Apologies, all of you... following the very complete, useful and excellent review from Kristina Marie (thank you!), I did my Mea Culpa and reviewed and corrected the first eight chapters, both with the spell check and Grammatik.

I didn't find the place I wrote ZarKon instead of Zarcon, though. I'll continue my sifting of the other chapters after the concert. (I just joined a choir, the concert is December 7) Learning all those alti parts is a challenge!

I often forget to spell-check author notes. My fault, too. *sigh...*

A Mutiny and a Declaration

A predatory, aggressive attitude he could expect from Lance: he had to deal with it all the time. But Pidge? Keith fidgeted but tried to look casual and assured as he took his seat at the head of the oval conference table. He liked this room. The outside wall was curved, with a high, thin horizontal window that ran its entire length. The sun spilled its golden light inside, comforting the commander as he faced the determined duo of pilots.

"Well, what is so important you got me to cancel the morning training session?"

"First things first," Lance began. "I was on guard shift tonight. The campanule and I went to the forest for reasons I'll explain later, but to make it short, we were attacked, and this time, I was included. I felt the Opponents."

Keith started to get to his feet, worried.

"Are you ok?"

"Barely." But Lance just signed to him to remain seated.

"They are getting stronger, Keith," reasoned Pidge. "It's just a matter of time before they all find hosts."

"If they haven't already," conceded Keith. "How does one fight this? I never battled the incorporeal before, we have no idea how to act. We need to find experts on this."

Keith started pacing the conference room.

"We'll have to research the subject. We could begin with Coran. He knows the archives, and he knew Alfor. The King built Voltron, and was told about the Opponents. Maybe he left notes or something. And we..."

"Yeah yeah," Lance interrupted. "We can discuss this in a team meeting, but that isn't the main reason we brought you here."

Pidge and Lance got predatory looks again. They looked at each other and grinned. Pidge began:

"Don't bother trying to get out of this, Keith. I programmed the door shut. I'm the only one who knows the sequence."

Keith swallowed in sudden apprehension. 'Why do I have this feeling I'm not going to like this?'

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

Some hours later, Allura was in the castle control room discussing with Coran when the call came. On the tiny screen of her communicator she could see the Commander looking very strange. He asked that she please meet with him in the garden at her earliest convenience.

"I'm coming right away. Allura out."

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

Keith was wringing his hands nervously. Sitting ramrod straight in one of the white chairs that dotted the garden, he kept his eyes on the entrance. Couldn't she have been in a meeting? He had never been this nervous. This was never going to work. Even if she returned his affection, she was bound by law to marry within the nobility.

And the sad truth was that even if he had been knighted on several planets and had enough medals to fill a small trunk, he was still a commoner. He was barely a Sir, and from the way certain blue bloods eyed him, he might as well have been a dog. He didn't want to put her in a bad situation... but Lance and Pidge had been relentless.

The Red Lion pilot had retold all of his conversation with Lotor, leaving Keith shocked and unbelieving. Pidge had argued that sooner or later Allura would have to find some way to revoke that sort of obligation because they not only affected her, but other nobles as well. Wasn't Rose being pushed for that marriage with a Baron? If the princess tarried, daughters and sons of nobles would suffer the same fate. While Allura may not have acted only to save herself from an unhappy union, she would certainly reconsider once this argument was put forth.

"So," had argued Lance, "it all comes down to this. Do you or do you not love her?"

Oh, he had argued, forcefully and at length. But Pidge had better repartee then a computerized politician. Each time Keith found an argument, the little Baron would throw it right back at him. Pidge had pointed out that it all boiled down to the definition of nobility. Keith was noble, even if he was not a noble. And when Keith managed at last to counter Pidge, Lance would take over and argue him back in a neat corner.

At last, exhausted and out of excuses, he admitted that yes, he loved her. No, he didn't want her to be forced into something that would make her unhappy for life, but how could they remove those stifling old law?

That, Pidge had said, is something you'll have to work out with the princess.

So here he was, waiting fretfully in the garden, getting up, pacing a bit, just to settle down again, and start the cycle over until she appeared.

Keith had never said anything, never hinted at his love. He assumed it was one of those tragic, impossible things, and that he should move on. But it had proved impossible. The best he could do was to remain in the shadow while leaving the princess free to make her choices unhindered by his improper affections.

Allura had never seemed completely real to the commander. She was an icon, an image of perfection that just couldn't be. He kept expecting to see her vanish in wisps of smoke and find out she'd been a fantasy after all. Maybe that's why when she appeared at the gate, he thought she was a vision, and he startled badly when she asked:

"Keith, Are you all right?"

"Er... Yes, princess, or on second thought... No, not really"

"Why, are you ill? You're all red, do you want me to call a doctor?"

"No! No. I'm not ill, just horribly nervous."

He fidgeted and looked into her eyes earnestly.

"I have a confession to make."

He hesitated, and Allura tried to calm him down.

"What, you're a Baron as well?"

"It would make everything so much easier if I was." Keith whispered sadly. He lowered his gaze, contemplating her feet, not trusting himself to go on. He steeled himself.

"but first, I have to explain why now..."

Keith told Allura of Lance's eventful night.

"I never would have believed the drule had it in himself... He's right, Allura. You have to get out of this potential trap. I... do have a lot of regard for you..." He searched her eyes again. "What I mean is... Can I have the permission to court you... I know the legalese is a problem, but..."

He swallowed as he realised he was babbling. This was much harder then fighting robeasts. It split his heart painfully, and he braced himself for indignation, rejection...

"Dare I hope that?..."

Allura smiled and proceeded to shut him up by taking his face in both her hands, nudged him a bit lower, and brought her lips to his reverently. His knees gave out, and she followed his fall, savouring this unique moment as he at last responded to the kiss.

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

That was the hardest chapter to write. No Lotor at all! I hope Keith fans will be happy with it. Its usually guys who shut girls up by kissing them, I just flipped those circumstances. I think it would be a very Allura thing to do... And Keith is kind of repressed in expressing feelings. This was horrible for the poor guy! :-) But at least, he got a great reward for his hardest heroic effort so far!

It'll keep trickling in slowly for a while. My next written chapters are farther in the story, and I'm having trouble writing bridges to connect it properly.

For the record, I haven't conveniently forgotten the Amedan stone and Zarcon. The re-instated king is having problems of his own! Good for Aris and the guys.

Until next chapter, au revoir!