We are nearing the end of my written chapters for a while.

This one is mostly Allura. :-)

1

On the Utility of a Pink Dress

The Yellow Lion pilot wasn't the only one who had discovered the advantages of being underestimated. Allura looked sweet and naive. Her pink dress elevated her beauty to the realm of the surreally sweet. Her huge blue eyes radiated kindness and sincerity. Her petite figure and her milk white skin brought to mind a porcelain doll, and with it the image that she could easily be toyed with or broken.

When Nikolaï had arrived, he had fallen for that instantly. Keith or even Lotor didn't mistake her for such a wide-eyed doe.

The Cerillian prince explained everything to her when he spoke of politics, as if she was too dense to understand all that stuff. She could have shown him a thing or two about intergalactic relationships! It drove her up the curtains. Still, she was so drilled in that I'm-so-sweet role that she played right in. She even pushed it to its limits by wearing her nicest strawberry shortcake dresses.

She made it into a game; it was rather obvious he was one of the many suitors that had shoved themselves on her, one of the most notoriously rich princesses in this quadrant. She had followed every single advice Nanny had given her to befuddle men. Don't cut in when he speaks, even and especially if he what he says is an enormity. Laugh at his jokes even if they're not funny. Look up to him as if he was a genius and you his attentive and enraptured student.

Allura thought she understood Nanny somewhat better now. All of this had enabled her to maintain an picture perfect image of a nice leetle preencess ready to be plucked out of the tree, not to use an expression even more graphic. It had kept Nikolaï utterly confidant she was going to swallow anything he said, and even leave him free rein to act on her planet to "ease her burdens". Even Coran, the Commander and the wily Lotor had been convinced she was actually falling for him.

She had been surprised at the depth of their reaction. Lotor's fury and fear that she would be taken advantage of, and Keith's sad resignation, which he probably thought she hadn't seen.

She sighed as she held Lotor's hand. He was sedated and utterly out of it, but he still held on. Rose stated it was "kawaii", whatever that meant. Allura knew that no picture perfect, cookie cutter prince, a prince that was Nanny's dream come true, would ever come close to the intensity of love both Keith and Lotor felt for her.

This sort of playing at not seeing things had its utilities. She always knew if she showed the slightest affection for Keith, Lotor's will to resort to violence would be so hard to resist, it would be torture. And if she came any closer to Lotor, Keith would be heroically accepting but sad for the remainder of his life. All those reflections had been prompted by Rose comments:

"Look at how Snow is holding your hand so hard in his sleep... So kawaii. And Keith! He's so relieved that you kicked Nikolaï out, I think he must still be levitating in joy. When you were giving orders with your hair all undone like that... he had stars in his eyes and he blushed! I wish I were this appealing."

"Honestly, Rose, you don't. But since you bring it up, what would you do in my place?"

They were alone in Lotor's room; Allura had taken the first watch for two reasons. First, she was furious and doubted she could have slept at all. And second, Lotor wouldn't let go her hand. Rose thought for a moment. She absent-mindedly stroked her Snow's hair.

"They're very soft, you know?"

"I never dared touch them! If I did he'd be all over me in an instant."

"Al, he's fast asleep..."

Rose smiled as she saw Allura timidly caress the white mane.

"My Dear!... I mean... wow," whispered Allura, blushing and taking her hand away as if she had done a terrible thing.

"To answer your question," Rose began, "well, mmm, I have no idea. I like them both and I wouldn't want to hurt either of them. I guess I would play dumb a little. You know, I'm too innocent to think you might be thinking of me in other ways then your trustworthy teammate. Wait. That's exactly what you're doing, neh? Pink dresses do have their utilities don't they?"

"Indeed."

"But I couldn't do that indefinitely."

"So you see its not all fun to be 'this appealing'. I don't know how to step out of that Gordian knot without cutting somebody. I keep hoping I'll find a solution."

"Al, can you keep a secret?"

"Of course I can. I can do even better then that: I already know your secret."

"Eeep!" cried Rose, blushing bright pink. She stopped stroking the white hair to put both her hands on her mouth. "Does it show?" She asked desperately.

"Don't forget I'm an expert at playing innocent. So I'm right, am I? You love him."

"Don't tell him! He'd be appalled! I'm only thirteen! He likes me, it would ruin everything! I'm way too young for him," she added sadly. "But I would so love to see him happy. When he smiles at my stories, my heart takes a ten miles leap! Oh Al, please don't tell on me!"

"Don't worry I won't tell. It's good to see I'm not the only one playing around pretending to be a little girl, innocent and wide-eyed..."

"Thanks," Rose said as she turned to him, relieved. "I feel I could wait for him forever," she continued. "I hover, but he sees only you. How could he not? I'm just a silly girl."

"Rose, you are a girl who's becoming a young woman fast! And you are certainly not silly. I'm sure he'd be very happy with you."

Rose flashed her a grateful smile.

"I don't know what awaits him," continued Allura. "He is forced in great changes. Who knows how he'll come out of it? Or even if he'll make it at all. But I think he does need both of us right now, so we can continue to play our role for awhile..."

Rose was stroking his hair again. She smiled at Allura.

"So you'll still be wearing pink?" She asked rather impishly.

"I'm afraid so," answered Allura with a sigh.

"I don't know if we should tell Ma you're on to me..."

"On what?"

"She knows my secret, too."

"She does?! Is she mad at you?"

"Don't forget I'm just a countess-to-be, not a princess. Its you she wants to act all proper. She says it's a phase and it'll pass. That I can try, though."

Nanny being open and understanding on an issue as delicate as a teenage crush? She blinked in surprise. Maybe Nanny was a pastel deceiver as well! Rose smirked and hugged her, gave a little peck on Lotor's forehead, and was gone.

Allura turned her gaze on the sleeper. He looked so peaceful. His hair was spilled in graceful swirls on the pillow. 'Lotor,' she thought, 'I hope someday you'll see what a treasure you've caught.' She suddenly felt a strange lump in her throat. 'Dear me, I think I'm jealous!'

***** ***** *****

Lotor woke some time later and saw Allura sleeping in a comfortable cushioned chair beside his bed. This had to be paradise. He realized he was holding her hand rather hard; her normally pink little fingers looked somewhat bluish. He sheepishly released his grip and she opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry, d...did I hurt you?"

"It's all right. At least you can speak now..."

The sun was spilling in the room and on her hair.

"So beautiful," he murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing. What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"I remember they came," he said, becoming pale. "I assumed you stopped them since I'm here again."

"Nikolaï tried to pull a fast one, but I'm well surrounded with competent people. We found out. His soldiers are off world and he disappeared."

"He had an artifact..." Lotor began alarmingly.

"That belongs to Hagar. It disappeared as well, but we know about it. We think some of the plan was to isolate you from us so the... things could get at you. That fake drule angle was just Nikolaï trying to gain my trust by 'saving' my realm. The Lions told Keith that the dark blue spirit has chosen his host."

"Let me guess. Nikolaï?"

"Right."

"How's your hand?"

He looked so desolate that Allura smiled in encouragement.

"I'll survive, thank you."

"Thank you. I don't think I could have resisted them this time."

"All five of us came just to make sure they'd scatter off. Enjoy it now, because it's my only shift. I only stayed because we couldn't brake your death grip on my hand. The guys will stay with you from now on."

"Oh," said a disappointed Lotor. "He's gone?"

"You mean Nikolaï? Yes."

"Did you... I mean are you... sad?"

"Just flustered. I have too many suitors..."

Lotor sighed. I'm included in that lot, he thought. Only, I haven't got a chance. But he recalled how his master had lived the present, and he forced himself to look how the sun made a golden halo around her. He wondered he she would mind if he took her hand again?

"Show me your hand."

Allura showed him. Her fingers had regained a healthy color.

"Not this one," he said, "the other one."

"Why..."

He took hold of it with infinite care.

"Please," he pleaded.

And he closed his eyes. You clever, clever man, murmured Allura. Well, it was certainly a good sign if he resorted to small strategies like that.

Later, when Lance came in to begin his own shift, he noticed the change of hands. He teased Allura on it. She had him sit in her chair, took the sleeping prince's hand and placed it right in Lance's with a wicked grin.

"He'd jump a foot high, Princess. You're worse then I am! And that's saying something."

"I'm so tired I feel drunk. I'm going straight to bed. Don't get too bored, and if you do don't let him catch you doing things that would make Nanny blush."

"See... worse them me! Sleep well! Have sweet, wicked dreams!"

"I intend to."

Lance blinked. Where was the princess who never seemed to have a clue when he told dirty jokes? Then he smiled his lopsided grin. It was about time she dropped the mask in front of him...

***** ***** *****

Only one more chapter before I hit a lost part I'll have to rewrite. *sigh*, I liked that part, too. It had Lance ;-), it had Keith pushed in a corner concerning his feelings... ^_^ *sigh* T_T