Chapter 4
An argument rages in the Voltron Force's common room. The four Garrison pilots are shouting over each other demanding to be heard. Fingers point, fists shake, and faces redden. Finally to end the stalemate, one suggestion is agreed upon. The room echoes with the quiet as the preparations are made. One by one they choose.
Pidge sighs with relief as he is passed over. Hunk whoops and punches a fist in the air at his reprieve. Keith laughs when he realizes he has a free day. At the end of the short straw, Lance scowls in disgust.
He tosses down the piece of straw and glares at his teammates. "I did it last time!" he rages. "You all should take a turn."
Keith shrugs. "I've got paperwork piling on my desk and the Garrison calling for the reports from the last two weeks," he states. "I was going to do them yesterday." Keith reminds Lance.
Lance flushes at the pointed reminder of how he manipulated Keith into escorting Allura to the school visit. He has the feeling that Keith figured out a way to rig the draw and make him go to the council meeting as payback.
"And I've got to test out the new system install on all the Lions," Pidge says hastily. "In fact, I should do that now." The youngest member of the team bolts out of the room. The door closes behind him, but a triumphant laugh can be heard echoing down the hallway.
"C'mon, Hunk," Lance pleads.
"No way. I'd rather go on a diet than sit through a council meeting." Hunk folds his arms and stares Lance down.
Lance slumps in defeat. Hunk NEVER says that. Keith hides a grin behind his teacup. "Great. Another day wasted with blowhards and traditions." Lance grumps.
"Oh good, Lance." Allura breezes into the room. "You're escorting me to the council meeting."
Everyone in the room, including Lance, laughs. While Allura appreciates the tradition of the council meetings and what they represent to the people, she isn't thrilled about being present at all of them. But the council and Coran insisted when it was re-instated. At least for now. They argued that it is something that provides hope for the people. They get to see the Princess regularly and voice their concerns to her and the council. It is one of the strongest signs that they will win the war.
Allura tells herself, that every time she has to go to the meetings, it is a symbol they have already won. It may not relieve the mind numbing boredom, but it is a joy to know that they can have the meetings and actually start to rebuild their society. During the darkest days, no one believed it could happen. Now even the most boring meeting is anticipated and discussed for days before. Sometimes, it's enough to make it through the dullness.
But right now she has a different concern. She turns to Keith. "Commander, is it really necessary that someone escort me everywhere? I know it's been a while since the last attack, but.."
Keith interrupts. "You know why, Allura. The most recent intel from Pollux strongly suggest a new scheme by Lotor to kidnap you. And it's been weeks since our last battle with him. Lotor's not this patient." Keith uses his 'Commander' voice, and everyone knows there is no arguing with him.
"He's right, Princess," Lance says. "We all know he'd go off half-cocked and do something stupid on his own. This isn't their normal pattern."
Hunk agrees. "This stinks of that old witch. She's got something awful planned. I just know it!"
She sighs. "I know you're right. But I hate all this formality and you all have other things to do instead of guarding me. It's not fair."
Keith speaks for all of them. "We vowed to protect you and Arus. That's what we are doing." He places his hands on her shoulders and looks deep into her eyes. "If that means, Lance has to go to the Arusian council meetings, well that's a sacrifice we can live with."
The room explodes with laughter. Keith savors the joy he has brought to Allura for that moment. Her blue eyes sparkle and her whole face lights up. She giggles uncontrollably at his joke and the disgusted look on Lance's face. In that moment, she is just a young woman laughing with her friends. A rare enough moment in Allura's life. Keith smiles down at her. She smiles back at him and for a heartbeat they are alone in their own world.
"Great." Lance's grumbling breaks the spell. "I get to be the sacrificial lamb. Hey Keith!" he shouts. "I'll do the paperwork and you sit and listen to the debates," he offers as a last ditch effort to get out of going.
"Forget it, Lance. I may have the patience to listen, but that only means the reports have to be done twice. You do them once, and I get to correct them, when the Garrison sees them. Remember, I used to be your spell check at the Academy," Keith ribs his best friend.
With no more arguments to make, Lance leaves. "Call me when we have to go," he tells the Princess.
She watches him go, with a concerned expression. "I hope he's not upset with me," she worries.
Hunk waves off her words. "Nah. He's fine, Princess. Just mad that he can't go into town."
Keith agrees and then changes the subject. "If the council asks about security measures and concerns since last time, I have a report for you, Princess."
"Good. It was on the agenda they sent. Apparently with the last few attacks, they are worried about early warning and evacuation methods. Can you leave it for me in my office?" she asks.
Keith nods. "I suspected as much. Especially after our satellite system was destroyed. I had some ideas about replacing it, they should think about. I'll get it now and stop by in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Keith," she smiles at him. "Now I have to go and change." Allura wrinkles her nose at the thought of changing into a formal court style gown. The dresses Nanny insists on are bad enough. Council meetings are even more restrictive in manner and in dress. After years of isolation it's hard to return to the old fashioned manners insisted on by the council leaders.
"I'll walk you to your quarters, and we can stop by my office and I'll give you the report now." Keith amends his plans.
They leave Hunk to the quiet and his unfinished meal and set out in a companionable silence down the corridors to Keith's office.
"If you'll wait a moment, I can print it out," he invites her in. "Have a seat." Keith says.
Allura looks around curiously. "I don't think I've ever seen your quarters." She takes in the organized corner of his rooms that Keith made into his office soon after the new Castle was revealed.
The bookcases are half full and the desk is neat if a bit crowded with papers.
The rest of the room is the standard sitting area with a sofa, chair and a short table. Keith has personalized his sitting area with more books and some interesting artwork. The Princess studies the painting he hung over the couch. When they realized that the garrison soliders would be staying, Coran moved the Voltron Force into the married quarters, which were larger, more private, and more comfortable than the barracks they had been using.
"It's a view from my grandparents home in Japan." Keith volunteers as the Princess gets closer to the painting.
The Princess turns around. "It's very peaceful," she murmurs. "It reminds me of a place my parents used to go for holidays."
"Thank you. I always liked it." Keith hands her the report on security. "I included a brief, so you don't have to read all of it," he assures her. "At least not right away." He knows she will read it. Few things are more important to her than protecting her world and her people.
Allura has opened the folder and is skimming the brief. She nods a few times at the information presented. "Thank you. The council should be interested."
"And reassured, I hope," he says.
The Princess smiles. "We can always hope. Thank you again, Captain."
Keith recognizes she is getting into what the team calls her 'formal' persona in preparation for the meeting.
A rapid chiming signals that he has an incoming message from the Garrison.
"I have to take this," he excuses himself.
"I'll let myself out." She says. With one last look at his quarters, Allura leaves and heads to the transport bay.
Lance is waiting at the shuttle bay. "Okay, Princess, do we take the slow shuttle or the really slow shuttle today?" He gestures to the two old hovercraft that have survived, due to Hunk's care and Pidge's tinkering.
"I'll let you pick this time," she says with a grin.
Lance rolls his eyes. "I think I created a monster."
"Just get in and drive," she responds.
The ride over to the council chamber is quiet. Allura is reading Keith's report before she has to present her own recommendations about the security systems. Lance knows better than to interrupt her and besides he has his hands full with the shuttle. It rattles and shakes alarmingly. It gets them to the council chamber, but just barely.
"I think Hunk might have to rebuild this again," he comments as it wheezes to a full stop. Allura pats the dash. "You can do it," she tells the hovercraft. "Hang in there, for me."
"It's not a Lion, Princess." Lance says.
Entering the council chamber is like stepping back in time. The council members dress formally and the court manners hold sway. The older members tried to insist on using old Arusian, but since the attacks the language has adapted and it's hard to find many people who can speak it fluently anymore.
The Princess takes her place at the monarch's seat and opens her sky blue folder to the meeting agenda. As she reminds herself of today's issues, she sees an addition.
At the bottom of the page in small blue type is another note. "I love you for your patience."
Her gasp interrupts the opening greeting. Lance is at her side, despite the protests of the council members.
"What's wrong?" he asks. He has his blaster out and ready as he scans the area for threats.
The Princess apologizes to the audience, in formal Arusian, for the interruption. She then whispers to Lance to sit down. The meeting continues on although some of the audience are now on edge.
The audience calms down as the issues are announced and the meeting begins in earnest. No one, but the Princess and Lance remembers the early interruption by the end of it.
Hours later they return to the castle. Lance looks over at his passenger. She is more relaxed than on the trip in. "So what was the interruption about, Princess?" he asks.
She blushes. "I just saw something on the agenda that surprised me, that's all." Allura congratulates herself for telling the truth, but being misleading.
"I don't know how any of that can surprise you," he comments. "I've watched grass grow and been more entertained."
"Lance! These are important issues for my people." The Princess glares at him.
"Uh-huh. Politics aren't my thing." He explains. "Now the Captain? That's right up his alley. Working the room, making speeches, writing reports." Lance plants a seed for the next meeting. "I bet he'd be thrilled to go next time."
Allura giggles. "Then why do you draw straws every time?"
Lance recovers quickly. "So everyone gets a chance to go."
"Right." The sarcasm is unmistakable, since he taught her that particular tone. Allura opens her leather folder again and runs her finger over the message. "I love you for your patience." She wonders who had access to her council notes. "I had it with me the whole time. No one could have written this or replaced the agenda without me knowing."
She smiles thinking about her mystery admirer and his resourcefulness. More and more she wants it to be Keith