Three days went by and Lotor didn't show up.

Allura hadn't come to any conclusions about her internal conflict; to continue on with him and make peace by marriage, or try and persuade him to... she didn't even know what any other options could be with his obvious feelings towards her. There was almost no going back at this point.

She was beginning to be worried he had changed his mind on letting her think. The princess started to panic. What if they were found out, by Zarkon? Lotor made it clear his father wasn't keen on him, so would his visiting her without an attack fleet be considered treasonous to the Drules? Was he being punished? Was he being harmed? Should she take Voltron to rescue him?

That last question on her mind made her stop everything she was doing. Doom was his home, he wouldn't need rescuing from where he lived. Or did he? And why should she rescue him?! He had attacked her non stop for nearly a year. The fact she was worrying for him and suddenly caring about his well-being was making her even more upset. She had to excuse herself from everyone for the day and feign a headache just to be alone. They would notice her mood, and she wasn't about to handle questions she was ill prepared to answer. Worried about Lotor!

It irritated her incessantly that she had no way to contact him. Sure, she could send a message to Doom, broadcasting her [albeit virginal] illicit nighttime activities with him, but that would be counterproductive.

Allura was curled up in her bed on the third night, stewing still about everything in a vain attempt at trying to ignore the time and maybe sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about the phrase, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.' She was becoming more angry at herself for her feelings towards him, and at times angry at him for making her care about his well being.

A gentle tap on her window made her bolt upright. Did she imagine that?

Running to the window, she saw that no, she had heard correctly; Prince Lotor was gripping the windowsill, perched over the open air. The princess felt all her anxiety about his safety melt away as she threw open the window.

Whatever expression she had on her face made him blossom into a huge grin. His boots were barely on the floor before she threw herself into his arms, kissing him. She heard him chuckle as he placed his hands on her waist and lifted her feet off the ground. Allura had no idea what was going on until she was on her back on her bed with him on top of her.

"Did you miss me?" he whispered into her lips before continuing to kiss her.

After a moment, she pushed him back by his shoulders.

"I was so worried we had been found out. Where have you been?"

He grinned mischievously at her.

"I was a bit busy starting a coup. As it turns out, my father isn't pleased that I decided to use that robeast against him in his own castle."

Allura gasped, which made his look turn more devious.

"You did... what?"

Lotor laughed lightheartedly.

"I had expected word to make it out somehow, but I suppose things were too chaotic. Doom right now is in the middle of a small stalemate as the empire is torn in two. I've discovered the Drule Emperor supports my claim to the Crown of Doom since he is angry at my father, and that turned into more support from within. You will never have to worry about my father again, Allura…," he trailed off as he began to kiss her neck under her chin.

Her head was swimming. She had thought things were going fast before, but now he was claiming he was poised to take his throne and then… make peace with her like he always promised? That nagging voice reminding her that the best and most final way to end the war wouldn't stop piping up... Marry him. Marry a king. Marry the King of Doom.

Allura tensed when he moved the top of her dressing gown slightly over to kiss her skin below her neck. He leaned back and looked down at her.

"I shouldn't have left Doom, not right now, but I just needed something to raise my spirits. To give me… hope."

She blinked at him.

"Shouldn't being about to take the throne be enough?"

The look of hurt on his face made her instantly regret her words. After him being so congenial this week, and yet she said that to him.

"I… I mean I thought that was your goal? The throne?" she stammered out, realizing that she was now worried about how he felt.

"That's only part of it...," he murmured as he looked away from her.

The mood suddenly felt stifling. He had gone out of his way to visit her, and update her on everything important that happened on Doom, and she had ruined it. They'd never made plans to finish the story, never set a time, and yet it was assumed when it would take place. Something more important came up for him, and here she was, being selfish. The absurdity of the changed dynamics was not lost on her.

Allura reached up and put her fingers on his cheek, watching as he closed his eyes at the contact. His hand wrapped around hers, squeezing lightly as he finally turned back to look at her. He still had a pained expression. She wanted that look to disappear.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to... trivialize how you feel, Lotor."

The prince leaned down and lightly brushed his lips against hers.

"I accept your apology, my sweet," he said before he kissed her in such a passionate way her toes curled and she ended up squirming underneath him.

He broke the kiss to laugh and snuggled into her neck.

"This is what I needed…," he trailed off, murmuring.

Tangling her fingers in his hair, she held him close. It was such a bizarre situation; he was in the middle of a bloody coup, taking his father's throne, and here he was, once again laying on her in her bed, enjoying her company and warmth. Allura glanced at the nightstand, spying the book with the small ribbon sticking out, marking that they were so close to the end. Such a small thing that instigated such big changes. It had made her have some introspection on her own situation and dislike of the prince who had gone about everything in the worst possible way. And then they had kissed so much!

A while later, Lotor suggested they continue reading the story. She laughed at the fact he was so determined to have her read to him.

"I would have thought you would have preferred to not read, tonight?"

"I like hearing your voice, I like knowing it's just for me...," he said low, against her neck. "It's also very… relaxing. My mother used to read to me, and tell me stories when I was very young..."

She felt her heart fluttering. Lotor was so interested in her doing something for him that he clearly held so close to his heart and found very sacred.

–

"…allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased."

Allura could barely get the final words out, so much was her embarrassment at reading this to Lotor. Even with his cheek pressed against her shoulder, the air felt heavy.

"Hmmm, took him long enough," Lotor said with a hint of what sounded like sarcasm. "I managed to figure that out all on my own."

"On your own? I cannot believe you're saying that when you did the exact same thing he is describing!"

Lotor pushed himself up to look at her, and grinned wide.

"I suppose you ignoring my declarations of love and running away screaming from me did humble me a little bit..." he said and actually started to look a bit sheepish. "I spent a great deal of time pacing in my bedchamber trying to decipher how I could even just get you to talk to me like this..."

She giggled, and moved her hands from his sides up to pull at his ears.

"I believe it only took us a few days to come to some sort of… friendship, which your loose tongue from being full of wine made a bit easier. How strange it is that you were always so honest on your feelings, yet hid the things about you that would have made me consider taking you serious."

He laughed in the most free spirited way she had ever seen from him, before his expression turned serious.

"I hope I am more than a friend to you."

Allura bit her lip and kept his gaze.

"I don't generally have my tongue in my friends' mouths…," she said as she felt her face inflame, and he broke into a devious grin.

"Hmmm… let me be sure," he started before moving close to her and pushing her mouth open with his.

–

Allura woke with a start. She didn't know why, and snuggled back into Lotor's bare shoulder before he started to groan in annoyance at a noise.

Someone was banging on her door. When she didn't answer, the beeping of the code override echoed across her bedroom and she panicked. There was no time to hide Lotor, and they were both naked.

Almost immediately, the door slid open, and Keith, Coran, and several guards ran inside. Allura didn't even look at them for more than half a second before turning, pushing her face into Lotor's chest and gripping at his back. The blanket wasn't even covering all of her, there was nothing to hide what she had been doing, and she was mortified.

There was silence in the room for a few moments before Lotor spoke with an authority she hadn't heard from him in what felt like eons.

"Well?"

All at once there was shouts and yelling. Allura did nothing more than cling tighter to him, even when she heard Lotor trying to grab for his sword from his clothes on the floor.

Keith's voice finally boomed over everyone else's, and there was otherwise silence.

"ALLURA! Are you okay? We found his ship in the woods and since Doom seems to be looking for Lot-" Coran interrupted him.

"What exactly is going on here, Princess?"

Lotor laughed as she felt him gently run his hand up her exposed back, his quest to retrieve his sword forgotten.

"She's negotiating a peace treaty, obviously."

Allura wanted to sink into the core of the planet.

"Let her speak for herself, demon," she heard Keith spit out.

Feeling the tears in her eyes, she mustered the courage to face the people she loved. Pulling the blanket up to cover her, Allura turned and sat up. As much as the looks on Coran and Keith's faces hurt her, knowing that Lotor was there, close enough to have him pressed against her back and his hand now splayed across her stomach under the blanket, gave her the courage she needed.

"Prince Lotor and I have come to an… understanding," she said and tried not to react to the way their faces changed. "Since he is poised to take the Doom throne, we have been discussing things for… some time now. I realized that it was folly to dismiss his offer and let him continue on as normal. Nobody would be satisfied with that route."

"Satisfied? Allura, what are you thinking, child?" Coran's words cut through her like ice.

"She's looking out for her people, I believe," Lotor replied tensely, clearly trying to control his anger.

Allura sighed and looked Coran in the eye.

"Coran, I'm marrying Lotor and we're ending this war. It actually ended… earlier this week. That's why we haven't had any attacks. I'm not discussing this any more, I've made my choice." She paused, remembering what he said earlier. "Doom is looking for him? Did something happen?"

Coran continued frowning but answered.

"Yes, it would seem that King Zarkon attacked what we believe to be Prince Lotor's forces, and was soundly defeated. Commander Cossack has made it clear he made the decisive blow, that Zarkon is dead by his hand. Lotor is now King of Doom by birthright."

Allura turned to look at Lotor. His face showed clear shock as he stared at nothing. She had expected him to be… boisterously happy, but the lack of comment from him was slightly startling.

He jolted when she touched his cheek. Looking at her, she could see his eyes watering. It occurred to her that maybe through everything, he had somehow hoped things with his father would improve. Now with Zarkon's death, there was a finality to the situation, and it would never be resolved. That he could never even talk to his father, that the throne was now his with no action on his part. Both of their lives really were a mess. She wrapped her arms around him, and he buried his face into her neck.

They had been given a small pocket of time to get to know one another, without any outside pressures or diplomatic urgencies, and Allura was eternally grateful they had even had at least that much time. She felt sick thinking about what would have happened if they hadn't had the past week together.

Turning to look over her shoulder, she put on the best regal face she could muster while her blanket was half falling off her nude form, her hair spilling around her, with Lotor in her arms on the verge of crying.

"I expect all of you to show King Lotor the respect and civility he is owed, given that he is now an ally of Arus."

She watched with a wicked pleasure as Keith and Coran frowned but voiced their agreements before exiting the room.

–

Queen Allura picked up the book she had read to Lotor many months ago, running her fingers over the gold lettering of the title. She hugged it against her chest, above the swell of her belly.

"Thank you for giving me the courage to consider a different point of view," she whispered to it, glancing at Lotor as he slept in the royal marriage bed.