself as much as possible- wanting to be sure that if he went head to head in a debate, he would most certainly know what he was talking about. His in-depth research and study were one reason why the captain despised the Garrison and, by association, resented the Alliance- he knew them all too well. After the disappearance of his parents, he observed first hand where their loyalties belonged. The only motivation held by Galaxy Garrison was political gain under the guise of interplanetary protection- a fact that was more than evident in their dealings with Arus.

While Voltron was intact, the Alliance and Garrison jumped through hoops for Arus. The moment Voltron was dismantled, they turned their backs on the Arusians; providing a wealth of excuses for their lack of support which, ultimately, lead to the demise of a planet that once flourished. The people of Arus wanted nothing to do with Galaxy Garrison, nor did the members of the Force- but, Allura was another story.

Allura. The thought of her relaxed his anger and brought a grin to his stern expression of moments ago. He thought of their morning rendezvous and how good it felt to have her in his arms after so long. We shouldn't have to hide. So why were they again? Coran? No. Keith knew fair well that Allura's guardian already believed that something was going on between them. Nanny? Sure, she'd be a pain, but we could deal with her. The people? God no! They wanted the union just as badly as he did. Titiles? Well, that was no longer an issue either. No. There was only one reason. Lotor. Keith's heart and mind were overcome with rage at the thought of the Drule Prince who tormented his love for years; however, was that a solid enough reason to not be with her in the open? Lotor was certainly not oblivious. Keith knew the dark prince had suspected that there were strong feelings between he and the princess; however, it is one thing to suspect and another to know for certain. The captain rolled his eyes in amusement as he thought of the statement that had earned many grimaces from his team. It seemed as though Lotor had complete control of their lives. He has complete control of our lives? I guess he does, doesn't he? And I'm the one that gave him that control. He thought, and grew more frustrated by the minute. What the hell am I doing? What was I thinking? I've allowed that bastard to dictate our future…well…screw that! I have the ring…I can protect her. He won't go near her, I'll make sure of it! Keith had made up his mind. He had enough of the hiding. He was going to tell Allura everything and then, if she would still have him, he would take the next step. A bright smile grew over the commander's face at the thought of spending the rest of his life with his Princess. The moment of revelation was interrupted by Lance, as usual.

"Lance!"

"Yeah yeah, I know, codes, locks, asshole, yada yada yada…aren't you tired of it…really?" snickered Lance.

"Aren't you?" Keith huffed.

"Touché, my friend." He paused and plopped down in the chair in front of Keith. "So, I see Thor hasn't arrived yet."

"No. He'll probably be here soon though."

"Good…good. So, dontcha wanna know how my date with your woman went?" ribbed Red's pilot. Keith narrowed his eyes as Lance continued"Ha…don't worry, Bro. Although I offered to give her my honest opinion in the black nighty department, she wasn't interested- couldn't even convince her to buy one." Ha laughed, but the captain didn't flinch. Lance was suddenly thrown by the devious expression that crossed his best friend's face.

"That's because she knows it's a waste of time. It's not like it would stay on for long. Besides, I much prefer what's underneath." said the captain, giving his best friend a knowing look.

The Red lion pilot was stunned at his friend's admission. "Well, I'll be damned! Hell hath frozen over! Kogane has actually offered up a tidbit about his sex life…with the princess no less!"

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it." Keith declared. "Anyway, how was it?"

Lance sighed. "It was fun, actually. I miss spending time with her without you around." He snorted as Keith threw his gaze up to the ceiling. "I'll tell you this, my friend. She is definitely not our sweet innocent little princess anymore, but I'm sure that you already know that." He paused and gave Keith a little smirk. The captain snickered in response. Lance continued. "All I know is that Nanny is going to go postal when she sees Allura's new attire."

Keith raised his brows. "Why? What the heck did she buy?"

"No man, nothing crazy, at least not to us. She's gonna look fantastic, classy as hell…will definitely be turning heads…but a far cry from Nanny's medieval gear that's for sure." He explained.

"Great, another reason for her to blame us for Princess's 'improper behavior'." Keith smirked.

"Ain't that the truth!" he laughed and then toned his demeanor down a bit which earned a quizzical expression from Keith. Red's pilot looked at his best friend and continued "We also talked about this proposal from AIT."

"Oh, did you now." He said and crossed his arms in front of him.

"You know, there is a solution to the funding problem." Lance stated.

"Don't start Lance." Keith snarled

"Why not? You know, for a guy who doesn't like secrets, you sure keep a lot of them, Kogane." he declared, earning another nasty look form his surrogate brother.

"That's all about to change. I've decided to tell her everything." Keith confirmed.

"Really? What brought this on? No…wait…let me guess…something to do with your, ehem, 'extended meeting' before lunch?" he said with a sly grin.

"Must you always be so crass?" huffed Keith.

"Whoa…right, because the nighty comment wasn't crass at all" he snorted then rolled his eyes at Keith's expression. "Alright, alright, I'll cut it out. So, what happened?"

"I just got to thinking is all. I'm done letting Lotor and the media dictate what happens. I can protect her. I will protect her…" he began and Lance interjected.

"We will protect her…and she can most definitely protect herself, Kogane." Lance sternly added.

Keith nodded. "Bottom line, I'm tired of hiding. She's had everything she's ever loved taken away from her. I won't deny her this, I won't deny us this. I want to be with her, always…no more hiding and hoping for a moment alone." He said with raw emotion.

Lance looked at his friend, his brother, with deep understanding. "Well, it's about time, Bro. I'm sick of watching you two mope. So, when are you going to talk to her?"

Keith sighed. "I'm not sure. She's got that Alliance conference on Earth in two weeks and I'll be damned if I let her deal with them alone. I'll probably tell her then."

"Good. You can start by letting her in on the 'family business'." He snorted.

"Lance…"

"Oh come on Keith! Put your pride aside and think about what's best for Arus, Your Soon-to-be-Majesty! What could be better for Arus than full funding from Duncan Aeronautics, Master Kogane?" he huffed.

Keith stood up. "Don't call me that, Damn it! You know I don't associate with that part of my life." He spat.

"Keith. Your uncle made some mistakes. Give him a break would you? Besides, it was your parents who made it very clear that you were to live with us should anything happen. Come on, you know you were better off with us anyway." Lance said, sympathetically.

"Of course I was! That's not the point! He had the means to help figure out what happened to my parents…his sister, and he did nothing! Then he thinks he can buy my respect, my honor? He and his frickin paid-off titles of nobility? Screw him!" Keith said, more hurt than angry.

Lance stood up and walked over to his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Keith, you have every right to resent him. I get it. I was there, remember? He tried, Keith, the only way he knew how. Sure it seemed shallow, but that's all he knows. Give the guy a break. He's alone. You're the only family he has. He's tried to reach out to you…what do you have to lose? Don't do it for him, do it for Allura and Arus. Let's get rid of Garrison once and for all…finally do things our way."

Keith had calmed down. He looked at Lance and nodded. "Fine. I'll give him a copy of the proposal."

"Great! Hey, maybe you and the princess can take a little trip to your other homeland…show her your castle." He winked.

Keith rolled his eyes, sighed deeply, then looked at Lance in full on Commander Mode. "Now I have a question, Lancelot McClain. Are you and the guys prepared for the consequences should my uncle decide to fund this project?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" asked Lance.

"Are you prepared to resign you positions with the Garrison and face the consequences associated with that resignation? Are you prepared to stay on Arus, permanently?" he expressed.

"You have to ask? You know the answer to that! You know how we all feel!" he declared.

"I'm just making sure, Lance. It's the first thing they'll threaten Allura with and you know that it's the only reason she hasn't pulled out of the Alliance up to now. I need to assure her that we're not going anywhere, no matter what." He continued.

Lance stared him down then picked up his com. "Hunk, Pidge, come in!" he said while he continued to stare at Keith.

"yeah Lance, were both here" said Hunk.

"Get your asses to Keith's office, now. It's important." He said, firmly.

"on our way. Be there in 5. Garret out".

"They need to be here too. You need to tell them everything, Keith. We're a team. It's time."