Chapter 4: Discord
Murder had never sounded so good.
Almira was certainly a morning person; she never minded the early call times of the military, so long as she had her caffeinated beverage on her side, and in comparison to other people, she was functional in the morning. She had found early in her career that the morning was the best time to finish the small tasks that always found their way into her schedule, so that others were unable to disturb her, mostly due to their own sleep schedules. Whether it was cleaning her uniform or getting a few more minutes of practice in the training arena, the morning was hers to seize.
However, after being shaken awake by a servant and realizing that she had only been asleep for six hours, Almira was ready to hex the entire aristocratic council for setting such an early meeting time. Yes, there was potential that Almira could have slept an additional hour, but she needed to meet with Arden to discuss how to present their arguments to the council, as well as how his meeting with their father had run the night before. She had to dress in her royal regalia, skirts and folds and jewelry and all, along with brushing her hair out. She needed to wander the halls to get an idea of what the aristocrats knew before reaching the meeting; a dirty move, for sure, but not something entirely beneath her. Besides, they always talked loudly and freely when they thought that they were alone in the halls. It wasn't her fault that she just happened to be in the same area, listening in.
But Arden had decided to sleep an extra half an hour, delaying their meeting and therefore forcing her to skip her eavesdropping plans in favor of waiting for her brother to wake up. It was fortunate that he happened to be one of her favorites; if it had been any other aristocrat, she was certain that she would have poisoned their breakfast at some point.
Needless to say, she was in a foul mood by the time she arrived in the grand hall.
She was early as per usual, providing time to snake around the hall to find the perfect perspective. The throne room was dazzling in the morning light, the lack of walls providing breathtaking views of the royal gardens behind the complex. Sounds of rushing water and streams filled the air, crisping the cool air with a refreshing chill. Around the room were tiers of chairs, waiting for the greedy court nobles that would soon sit in comfort and debate matters that were never truly theirs. At the head of the room, elevated on a dais, was a wooden throne decorated with pink and white blossoms. It was empty, as the arrival of the king always signified the beginning of the meeting. For the moment, Arden stood conversing with Akil on the dais, their half brother and general of the tacticians. Upon noticing her presence weaving through the room and her brilliantly white outfit, the duo offered brief smiles and a raise of their hands, Almira matching their movements before continuing on her route.
The noise level escalated suddenly, forcing Almira to turn her head toward the entrance. From her vantage she could just see Shiro's head bobbing above the crowd, the uniforms of the paladins just visible and flashing through minute gaps. Instinctively she knew that their appearance was the reason for the increase of activity, and she relaxed. Another captain was leading them through the crowd to their position toward the left hand of the throne, as per Arden's instructions.
Every movement, every gesture had been strategically planned. Arden and Almira had decided that it would be best to separate themselves from the paladins for the duration of the meeting, in case the aristocrats accused them of having conflicts of interest. The plan was to present an idea of a full scale attack on the Galra with the assistance of Voltron, and it was already clear from previous excursions that the court nobles were indecisive when it came to fighting. Of course they wanted to prevent the shed of Fleogan blood, but sacrifices were necessary for gains. Almira's jaw clenched at the thought of the nobles; they were occasionally well intended, but completely lacked the experience that the military had, in addition to their ignorance and unwillingness to listen. Every move on their part – Arden's, Almira's, Akil's, and every other member of the military who was advocating on their behalf – had to be carefully orchestrated here if they were to win.
Spotting a familiar tuft of blue and black hair from across the room, Almira quickly weaved through the bodies to the edge of the meeting space. The man was standing behind the highest row of chairs, his position advantageous to watching the king's dais as well as the faces of the Voltron paladins, who were taking their seats from across the room. Golden eyes met brilliant orange, whose hardness softened at her silent approach. He was silent, yet inviting as she slid into position next to him. "Eaghan."
His arms crossed over his chest as the duo watched the movements of everyone else in the room, most figures either finding their way towards seats or gravitating toward the Voltron paladins. "I spoke with Arden and Akil earlier. Is it true that we are aiming for war?"
"Yes." Meeting eyes again, Almira couldn't help but chuckle, enticing a raised eyebrow out of her half brother. "We look miserable in these clothes."
The most stoic out of all the brothers managed to crack a smile at her joke, both taking time to observe their garb. The black and charcoal gray, skin tight uniforms of the military had been traded for their traditional clothes, Eaghan donning a navy blue tunic and orange sash to compliment his features. Almira herself wore a white, off shoulder dress, the skirt opening in the front to reveal white leggings and lacing sandals. Yellow accents and a golden gem resting on her neck highlighted her eyes, boldly daring anyone to look in her direction for too long. Both chuckled, Eaghan's eyes sparkling just a little more. "Suddenly I'm remembering a tempermental child who wore a similar outfit just to spite the council and nobles."
Almira laughed freely at the memory, a fond moment of spite and ingenuity encouraged by her sister and father. "That was quite a day." Sobering up, the two looked back out at the room, returning to their observations. "So you did speak with Arden."
"As late as he was, yes, I did manage to get some information out of him." The older boy rolled his shoulders. "What are they like?"
There was no need to ask for clarification; both of their eyes had zoned in on the paladins, who were quietly sitting, following Almira's advice from the night before. No one appeared to honestly speak with the nobles beyond a few greetings and compliments, with Shiro taking up the brunt of the interrogations. From their position, they were doing fine, although Almira felt her heart race in anxiety, waiting for the king's entrance. "They're young," Eaghan continued, his voice flat of emotion in an effort to restrain his judgment, "younger than I expected."
She couldn't disagree with his observation. "They are," she concurred, "but their hearts are pure and right. With time, they will go far beyond anyone's expectations."
"But time is something neither on their side, nor ours." Almira was silenced with the weight of the situation. "They must succeed here and now. There is no choice."
"I believe."
Her voice was quiet, but determined. It was enough to silence Eaghan's counterpoints, for him to truly listen to her words and her meaning. She looked at Keith, who seemed to sit almost uncomfortably in his chair, looking around the room. Crowds were never his style; even Almira could tell from the moment she met him. But he continued to put his brave face on, looking thoughtful and solemn in an effort to dissuade nobles from engaging in conversation without being rude. His eyes finally landed on Almira across the room, eyes widening at the sight of her outside of her black garb. Cracking a smile, she gave an encouraging nod of her head, receiving a confident smirk in return. If Keith represented the paladins in any way, Almira knew that their resolve was strong, that their ingenuity provided them with a distinct advantage over order and rigid tactics. And if there was anything she knew from her experience, it was that occasional improvisation often reaped better results than sticking to the guns.
"Well then," Eaghan broke in, disrupting her thoughts, "if they left that strong of an impression on you, then I guess I have to trust them too."
A roll of golden eyes. "No one's making you do anything, brother mine."
"Anyone that goes against your intuition usually fails. I'm not so proud that I would ignore your words."
Most people would define Eaghan as stoic. Arden often flippantly called him stuck up and arrogant. But Almira had seen through this façade almost from the beginning; he worked hard to achieve his position, studiously avoiding frivolous distractions and honing in on his craft. Where Arden's relaxed disposition earned him connections, Eaghan's coldness and dedication had earned him respect. In that manner, Almira understood Eaghan. It was what connected them; the drive to succeed, to serve their people.
They were hungry to establish themselves and prove their worth as the lesser children of a king with so many powerful elder sons.
The king appeared at the top of the steps leading into the throne room, and the inhabitants inside took their cue to find a seat in the grand hall. Trailing on his right side was Alastrine, the crown prince, who deftly acknowledged each dignitary in their way before moving them to the side, ushering order with every step the royal duo took. The gold and creams of the king's robes mixed with the crown prince's own cardinal and earthy browns, a brilliant display of compliments. It was impressive, the way that the two commanded the room while appearing to accommodate each individual who stood in their way; it was a task that Almira barely had the patience to deal with on her own, and she simply took in the sight with awe and respect.
By the time the king reached the dais, most of the court was either seated or standing around the back of the room similar to Eaghan and Almira. Their figures blended with the bright colors of the crowd around them, although their positioning allowed them to see the most important figures of the room, namely the men on the dais and the paladins. As the room settled, Almira shot another smile at the paladins, all of whom had spotted her brilliant clothing and persona as a silence began to settle.
"By now, many of you have heard rumors of our fabled guests." The king sat on the throne, Alastrine flanking him on his right while Akil and Arden stood ardently at the left. Instantly the room filled with silence, weighing their king's words. "And it is true. Voltron is a legend no more. But what are we to do moving forward? Today we will reach a conclusion."
Motioning to Arden, the third eldest son stepped forward, walking down the steps of the dais with practiced ease and standing on the marble floor, looking out like a man on a mission to the world in front of him. Almira inhaled deep; their proposition was depending on him, as the siblings and generals had all agreed that Arden was the most logical choice to present to the nobles. His royal background and recent status rising into the ranks of general made him a source of pride for everyone, in contrast to Akil and Alastrine, a researcher scientist and crown prince who was expected to be impartial for the sake of the crown. Not that she doubted his ability to persuade the crowd, with the full support of every branch of the military to cover logistics. It was his pride and quick-witted jabs that she feared, along with the delicate egos of his crowd.
"After careful deliberation, the five branches of the military have unanimously decided to ask for the paladin's help in a full out assault against the Galra, in the name of liberating the world of Fleogas." He paused, allowing the whispers that had begun to reach their peak as nobles began to flutter amongst themselves. It was expected, as Almira had predicted. The nobles had no desire to engage in an outright offensive, and this debate would be settled here, once and for all.
A cluster of nobles to the right hand of the king talked amongst themselves, under Almira and Eaghan's noses. Arden's eyes met Almira's own, and she gave the smallest of nods, only perceived if one was looking. "Lord Daedalus," he called, pulling the attention of the entire court and silencing any side conversation. Almira was unable to see the faces in front of her, but she could almost feel the embarrassed heat of being called out rising from their bodies. The majority of the nobles melted into their seats, leaving a nobleman at the front to answer the call. Eaghan snorted quietly, earning a smirk from Almira as she lowered her head to attempt to hide her amusement, using her hair as a curtain. The ever-predictable nobility. "As a great leader of the noble houses, I would like to hear your opinions. Speak your mind."
The threat was obvious, yet enticing, and the noble man rose to the challenge whilst sitting in his seat. Clearing his throat, his arms settled on the arm rests, an open and confident position. "I would like to know the voices of the paladins. So speak, friends." His eyes settled to meet Shiro's, the black paladin admirably meeting with an intensity of his own. It was all politics from here on out. "Voltron has not been seen for many a millennia. Why now? What can five young pilots offer Fleogas?"
Admirably enough, none of the paladins flinched at the obvious assault on their honor, the insinuations barely getting a rise out of anyone, save for the twitch of a few cheeks and the crossing of legs from Lance. Shiro took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking, rising to the call. "We understand that our timing is sudden. But we seek the liberation of the universe from Galra reign."
"The entire universe?" Almira's lip twitched at the obvious interruption and attempt at a diversion, her irritation slowly bubbling and rising. For all the bravado of the nobles, their only skills lay in distractions and looping circles, never finding an honest solution. "Surely that is an impossible task. Not even we have been able to free ourselves for all these years. Did you know that we were the first to fall under Galra rule and subjugation ten thousand years ago?"
Eyes widened and bodies tensed at the information, but Shiro continued, undeterred by the bait. "It's not like we plan on attacking Zarkon himself any time soon. We start small, with individual planets, one by one freeing them until we can form a coalition that can work together to free quadrants. It's why we came here."
"So what is your plan then? To free our planet?"
Arden cleared his throat. "Pardon my interruption, but we are not here to talk strategy." A perfect distraction to pull the attention from the paladins, he physically placed himself between the two parties, blocking Daedalus' view of Shiro. "We are here to pass the movement to engage in war first before discussing any further movements."
The nobleman sat straighter in his chair, feather clearly ruffled at the effective block on Arden's part. Almira cracked a smile; for all the doubts she had about Arden coming into the situation, she was being proved wrong very quickly. Eaghan leaned toward her ear secretively, Almira mimicking the movement to hear his words. "For all his dramatics, he has become quite the politician." His grudging acceptance widened her smile, but she forced it away to pay attention to the floor.
Daedalus, however, had picked up his offensive once again. "May I serve as a reminder, however, that no matter how tempting this," he paused, searching for an appropriate word, "engagement, may seem, history is due to repeat itself if we are not careful." The temperature of the room dropped, an icy silence gripping the inhabitants in a chokehold. Even Arden tensed, his gaze daring the noble to continue with his sentence. He did. "May I remind the delegation here that a full scale assault was conducted thousands of years ago, and that its result ended with our complete subjugation to the craters and the end of all privileges we had maintained. Do we dare test the hand that suppresses us once again?"
Any control over the room erupted into full volume conversations. Nobles talked with anyone around them, cries of outrage and affirmation for Daedalus' statement ringing through the room. Sneaking a glance at Eaghan, Almira raised a sculpted eyebrow at his placid, neutral, gaze. Noticing her look, he shrugged his shoulders, arms still crossed over his chest. "Arden has this under control." Eyebrows rising higher, the young woman considered his words; there were few times when Arden and Eaghan worked together or even finished a conversation without taking snipes at one another. To hear Eaghan's confidence was reaffirming, as she turned her attention to watch the next move.
On the dais, Alastrine began to move forward to take control of the situation, but Arden blocked his attempt with a raise of his hand and a shake of his head. The paladins looked slightly shaken, confusion in their eyes but an unwillingness to question what Daedalus' words had meant. Keith's eyes once again met Almira's, and she shook her tresses while offering a small smile. Don't worry. We have this covered.
Arden waited a few more moments, allowing the conversations to move along before ripping in again. "You do well to remember our history, Lord Daedalus." His voice projected through the hall, encouraging the hush of the audience once again as the royal prince took control. "But I must also remind you that these are not the same situations as the past."
A gesture of his hand brought Akil down from the dais, a slight bow to the lord as a sign of goodwill. "My lords, Arden and I, as well as the generals, would not approve this mission if we did not think we had the advantage." While soft-spoken and less theatrical in comparison to Arden, the second prince filled his role well, commanding the floor as he walked further along the hallway to address the entire crowd. "The last assault was ill prepared. But thanks to the covert ops and various operations delegated to the many divisions of the military, our intel has us believe that our technology can meet the Galra's blow for blow. Our numbers are higher than ever, and technically sound in execution. Indeed," he turned to face the leading lord, gaze unfaltering, "we may have failed in the past. But now we are more prepared than ever. We believe that there are few other variables that could have us more prepared for a full assault other than now."
Arden clasped his hand on Akil's shoulder, addressing the entire crowd. "And there we have it. Our weapons can match, if not outmatch, our enemies. We have the numbers. And," he gestured to the paladins, "we have Voltron on our side."
The crisp chill of the morning, along with any negatives that the nobles had brought to the table, dissipated as the duo talked. In its place, a vibrant, spring like energy began to bubble up, side conversations returning but promising hope in place of discredit and disappointment. She could feel it; everyone could feel it. It was a vibrant energy that was taking over the room, explosive and powerful.
"So." Arden cleared his throat. "There we have it." This time, Eaghan and Almira couldn't resist an eye roll at Arden's terrible closing statement. Eaghan leaned over toward Almira's ear, taking advantage of the excitement in the air to cover their conversation.
"I swear that he's no brother of mine with that ending." Almira chuckled, sending a good-natured elbow into his side and finding satisfaction in his small grunt. "I swear you're only getting stronger every time I see you."
"Good. We'll need it going forward."
"Are there any further questions?" Daedalus had sat back into his seat, a curiously resigned but confident posture emanating from him. Almira was confident that Arden and Akil's tag team had knocked sense into him. Truthfully, it had been the plan from the beginning; they had decided that their best route of defense would have been to bring one of the twelve noble lords into the conversation directly, in order to minimize other voices and focus their argument, driving it home. And it had worked, Arden looking vaguely smug at their victory.
It was Alastrine who finally stepped in, voice resonating through the space. "A voice affirmation, for the allying with the Voltron paladins for a full scale assault on the Galra in the effort to free Fleogas." Much muttering of affirmation followed, nobles talking amongst themselves briefly before turning their attention to the front of the room, waiting for the cue of the king.
Khayin cleared his throat. "A vote then. All in favor of the assault?" A strong, resounding chorus of "ayes" followed, echoing through the halls.
"All opposed?" Although a few lords voiced their opinions, it was obvious that the majority was swayed by Arden and Akil. Even Daedalus had voted in favor of the assault, his back toward Almira but his voice silent for the opposition. The decision finalized, the king stood from the dais, the entire court copying his motion.
"With my approval, the motion shall push forward. I charge the generals with creating a plan and alerting me with all movements." A nod from Arden in affirmation along with a salute, the king smiled warmly. "We are adjourned then." Sweeping forward, robes billowing behind in a silken cloud, the monarch strode forward, Alastrine ever at his side. This time, the court nobles settled for a bow, no one daring to approach as the duo left the throne room, disappearing into the distance. At their leave, the room relaxed back into conversation, some individuals leaving while others mingled around, a few attempting to snag the paladins once again.
Almira noted the captain that had escorted the paladins gathering them up and quickly escorting them away before they had a chance to be buried by the nobles. They would meet up after; the plan was to reconvene in the royal apartments after the meeting, specifically in Arden's complex. All that was left was to take their leave quickly, avoiding detection by the nobles to skirt away. Turning to Eaghan, she touched his arm gently. "Are you coming with us?"
He looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "As much as I would love to fight Arden about his closing lines, I'm needed with the tacticians. We'll be busy from here on out. Best not to be late and miss out on the action."
Trying her best to not show her disappointment, it was not enough to avoid detection by Eaghan, whose face softened at her expression. "I will try to visit you tonight." It was enough to bring a smile to both their faces, as Almira chuckled.
"You're getting soft."
A hand landed on her head to muss her hair, instantly earning a grimace. "Only for you." Taking his leave, Eaghan made a beeline for Akil, ushering the elder away from another tedious conversation with more noblemen and making their way to take their leave. Almira copied, weaving through the crowds as before and slinking silently towards the exit.
The first battle was won. The war was ahead.
AN: Happy April! And sorry for the late update. Things are getting a little slower for me now; I'm currently in all my senior seminar classes at my University (although I'm graduating next fall), so it's the five week cram into finals week. I have massive projects for every class, and I'm tackling them now so I don't suffer as much during finals week. So I'm sorry that this story is getting a little less attention that I'd like; luckily we have the summer coming up!
I'm still not really quite happy with how this chapter has turned out/ how some other things are, but that's only because I need more practice writing. Which in theory, should result in me writing more...
Have any questions? Send them my way! Leave a review, please :D