The sky on Arus brightens slowly. The midnight blue of the night fades to a bright pale blue tinged with lemon yellow and pink as the sun edges its way over the horizon. The overhanging clouds above the Castle of Lions are blue white as the new day dawns.
As the sun rises higher the colors of the landscape become more vivid. A ray of sun hits the gleaming white of the castle wall and shatters into rainbows as the dew dries on the ground. The breeze is blowing the heavy storm clouds off to the west and to the farmlands, as the Castle of Lions begins to stir.
The control room is darkened and the only glow comes from the monitors of the scanners. The watcher on duty yawns, but he is still sharp despite his long shift. Checking the screens once more, the youngest member of the Voltron Force gets up from his chair and stretches out the kinks in his back.
As he straightens up the control room door slides open with a whispered hiss. Pidge comes to attention and his hand hovers over the laser gun that every member of the Castle military wears while on duty.
"Easy there, Pidge." Lance says noticing the tension in his friend. "Just the shift change."
The Green Lion pilot's shoulders relax and his hand moves away from the pistol on his hip. He grimaces at his friend. "It's been quiet tonight," he reports. "But I have a bad feeling." Pidge looks back at the screens that are empty of threats. The nagging feeling he missed something comes back as he takes in the quiet farm scenes and the slowly brightening streets of the Arusian town below the Castle.
Lance nods. "Me too. Lotor and Zarkon have been way too quiet lately. It's creepy."
Pidge agrees. He yawns again as the clock flips to show the hour. "Watch out in the west." He advises Lance. "Looks like a bad storm may blow in to the farms. They need the water, but the soil might not handle the rain."
Lance, who grew up in farm country, instantly understands. "Got it. Did you send out a flood warning?"
Pidge gives him a long look, as he leaves the control station and Lance laughs. "Course you did. Get some sleep. I'll keep watch."
The teenager waves as he leaves the room and heads to his quarters. Entering his room he sighs and climbs into bed. He is asleep before the blanket settles on his body.
In another wing of the castle someone is enjoying the sunrise. The commander of the Voltron force stands at a window watching the sun rise over the plains. Keith sips his tea as he takes in the peaceful early morning. But like Lance and Pidge, he can't rest easy. The people of Arus are rejoicing in the long respite between attacks. It has given them hope and time to start rebuilding their lives and homes. But the Voltron Force are uneasy. It's unlike Doom to wait this long to attack. Patience is not something Zarkon is familiar with.
In the royal wing, the Princess Allura sleeps on. With the long break between battles, she has been able to set in motion her government. The council is meeting again, the military is recruiting, and Arus has been able to re-establish diplomatic relations to the other planets in the sector. Now the Princess is busier than ever. She has to fit her pilot duties around the sudden surge of royal duties that she was raised for. Today is one of those days where royal duties come first.
Back in the pilot's quarters Keith pours another cup of tea from the ancient Yokode Kyusuas teapot that is one of the few heirlooms from his father's side of the family. The pale green clay is cooling as he gets the last drops out of the pot when the sun bursts over the horizon. His only concession to the light now streaming into his quarters is to lower the automatic shade. He consults the report in his hands as well as the schedule Nanny sent around to the security staff. Today is the first hosting of local women to the palace since the invasion. As Keith reads over the schedule and checks the guest list, he sighs.
It is the Princess' first event as a royal hostess in the Castle of Lions, and everyone who comes there must be welcome. But the safety of Allura remains his top priority.
"I don't know how we are going to pull this off," he says to himself. The new security staff have done a great deal in the days up to now. There were arguments with Nanny about limiting the guest list and the menu. Keith shudders as he remembers those. "At least it's just a tea and not a state dinner, like Nanny wanted," he mutters.
Allura helped there. When she realized Nanny was planning a full scale formal state dinner, she put her foot down. No pleading, threats, or arguments swayed the Princess. She declared a state dinner would be wasteful and self indulgent when too many of her subjects were going to bed hungry.
Keith remembers the final argument. "Never!" declared the Princess.
"But Princess," the royal governess wheedles, "it is the anniversary.."
"I know very well, what the day celebrates, Nanny." Allura interrupts. "And we haven't celebrated it in nearly ten years. One more won't matter."
The stout little woman draws herself up and takes a deep breath.
The male members of the Voltron Force exchange worried glances. They know that posture. It marks the coming of 'Hurricane Nanny'. They each rack their brains to say something that would distract her before she gets going. They forgot, however, about the Princess.
"And there will be no tantrums, Nanny." The Princess says. Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge struggle to surpress the laughter that threatened to overtake them at Nanny's outraged expression.
"Have you forgotten that some of my people are still going hungry every night?" The Princess continues. "If you insist on marking the occasion, it will be a tea for the local women." Allura folds her arms and stares down at her caregiver. Her mouth has firmed up and her blue eyes glitter with a dangerous light.
Nanny looks back at the Princess and then to Coran. Seeing no help from that quarter, she relents. "Yes, Princess." She mutters the next words. "A tea it is."
The Princess nods regally. "I look forward to hosting that." She addresses Keith next. "Keith, can you work with the new palace guards and the kitchen about the security arrangements?"
He nods. "Of course." Inwardly he groans. Allura has just doubled his workload and made him Nanny's primary target. But there was nothing else she could have done. None of the new guards have enough experience and as Commander of the Voltron Force, he holds the highest military rank on Arus.
Keith take a sip of his tea and makes a face. It is now cold. He sets the cup down and heads to the shower. Thirty minutes later he is dressed in his formal uniform and ready for duty. He checks over the final guard schedule before setting out.
His tall black boots click on the metal floors as he heads to the guard tower. Many of the castle residents do a double take to see the Commander formally dressed in the gray tunic and pants of the Garrison uniform, instead of his preferred red flight suit. The only splash of color are the gold insignias of his rank.
The guards at the palace gates salute when he approaches.
"At ease, men," he orders. He hands over the finalized guest list to the head of the watch and does a quick inspection.
Keith checks his watch and heads to the state rooms of the Castle. No one has used them since the Voltron Force has been in residence and it took days to clean and furnish the area for this one event. The kitchen staff is bustling around, setting up the tables. He inspects the exit and entryways and makes sure that no doorways are blocked. He takes special care to make sure the tunnel entrances into the catacombs are all accessible, just in case.
"Commander." Coran has entered the room during his inspection.
"Coran. Everything seems ready, from a security view." Keith reports. "Honestly, I wish Nanny hadn't insisted." He sighs.
Coran nods. "I agree. Nanny is too eager to celebrate. I fear the Castle could be a target today."
"Mm-hmm." Keith is silent for a few minutes as he watches the staff set up. "But she is right," he finally says. His eyes track the furniture being hauled in and he indicates to the guards to check them for anything unusual.
Coran looks up at him. "I must admit I am surprised at that."
Keith laughs. The staff stop for a moment and stare at the Commander. Even Coran stares at him. While it is not unheard of to hear the Commander laugh, it is unusual in this context.
"It's been a tough few weeks for me, yes. But the people of Arus need this. More than the council meetings, the rebuilding, the won battles. The invitation to the Castle of Lions for a royal reception? That tells them, more than anything, that they are winning."
Keith gestures to the staff. "Look at them, Coran."
As the advisor looks at the kitchen staff, they are happy. Working well and quickly. The low chatter is punctuated with laughs and smiles as they bring the reception room to life again.
Coran nods. "I haven't seen this in many years," he admits.
In the royal wing, Allura is debating with Nanny about what to wear. Nanny has put out a pink gown. "It is proper," she insists.
"No. I'm tired of pink. I have other clothes in that closet, Nanny," she reminds her.
"Pink is the right color for a young Princess, like yourself." Nanny emphasizes her words with a firm nod of her head. It is clear that Nanny expects to be obeyed without any more debate
"I'm not a baby, Nanny!" Allura says calmly. "I know that pink is your favorite color, but there are other colors that are also appropriate." she states.
Nanny blushes a bit, but continues to prepare the pink dress for Allura to wear.
Allura sighs. I had hoped I didn't have to do this.
"Nanny, I can't wear that dress today. It's old and it needs repairs. Look."
Allura points out the frayed hem of the chosen dress. Nanny's face flames as she sees the wear on the dress. The Princess can't wear this dress to her first reception. She has not paid enough attention to the other clothes in Allura's wardrobe, because some aren't pink.
"Why can't I wear this?" Allura asks. She has pulled a white gown from the closet rack. The hem line ends at the calf, not the floor and the short sleeves have a small puff at the shoulder. The bodice is embroidered with gold thread. The hemline and the sleeves have matching gold ribbon woven through the fabric.
Nanny inspects it closely. She is surprised to see this dress. Again she is reminded that she has been neglecting some of her duties. She nods to cover her confusion.
"That is fine for this reception." She gathers the pink dress up and hands it to a maid. "Take this to the laundry. It will be repaired and cleaned for Her Highness," she orders. Nanny gives the pink dress a fond look as the young maid takes it away.
Allura wrinkles her nose at the pink dress. She was hoping it would disappear. She sighs lightly. "Maybe I can convince someone to burn it," she thinks wistfully. She submits to the fussing and primping that Nanny insists she undergo for this event.
A knock on the door startles Nanny in her fussing. She's been so excited about this event and presenting her Princess that she lost track of time.
She bustles to the door and it slides back when she presses the new security locks that Commander Keith insisted on installing in the Princess' quarters. After the last attack, when Lotor got into the Castle new locks that were coded to Castle personnel were installed.
Nanny gasps at the figure waiting in the corridor. The Commander is formally dressed. Even his dark hair is tamed, for the day.
He nods briefly and comes to a military stance as the Princess greets him.
"Keith," she begins. "I didn't expect you."
Nanny interrupts whatever he was going to say. "Of course he'd guard you, Princess!" Nanny takes a deep breath to continue.
"Yes, Nanny. Of course." Allura smiles at her governess. "Shouldn't you be checking on the kitchen?"
Nanny checks the time again. "Oh my goodness! Yes." She looks over the Princess one last time before rushing out.
Keith grins at the Princess. "I'm impressed. When did you learn to handle Nanny?"
Now that Nanny is gone, Allura can relax a little. She returns his smile. "Oh the lessons Coran gave me on diplomacy and tact are useful for so many things."
He chuckles. "I bet."
They chat lightly about the security measures and the disruption of Lion practise that this celebration has caused on the way to the public rooms.
"You'll be glad when this is over," Allura comments.
"Well, I'll have more down time," he laughs. "But this is good for the people."
She looks up at him. It doesn't escape her notice that Keith has not said your people. Or the Arusian people. Letting that comment pass, she asks.
"How so?"
He smiles. "You'll see."
They have reached the reception room and he stands aside. The women gathered in the room look up as the doors open. As one they stand and clap as she enters the room.
The mayor's wife presents the Princess with flowers from the gardens.
Keith slips into the room and stands against the wall as the Princess is giving her welcome speech.
"So Cap, not bad duty." Lance has sidled up to the Commander and smirks at him watching the Princess.
Keith nods, never looking at his friend. He has a bad feeling about the room. His dark eyes continue to scan the room. Suddenly he comes to attention and the air around him changes. Lance notices the tension in Keith and is also watching to room. Before he can identify the problem, Keith has seen what no one else has. He nods at the double doors by the kitchen entrance.
Lance's eyes narrow at the group around the door. With a nod to his commander, he ambles off in the direction of the tea cart holding desserts parked by the open hallway. No one has noticed the communication between the friends or think twice about the Red Lion pilot filching a tart.
With the dessert in one hand, Lance comes up behind the stranger dressed as a chef and puts pressure on his elbows with his other hand. The man bites back a pained cry and drops the vial he had. He finds himself pinned against the wall and feels the bite of restraints cutting into his wrist, before he can take a breath. Lance contacts control and a muttered conversation has the Castle on high alert and scanning the air space for problems.
Hunk and two of the biggest guards escort the prisoner to the castle holding cells deep below the foundations.
Meanwhile the tea has continued on. As the sandwiches and sweets are passed around the mood becomes lighter and more friendly.
The princess notices that she was served last and the rest of the room is waiting for her to eat. She quickly gives her permission for them to start eating as she waits for her tea to be poured.
The small green teapot with the offset handle is unfamiliar to her. She notices that on every other table is the china pattern celebrating the ascension of her family to the Arusian throne. The family crest and the royal colors of Arus glimmer back at her in the sunlight.
This pot is too plain and unusual to be part of the Castle china collection. She finds Keith across the room. He is handing Pidge a teapot that is part of the collection. Pidge looks over at the Princess and back down at the china. She sees the fear on his face as he hurries off with the pot.
Keith makes his way to her table and reassures her. "Everything is fine at the moment, Princess." He whispers to her. "We'll brief you after this."
Many eyes are on the Commander as he bends over the Princess. Whispers have started at the back of the room. "Thank you for that update, Commander." The Princess says aloud. Thinking quickly she announces that the Alliance has agreed to send more building supplies and medical equipment.
Excited chatter about rebuilding the hospital follow this announcement. Keith smiles at her and resumes his watch of the room.
Sipping the castle blend Allura smiles and answers excited questions from the local women about the rebuilding process. It is going faster than they expected and it renews their hope.
As she lowers the delicate handpainted teacup to the matching saucer it doesn't make the soft chink she was expecting to hear. Her eyes widen as she notices the small circle of paper on her saucer.
Written in an elegant flowing script in dark ink on the pale blue paper she has come to recognize are the words, "I love the way you always find the nicest way to please."
Her head snaps up as she remembers the conversation she had with Keith on the way to the tea. Searching the room for him she sees him at the main doors checking with the guards.
The mayor's wife notices the Princess's distraction. "Your Highness," she ventures to say, "Is everything all right?"
Allura smiles at the woman beside her and reassures her. "Of course. It's just so hard to let our guard down totally, isn't it?" she answers the woman.
Several women at the table nod and frown. One speaks up. "My husband and I still have trouble sleeping in our home after so many years in the caves."
The Princess agrees, but moves to reassure her subjects. "It will get easier everyday. We are getting stronger and we are winning." Her clear voice rings out over all the tables. The women clap and cheer at the comment.
Keith has heard the Princess and looks up to see her smile at everyone.