Lotor growled from the inside of a cell.
"Commander, if it had been my plan, I wouldn't have been this clumsy. Your spy wouldn't have spotted any of my own, I assure you. And if he had he'd be dead or captured. Besides, the only drule I saw ever since I'm here is Kovak, and he once stopped a sequence mid-strike just to observe a bird."
"He does calls you prince..."
"So do you! So do half the people here!"
Lotor was answering Keith's questions from behind bars. The commander didn't like the way Nikolaï's soldiers had busted in and arrested the ex-prince, saying they had discovered a plot to overthrow Princess Allura. Even if that were the case, they had no business taking this affair in their hands and arrogantly patrol the castle as if it was theirs. And they had yet to present any tangible proof, but Nikolaï insisted that for military reasons, he couldn't betray his sources.
Keith knew that it would have been technically very difficult for Lotor to mount such a coup, but not impossible. He had been, after all, relatively free, as Nikolaï had stated. Still, every instinct in the commander rebelled at this idea. This whole story made Lotor into a wicked genius and a distracted imbecile at the same time. It would have taken quite an industrious acting to trick all the Voltron Force like that, to fake the khiara practice in the rain, the cold, the nightmares, and all that just to mount a silly attack that had turned into such a fiasco. And the spirits of the lions, well, that couldn't be faked.
He looked at the ex-prince and saw simmering fury, but no disappointment. He saw his eyes bright with fever. Just then more commandos came in bringing a new prisoner. They passed right by him as if he were a non-entity and pushed Kovak in a cell, none too gently. Then they departed.
"Hem, hello," said the Khiara master with a rather embarrassed smile.
"Master!" Lotor exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"It would seem I'm part of a plot to put you on the throne."
Lotor laughed bitterly. He looked at Keith in desperation. He always hated prisons, but ever since his long stay at the Bastille, it had become obsessive.
"You believe that, don't you commander?"
Keith looked around, frowning. He thought he was becoming paranoid; maybe the place was bugged. He acted furious, reached through the bars and grabbed Lotor's shirt. He pulled him to the bars barking loudly "You bet I believe it!" As Lotor was very close he added in a rapid whisper "Not. Play it cool for now". And he pushed the ex-prince away.
It was quite believable and Keith thought that maybe he should go for an acting career if ever Voltron was put in mothballs. He didn't push his luck. He just told Kovak he was very disappointed and left.
***** ***** *****
He had been wise to be this careful, for elsewhere in the castle, Nikolaï had been observing this little exchange through some liquid held in a flat vase. It glowed, and the mirror-like substance reflected both the scene and some muffled sounds. Nikolaï smiled sweetly. This was going quite well! He saw Lotor sit down rather abruptly on the floor, and lean wearily on the bars that separated him from his Khiara master, looking like a broken man. Nikolaï had no interest in watching that part and besides, he had other things to attend.
He looked at himself in a mirror to see if his expression was as sweet and desolate as he wished, and satisfied with his reflection, he went to join the Princess and her right arm Coran.
This whole thing had neatly placed itself in the drule's lap. The only detail that bothered Nikolaï was that the spy wasn't dead. Even worse, he had spotted the man who shot him. His soldier said he barely escaped, for two other of the spies showed up in seconds. The Arisian spyleader, the Count, hadn't told him his spies wore protective garments under their cloaks. But then he probably didn't even know. That patent imbecile was so dedicated to the court and the bottle that he wasn't even aware his men took initiatives of their own.
Well, that small detail could be arranged. As the commiserate leader of a friendly world, Nikolaï could pay a Royal visit to the unconscious hero and discreetly finish the man himself.
***** ***** *****
If there was one advantage to the recent events in Lotor's life, it was that he could play at being overcome and actually be realistic enough to fool an observer. Both he and his master assumed the place could be spied on from Keith's little mise en scène. While he apparently sobbed, awkwardly leaning on the bars and clutching his Khiara master, they exchanged information in whispers. He was glad to hear of his little ferret and her adventure. At the same time he was worried for her. Another new emotion. They just kept coming. Like this debilitating fear that the spirits could return.
The cells were not at all like the dungeons of Doom. They had real beds with good blankets, a curtained toilet, a table and even a cushioned chair. Kovak commented that all this looked better then what he had in his unit. They had come to the conclusion that they could only wait. As an escape artist, that kind of confinement was nothing to the ex-prince, but his flight would just make everybody more suspicious of him. He just hoped that Allura wasn't naive enough to fall for this. But who was he trying to fool? He had to be one of the easiest framing target in this part of the galaxy.
He went for his bed, imitating his master who was already trying it out. Lotor admired him just then. Kovak was happily saying how the bed was good and comfortable, and "look at the nice mirror, I wish I had one like that." He didn't seem worried at all. Khiara masters had this rule to live in the present, be conscious of what surrounds you, they said, and use it. But don't let it cloud your mind. Kovak sauntered around, making the place comfortable. Lotor smiled with something very close to affection.
The lights suddenly went out. The place was pitch black and Lotor shivered, remembering how his attackers thrived in darkness. But in seconds, visitors came with ancient spy lanterns. Fidget and Marnott. The big spy came right to the cell, while Fidget stayed near the entrance, weapon drawn.
"Is this black out on purpose?" Lotor asked hopefully.
"Unhum, it is," confirmed Marnott. "We did a little spying out of boundaries and discovered all manners of extraordinary things."
Lotor came closer to the bars. So did Kovak.
"The place is bugged, there is a cam right there," Marnott pointed. He waved his fingers at it. It was quite invisible. "Pity it isn't functioning now," he continued, smiling. "I hope you don't mind if we snatched your butterflies? They enabled us to see the troop movements this very afternoon. We took a few precautions and doubled our numbers, we just didn't tell our esteemed leader."
"I conclude you know who you're up against?"
"Let's not say names. We found a rather magical looking device in his suite. It showed this place. Maybe he is a mage or something, and those can sense when certain key words are pronounced."
"Was it a rather flat bowl mounted in a tripod, with mercury in it? Glowing green?"
"Yeah, exactly that."
"That belongs to Ha... our witch."
"It does?" Marnott addressed his companion. "See Fidget, you were right, there is a Has Been angle to this." He turned back to Lotor. "The team gave us two of your centipedes; we know our quarry isn't in his room now, so he couldn't be using his magic gadget. This fake black out won't last long. We came to let you know we know. We need a little time to confound him, though. We thought that it would make your stay a little less unpleasant if you knew it's temporary."
"I understand. As for what he is after, it's rather obvious he wants the princess."
"Yeah," said Fidget, "we figured that, and he did seem well on his way to obtain it. For that he just needs his sweetness, his rank and a bit of mush. But the fake drule coup doesn't fit in. This bit about the witch helps. We needed a confirmation on this. Thanks."
"The formula is you're welcome, I think. Has Been?" Asked Lotor with a smirk. "Is that who I think it is?"
The two spies just grinned. Lotor laughed. He turned somber again as the spies left and sighed gratefully, about five minutes later, when the lights came back on. He could have sworn he had begun to hear the spirits whisper again. He was hugging himself on his bed and was mortified that his master saw him like this, but the old drule just smiled. Lotor was still coughing and sneezing every now and then, and he had a splitting headache.
"You should rest, my prince."
"You won't stop calling me that, will you, Master?"
"No."
Lotor sighed, removed his boots and went to bed. He was sound asleep when the lights came out again. Kovak didn't wake him. The spirits would certainly attack and having his prince wait in frightened anticipation was useless. He saw them, strange lines of sick light that insinuated themselves on the walls, crawling toward the prince's bed. They slithered under the sheets, and Lotor woke up suddenly. Kovak could see by the green line of light that caressed his head the prince's face contort in agony.
***** ***** *****
Nikolaï was standing in front of Marble's chamber door. Two burly soldiers stood guard and stopped his motion to enter.
"Sorry, your Majesty, but we have specific orders to deny everyone entry except medical personnel."
"Don't you know I'm a Royal?" Nikolaï threw at the guard, exasperated.
"We answer only to our own Royal, Princess Allura. If she changes this order herself, then you may visit, but with no such instructions, we are obligated to ask you to leave. Your Majesty." The guard added belatedly.
Furious, but not in any position to show it, Nikolaï went in hunt of the princess to have this order changed. It was certainly just a misunderstanding.
***** ***** *****
Allura was rather surprised that Nanny was accompanied this night. Rose followed her dutifully everywhere. When Nanny came in her room for her usual evening chat, the little ferret came right along.
"My dear Princess!" (A/N I won't even try to reproduce her accent!) "How was your day?"
That was the usual question Nanny asked when she undid Allura's bun. The princess's hair spilled on her shoulders in cascades of gold. Nanny started to brush it.
"Very strange and eventful, as you probably heard."
"Indeed, those terrible men and their questions... Allura, don't you think they are stepping just a bit out of their jurisdiction there?"
"I do. I'm playing along for now, Nanny. I want to know up to where Nikolaï is mistaking me for a wide-eyed imbecile. I'm preparing counterattack."
"Such a pity, he was a nice looking prince... This place is still secure, isn't it?"
"Of course Nanny."
"Rose, your report!"
And little Rose told her story.
"I'm not going to waste my time asking you what you were doing in the woods," said Allura, looking askance at Rose. "Fidget and Marnott found out many facts that they reported directly to me. Your findings confirm many things. You should report this to the castle spies."
"Well, said Rose reluctantly, Nikolaï has been with dad a lot. As he is not what you'd call fascinating company, I guess the prince just pumped him for information."
"You'll have to report this directly to Marnott. For now, he's the boss in my book. I just didn't tell your dad. Yet."
"Ally, I'm sure dad had no bad intentions, he just thinks... well he doesn't, that's the problem I guess. He was so happy to bask in the prince's attention! He would never believe me if I told him Nikolaï is a crook, because it doesn't fit into his image of how things should be, and how gentlemen should behave. When this image is shaken he drinks to put it right, and well, he's been drinking all the time lately."
"I'm sorry Rose."
"I'm used to it by now..."
But her dark eyes were filled with tears. Nanny held her close. It didn't last, though, and she pushed herself upright again, sniffling.
"Rose dear," said Nanny in sudden inspiration, "what would you say if we brought a snack to our late working spies, you could do your report. Do you think it'd look suspicious?"
"That's a wicked good idea, Ma. You do have a spy in you after all."
"Come then, brainstorm!" Nanny beamed. "Good night princess!"
"G'nite, Ally!"
Allura watched them go. The little flower had certainly put some action in Nanny's lonely life. Rose was a like a portable sun, and the princess thought on how she had brightened Lotor's world as well. Lotor! He was alone in a cell, wouldn't the spirits attack him again? Perhaps this was part of the plan, to isolate him like that. Just then there was another black out. She decided her day wasn't over yet.
***** ***** *****
Kovak covered his ears and cried. There was nothing he could do to help Lotor, who was screeching horribly in his cell as the nasty looking ribbons of strange light surrounded and lifted him. It looked infinitely painful. The serpents of light wrapped themselves on his body and hissed words in a strange language. It was pitch dark, the only thing Kovak could make out were those ribbons, and they cast light only on the prince, none of it spilling on the cell, as if it were encapsulated somehow.
Then the cell lights came on again, hurting his eyes. He was momentarily blinded and relied on his ears. The hissing stopped, and he heard a thumping sound. Lotor didn't scream anymore, he was moaning 'get out of my head' and then silence. Kovak heard people walking in. He began to see somewhat. The V-team was there, all five of them.
"Oh dear!" Exclaimed Allura, seeing Lotor had collapsed on the floor.
There was also a pale, shaking guard. He was explaining that he heard something was going on in there, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't come any closer. It was as if something pushed him away.
"It...ttt felt h...horrible, your M...Majesty," the guard whimpered, his head down in shame. "I... couldn't p...pass through, itt...ttt was c..cold and it f..frightened me silly."
"We have a good idea what it is," said Allura gently. "Do you live alone?"
"I...I have three k...kids. T...thought I'd n...never see them ag...again."
"Open those cells and then go to your family. I'll have you replaced for tonight. Do not worry, you won't be blamed. Fighting the supernatural is not supposed to come with this job."
"T...Thank you, your M...Majesty," said the relieved guard.
He opened Lotor's cell and Allura approached the drule cautiously. He had curled in a tight, shaking, silent ball. She put her hand on his shoulder and he gave a little start, but otherwise didn't react.
"They're gone, Lotor."
He still didn't budge.
"Please say something," she pleaded.
He slowly uncurled a bit and lowered his trembling hands off his face. He tried to speak but couldn't. He was trying hard to catch his breath.
"All right, yes and no. Can you make any sense of what I'm saying?"
He nodded slightly.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
No.
"Are you cold?"
He nodded yes. Hunk put him on the bed and piled blankets on him.
"Don't worry. You're out of here. So is Kovak," she added, looking at the Khiara Master.
Allura took lotor's hand and told him he was safe now. He didn't answer, he just squeezed her hand, holding on for dear life. She winced a little but let him. The medics arrived and he was taken to the medwing, still curled up fetus like and holding on to her with desperation.
The palace was filled with Arisian soldiers; Allura had taken matters in hand. She had decided her best defense would be to surprise Nikolaï while he was still confident his plan had worked. He had been very surprised indeed!
Lance commented later that they were caught with their pants down. Nikolaï was invited to recall his men and stay in his quarters in a manner that left no doubt that even if he pleaded diplomatic immunity, she would shove it right where it hurt the most.
Hunk had been right. When Allura couldn't bypass an obstacle, she passed right over it. Nikolaï was aghast to see this determined woman instead of that I'm-overcome-by-your-charm girl. She had tricked him! Lotor was free and Hagar would be furious!