That following morning, the castle was very much alive with activity and certainly so in the royal kitchen and dining room. Bright rays of sunlight gleamed into the kitchen illuminating it. Plopping in two cubes of sugar and affter stirring his coffee, Coran took a sip savoring the fresh brew as Nanny brought a stack of waffles to the table. Hunk and Pidge had just arrived strolling in with heavy yawns before taking their places at the breakfast table. Glancing up at them, Coran gave a nod and a smile as he watched Hunk pile four waffles onto his plate and as he poured the thick, golden brown syrup onto them, Coran stated, "You two are up early."
"When I knew Nanny was making waffles, I couldn't sleep much. I've been too excited!" Hunk replied, his brown eyes becoming lively as he began cutting into his stack of waffles.
"I didn't sleep well at all last night," Pidge said with a frown. "I kept waking up. It was so quiet, but it was like someone was watching me." He yawned again before reaching his fork towards the waffles.
"I believe Keith and Lance will be coming home from that Polloxian retreat later this evening," Coran stated as he looked over at the two empty seats at the table across from Hunk and Pidge.
"Where is the princess?" Nanny broke into the conversation while wiping her hands on her apron before she set down a pitcher of orange juice. Placing her hands on her hips and fretting, she added, "She was going to be up early, about an hour ago! We are planning on going to the farmer's market this morning." Then, pulling off her apron, she left the three of them eating, yet astonished while she went up to Allura's room to check on her.
After ringing the chime on the bedroom door, Nanny waited a moment before calling, "Princess! Princess! Please come down for breakfast." A few minutes of silence passed. Resting her forehead on the door, she waited a bit before calling again, "Princess, are you all right?" Then, not bothering to waste time knocking again, Nanny keyed in the override code to Allura's bedroom and as the door clicked and swayed open, she stepped inside catching her breath at the sight of the pale, faint figure lying in the bed. Allura's long, blonde locks were splayed out, her eyes closed as though in death.
"Princess! Oh my baby! Are you alright?" After a few moments of nail-biting silence, Allura responded, "Mmmm.. I just need to sleep. Please Nanny, leave me be." With that said, she turned over onto her stomach and squashed her pillow over her head.
"Princess! You need to get up and eat!" Nanny cried out while pulling back the curtains above Allura's bed sending large streams of sunlight that shot across the room.
"No!" Allura screamed frantically as she scrambled to her feet on her bed and pulled all the curtains shut nearly ripping them off the rods. The room was then plunged back into darkness.
"Princess! Enough of this! I will send for Dr. Gorma. You are not well!" Gathering the skirts of her dress, Nanny rushed out of the bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her. She would let Coran know as soon as she got back to the kitchen. As her heartbeat matched her feet pounding on the carpeted stairs leading down, she prayed the Princess's condition was not life threatening.