Author's Note: I apologize for the gap in updates. I've been busy with the holidays and haven't honestly been feeling that great! Anyway, I felt like writing from Allura's perspective this time.
She wasn't going to stand another dobash of Nanny enduring this chaos. Allura had already put her bodyguard through enough. The atmosphere on the bridge was still thick with tension. They still had so much to discuss. They had so many plans to lay out but Allura couldn't look at Nanny without feeling an immense sense of guilt. Nanny was trying to stand tall and mask the fear that she was so obviously harboring. Allura hadn't been able to witness exactly what Nanny had experienced during the mind-melding process but she felt it. She felt that soul-crushing terror and she knew that was still weighing Nanny down. Seeing an evil alternate version of one of your closest companions would do that to a person.
It had just been a continuous landslide for Nanny since they'd found her. They'd barely had a moment's respite before all this chaos had been unleashed. That's how'd it been for Coran and Allura too but the Princess felt some deep protective instinct over the Guard Captain. Nanny had been there for as far back as Allura could remember. The only other person Allura would've been just as happy to see step out of that sleep chamber was her own father.
Coran had forced Nanny to take a seat at Hunk's station. He doted on her. He always had and Nanny had always been so stubborn and resistant to him. That was still very much so the case but the stout Altean seemed to have loosened up. Allura had teared up a bit after Coran had told her they'd finally come together. She'd been fretting about him quite a bit since they'd been awoken by the Paladins. Seeing him finally get this little slice of peace and happiness warmed Allura's heart.
The Castle Helmsman was speaking in a hushed tone with Nanny. The Guard Captain kept shaking her head vigorously even though she was still trembling. Allura looked over the rest of the bridge. Lotor seemed to have bounced back rather quickly from the mind-melding process. He seemed to be watching her and everyone else, quietly observing every little detail about them. Allura still didn't trust him. He'd come to their aid and was working with them now but it was difficult to completely erase the memories of everything he'd done to them.
Hunk and Pidge were still working on adjusting her tracking program. They were desperate to try and find some way to keep tabs on their new enemy. Hunk seemed to be more frustrated and confused than particularly helpful with that process. Shiro and Keith hovered around one another. Neither of them seemed very talkative though Allura knew they would probably have some of the stronger opinions when it came to discussing their next move. Keith used to make her heart flutter. She wasn't prone to swooning ever but he'd gotten reactions from her. None of it had been intentional on his part. Allura was fairly certain of that.
When she looked at him now that seemed like such a distant memory. It really hadn't been that long ago that she'd looked upon that handsome, boy and felt a flicker within her. She'd barely had a taste of that feeling partially due to the war that was raging and partially because he was so emotionally distant. He was family to them all but he'd never really opened up to any of them like that. Like the way she'd wanted him to. Accepting that he never really would was what had really pushed Allura to move forward. She still hadn't quite sorted it all out but there really hadn't been much time to focus on something as frivolous as personal feelings.
Lance had slowly crept over to her. His posture was rather stooped and his eyes seemed fixated on Coran and Nanny. The Blue Paladin was close with the Royal Advisor. Allura was fairly certain that Nanny hated Lance but he seemed concerned about her too. Lance was tall and lanky. He wasn't exactly hideous either. He could be easy on the eyes. He'd been a harder nut to crack than Keith was. Allura's thoughts drifted to their talk in the kitchen not that long ago. She still didn't have an answer for him. She hadn't had time to come up with an answer for him. It hadn't seemed to bother him at all.
Lance was still treating her as if nothing had happened. It was rather mature of him. He'd had quite a few surprising moments as of late. She'd started off thinking he was just an idiotic, shallow flirt but he had turned out to be so much more than that. Lance leaned closer to Allura, he was trying to be as discreet as possible. His gaze flickered between Coran and Allura.
"I think Nanny needs some rest," Lance said.
He spoke just barely above a whisper. Allura wanted nothing more than to comfort Nanny in private and try to help her wrap her head around all this but they were short on time.
"I know," Allura said.
Lance just stared at Allura. He was waiting for her to say something else but Allura didn't know what else to say. She knew how stubborn Nanny was. Getting her off of the bridge was not going to be easy. Lance craned his neck to get a better look at the older Altean couple.
"I mean, pardon my French, but she just saw some shit," Lance said.
Allura knew that 'French' was an Earthen language but she'd really only heard that phrase a few times before. It was some way for Earthlings to apologize for swearing. It seemed rather unnecessary. All of them had felt like swearing quite a bit lately.
"But getting her to admit to that is not going to happen," Allura said. "If I just order her to go to her quarters it's going to-"
Allura sighed.
"It will be embarrassing for her," Allura said.
Nanny didn't like showing her weaker side. Especially not in front of Allura. They'd spent so much time together over the course of Allura's life that she could read the guard's emotions rather easily. Nanny still seemed to carry on as if this weren't the case. The older Allura got the more she realized that they were strong for each other. And ever since Nanny had come back into their lives, Allura felt like she'd been the one doing most of the supporting. Lance was smirking. Allura found herself grinning too. His attitude could be rather infectious.
"I've got it covered," Lance said. "Don't worry."
Lance sauntered over to Pidge and Hunk. When he was actually trying to be casual he was terrible at it. If he'd just acted like himself he would've flown under the radar more easily. Allura grimaced from second-hand embarrassment. Lance leaned over Pidge's station and whispered to the Yellow Paladin. That glint was still in his eye. Hunk tried to turn his head and glance at Coran and Nanny but Lance tugged on his collar to stop him. There was a great deal of nodding before the negotiations were finally done with.
Lance leaned against Pidge's station and folded his arms over his chest. He seemed very eager to see his plans unfold. Hunk tried to fake an overdramatic groan of frustration but it wasn't convincing in the least.
"That's it! I need to clear my head! I can't deal with this right now!" Hunk said.
He was trying to sound aggravated but his tone just sounded flat and rather loud. Keith furrowed his brow in confusion. The former Red Paladin looked like he was watching a spaceship wreck. Hunk wasn't exactly sold on his own performance either but he seemed committed to making it to the awkward end.
"I'm gonna go bake some coo-chocolate chip cookies," Hunk said.
Lance was nodding with approval. Hunk was trying to mask the fact that he was cringing quite a bit.
"Wanna come, Nanny?" Hunk asked.
Nanny had already perked up at the mention of chocolate but she seemed hesitant to take him up on his offer.
"I'm sorry?" Nanny said.
Her tired gaze fell on the Princess. This didn't surprise Allura in the least. The Guard Captain's instincts had always been to be close to her and she was always looking for Allura's permission before she did anything. It didn't matter how many times Allura told Nanny that didn't matter anymore. That instinct would always remain. Hunk was getting more nervous. He kept twiddling his thick brown fingers and staring at the tips of his boots.
"I mean, you're a nanny, so you're good at making cookies and stuff- so I thought you'd want to come help?" Hunk stammered.
Lying was not one of the Yellow Paladin's gifts. Nanny scowled. Even amidst all this tension, that made Allura giggle a little bit. Coran leaned closer to Nanny. Allura could barely see his lips move as he whispered into her ear. Nanny rolled her eyes and nodded. Coran patted Nanny on the back gently with a soft, tender smile on his face. Allura knew this was her chance to seal the deal. She stepped forward and smiled warmly at her dear old friend.
"We could all use some cookies," Allura said. "Don't worry, Nanny, we'll get you both caught up to speed afterward."
Allura had given her permission. She didn't really need to but she did it for Nanny's sake. The idea seemed to appeal to Nanny much more now. It was pretty impossible for Nanny to resist sweets anyway but she still put duty before personal pleasures. She put it before everything. Coran held out his hand and helped Nanny get to her feet. She clearly didn't need that help but she'd grown much more receptive to his polite gestures since they'd been reunited. Allura watched Hunk awkwardly escort Nanny off of the bridge. He towered over the Guard Captain but they were both built the same. Both of them were walls of muscle and flesh but incredibly gentle at their cores. Though, Nanny had quite a few more layers of grumpiness to break through before you got to the gentle bits.
Lance flashed Allura a wink to acknowledge the execution of their plan successfully. He somehow knew when it was appropriate to brag and when it wasn't. She nodded to him gratefully. Coran waited until Nanny and Hunk had disappeared from the bridge before he allowed himself to move. His shoulders drooped ever so slightly when she departed. Allura had noticed that from a very young age. He'd always done it. The gesture seemed to be more out of worry now than it had been for pining and pent-up desire. They could speak more freely now but even Allura was hesitant to start going down this road. The prospect of what lay ahead seemed rather ominous. Until they got their hands on Tomyko, everything they came up with was pure conjecture. She hated to work like that.
Coran approached the main control panel. Allura knew he was shaken too but he'd focus on his duties. It's always what he turned to, with or without Nanny around. He knew what was coming. They were going to have another of their grand meetings. They'd done it so many times now that he'd gone into autopilot as he worked with the Castle's systems. He'd be bringing up charts and logs before they'd even ask him to. Allura followed him over to the console. He was hunched over the panel and typing furiously into the controls. Tomyko's supposed coordinates were brought up on the main screen along with the most recent scan they'd done of that system. Allura rested her slender hand on his shoulder.
"You can go to her if you wish," Allura said. "It's all right."
Coran smiled half-heartedly. She worried about the two of them as much as they worried about her. Possibly even more. Coran shook his head and chuckled under his breath.
"She'd be rather cross with me if I did that," Coran said. "This is where she wants me to be right now."
This was true. Allura had to make the offer at least. She had to put it out there even if it just brought her some piece of mind. They had a lot of work to do. They always had but she couldn't just sit there and say everything she was about to in front of Nanny. She knew that the Guard Captain was already full of guilt and fear right now. She didn't want her overanalyzing the situation any more than she'd already done so. Nanny needed some time too. All of this must've been horrifically overwhelming for her.
Allura cleared her throat. She tried to push aside all of her personal worries and focus on the task at hand. The plans they were about to lay out were probably some of the most important ones they'd ever discussed. She'd already captured the attention of the rest of the room. Pidge's eyes barely flickered away from her station. The pace at which the Green Paladin was typing had slowed though. There wasn't a single face in the room that didn't look grim. Allura held her head high. She needed to address this with as little fear as possible. She needed to project an aura of courage for them all.
"After the mind meld, I think it's even more critical that we get Tomyko," Allura said. "We're going to need every piece of intel that we can get if we have any hope of stopping these—other Alteans."
She didn't even know how to address them or where to begin. They were up against mirror images of themselves. Their reflections were twisted and dark but it was still so similar to who they were. It was unsettling. Lotor smiled. He looked even slimier when he was smug like this.
"I'm glad we're finally on the same page, Princess," Lotor said.
Lance gritted his teeth. He was still very resistant to Lotor's presence. Allura turned to the main display. The images they had of that star system weren't exactly up to date.
"From what I could see during the mind meld, Tomyko is being held on a prison vessel," Allura explained. "The Other Castle was in that system as well until-"
Until they tracked them down through Nanny. Allura was positive that's what happened. That's part of why she'd wanted her out of the room. Nanny probably already knew it but she didn't want to deepen that wound for her any more than they had to. Lotor's smirk fell away. His expression was much more stern now.
"-until they found us by using your companion," Lotor said. "That was a most disadvantageous turn of events."
Allura had expected him to be less sensitive about it. He was just approaching it as an unfortunate truth. He wasn't smug or sarcastic. Keith found this revelation to be deeply troubling. His eyes had gone wide and he sneered.
"They used her?" Keith pressed. "How is that even possible? It took the three of you just to get even the tiniest inkling of where Tomyko was."
It was more than just an inkling. Allura was certain they'd found Tomyko though she couldn't be sure just exactly what they'd be walking into now. She'd only gotten a glimpse of the enemy's fleet before she'd had to chase after Nanny and pull her back from the brink. Shiro held up a hand to try and calm Keith down. The Black Paladin still had quite a bit of sway over the boy.
"Some more details would be helpful," Shiro said. "We know she saw another-"
Shiro hesitated. Coran had stopped typing into the main console. He was quite troubled by what Nanny had told them. She'd said very little but Allura knew he'd want to know. He was involved in it, in some twisted backwards way. Allura sighed and rubbed along the length of her slender arm.
"After this experience, I have a theory," Allura said.
It was just a hunch but she felt it in her gut. She couldn't ignore that instinct.
"We were able to track down Tomyko because of Nanny's deep connection with her. It isn't the same woman she married but—I think some of those interpersonal connections are universal across realities," Allura explained.
Coran froze. Allura knew this was going to trouble him. He was going to blame himself too even if it was pointless. She would try to lay out her theory with some tenderness.
"I still had to use Lotor and Nanny's combined knowledge to track her down," Allura went on. "But it was that deep seeded connection they'd shared that really drew me to Tomyko. And I believe this Other Co-"
She hated to call him this. That monster that Nanny encountered was nothing like the Coran they knew. Allura had felt the evil radiating off of him. He was so tainted with quintessence and dark energy that Allura could barely even recognize who it was. Lotor stroked his chin.
"The Advisor," Lotor said. "At least, that's what Tomyko called him."
It was a more palatable title for Allura. It wasn't helping Coran though. Allura could already tell he was punishing himself internally. The Princess wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop him from that.
"The Advisor utilized one of those universal connections to get to us," Allura said. "I have no idea how he picked up on it but he did. He knew we were probing around, somehow. The amount of quintessence that seemed to be around him. It was nothing like I've ever seen."
He was definitely someone Allura was not looking forward to meeting. She'd barely encountered him and it was in the ethereal realm of quintessence and energy but he'd reminded her so much of Haggar. It was chilling. Pidge looked up from her station. She tried to brush some of her light brown hair away from her petite face but the strands just fell back into place.
"So if you're theory is correct, then there's a good chance they could track us down through any one of us," Pidge said.
This had crossed Allura's mind. She didn't think the Castle crew would go into a blind panic over it but she knew some of them were going to take that news better than others.
"Yes," Allura said. "But we'll have no way of knowing just how vulnerable we are until we retrieve Tomyko."
Everything was hinging on this. If they failed to get to her in time, things were going to be significantly more challenging. Shiro unfolded his arms and stepped forward. He was always the one to make the first move.
"Then I guess we better start figuring out how to execute this prison break," Shiro sighed. "Again."
They had little time to act. They'd have to come up with a flawless plan and carry it out perfectly. Lotor was smiling again. His golden eyes seemed to be sparkling.
"Well, our little mishap could play to our advantage," Lotor said. "They've split up their forces now. That should make taking over that prison vessel much easier."
The Other Castle had made a Teludav jump to their previous location and it hadn't been alone. There was still a chance that it'd returned to the system where Tomyko was. Lance shook his head.
"So, we show up and start to break out Tomyko, what's going to stop them from showing up and blowing us up?" Lance said. "We've got Voltron but they were packing a lot of heat."
Lotor just smirked. Allura didn't like the look in his eye.
"We bait them," Lotor said. "We already possess something that we know they want."
Allura stiffened. She already didn't like this idea. She looked to Coran. His eyes were already narrowed and his fists were clenched. The diplomat in him was still forcing him to hold back the fear and anger this idea filled him with. Keith didn't hide his outrage over the concept.
"So splitting them up is a weakness but for us to split up it's a good idea!?" Keith snapped.
Lotor just scoffed.
"Why not get you and your band of rebels to escort the Castle then?" Lotor teased. "I'm sure you could handle it. The Paladins and I can make swift work of retrieving Tomyko."
Lance was the one that was fired up now.
"I'm sorry, if you think you're coming with us, you're insane!" Lance said.
Lotor rolled his golden eyes. Shiro moved to the middle of the room. He was physically trying to position himself between the three of them.
"Guys, calm down, it does make some sense," Shiro said. "Lotor is a familiar face to Tomyko, she'll be way more willing to come with us if he's there."
It was true. It was a sound assumption to make. Allura still had that lingering distrust for the Galra Prince but they were going to need him. Especially if what he'd said about her counterpart in this reality were true. Tomyko wouldn't exactly be pleased to see Allura's face amidst her rescuers. Shiro's comments didn't put Lance at ease. Passion and concern were fueling the fire that lingered in his eyes.
"So, we're just going to leave Coran and Nanny behind to fight that friggin' demon Castle by themselves?" Lance pressed. "What if something goes wrong and we can't get to them in time?"
Allura didn't like it either but she didn't think they had much of a choice. If they all went in together they might not be able to make it out with Tomyko. If they had to deal with that full fighting force head on they'd just end up fleeing again. This way, they could at least buy themselves some time. Lotor seemed incredibly frustrated with Lance. He gritted his teeth and buried his face in his hands. He took in a deep breath and sighed.
"As I said," Lotor explained through gritted teeth. "That's what your stupid little rebel friends are for."
Both Lance and Keith were seething now. Lotor seemed to enjoy getting them riled up. Coran rested a hand on Allura's shoulder. His grip was firm and he looked determined.
"We'll do it," Coran said. "I know we can handle it."
Allura was well aware that Coran and Nanny would be willing to do anything for them. It didn't matter how risky it was. Allura was certain that he could speak for the two of them with confidence. He knew Nanny better than even she did. Coran's confidence didn't seem to ease Lance's worries much but it was enough to silence the Blue Paladin. Shiro was nodding to himself. He seemed to be going over the plan in his head and working out the little details.
"We'll set up coordinates to meet at after the mission," Shiro said. "Let's try to stay within a system of each other. It'll be an extra layer of backup and help us make a swifter get away."
He was a great tactician. It's why Allura usually let him take the reins during missions like this.
"Keith, you should touch base with the Blades. We're going to have to move quickly if this is going to work," Shiro said.
Keith nodded. This was it. It could work. It was going to be nerve-wracking and it might be a complete disaster but it was the best chance they had. Tomyko was a vital piece to this puzzle and they desperately needed the information that was locked away in her brain. Allura knew the only resistance Nanny might pose was the fact that she still felt that need to always be by the Princess's side. It didn't matter that Allura was a Paladin now. Nanny would never be able to grow past that instinct. It was strong and maternal. She just didn't seem to realize that Allura felt the same desperate need to protect her too. Coran folded his arms behind his back.
"I'll go brief Hunk and Nayni about the mission," Coran said. "Maybe they'll have some cookies for me too."
He actually seemed excited by this prospect. There was also a good chance that Nanny was going to scold him for volunteering them for a mission that would tear her away from Allura. She'd relent in the end especially if she had a belly full of sweets.
Allura had slowly been spending more and more time on the Castle the further along she'd gotten in her studies. It had been a nice departure from the surroundings of the Royal Palace but now it was just as familiar of a setting to her. She'd remembered watching her father orchestrate the modifications to the vessel to accommodate for the Lions of Voltron. Now she couldn't even remember what it looked like before that took place. Coran could explain every crevice and hidden nook of Castle in great detail. Allura had been told by her father that he was also a brilliant engineer but since most of her encounters with the Royal Advisor involved diplomacy she still found it a rather surprising trait.
Nanny didn't usually come along for these training sessions. She wasn't particularly fond of space travel so usually, Father would find someone else to take over the Guard Captain's duties when it was time to return to the Castle. That wasn't the case today. Ever since Zarkon and Honerva's death, Nanny had been glued to Allura's side. She didn't have the clearance to come onto the bridge. Nanny was probably just sitting awkwardly in the hallway counting the lights on the ceiling.
Allura found these sessions much more enjoyable than having her face stuffed in a datapad absorbing random knowledge. She loved putting her hands on the controls of the Castle and feeling the energy course through her veins. They had never seen actual combat but the idea of it was thrilling. It was a challenge and she lived for it. Nanny always nagged her and said that space battles weren't as fun as the teledramas and novels made them out to be but Allura still longed to see some of that action. Father was always running off with the Paladins and saving the day. Allura wanted to be a part of that. She wanted to help the helpless. That had come to a halt though. Allura tried to push that dark thought out of her mind.
Coran was manning the main control panel. Allura stood between the two control pillars. She'd barely been able to reach her hands over the top of the pillars not that long ago. Now that struggle was nonexistent. Allura flexed her fingers over the slick white surface of the pillars. Coran seemed satisfied with whatever he'd needed to set up at the control panel. He turned to face the young Princess with a bright smile on his face. He enjoyed these lessons just as much as she did. He was very proud of the Castle. It was one of many of the contributions his family had made to Altea from what her father had told her.
She was nearly as tall as him now. He'd always seemed like a fiery-haired giant to her. The older she got, the more he just seemed like an ordinary man. Coran rubbed his hands together with an excited gleam in his eye.
"All right, we're going to try something very tricky today," Coran said. "But I'm sure you can handle it."
Allura already liked the sound of this.
"You're going to use the Teludav," Coran said.
Allura gulped. She'd manipulated quintessence quite a bit but she'd yet to attempt to use the Teludav. Her father did it all the time. The blood of generations of Alchemists ran through her veins. She should have the power to do this. It didn't relieve the pressure though. Not many Alteans could do this.
"A full jump?" Allura asked.
If they made a jump, they'd come out into the hallway and find the floors coated with Nanny's vomit. Coran patted her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Not yet," Coran said. "I want you to just try and open up the portal."
Coran leaned forward with a devilish grin on his face. He toyed with the end of his mustache as he spoke.
"If we made a jump unannounced I'm fairly certain Madame Nordontu would kill me," Coran teased.
Allura giggled. He always made her feel so much better about things. His little jokes and reassurances went miles for her. When she'd been a toddler, she'd actually believed Coran was an uncle or some blood relative. It'd been quite the shock for her when Father explained that he wasn't. Coran took a step back from the central platform. He waved his hand over the control panel and the main display lit up with a map of the surrounding star systems.
"Okay, Princess, the Teludav is powered up and ready to go," Coran said.
Allura took a deep breath. Her heart was racing. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She needed to clear her mind and center herself. Allura listened to the sound of Coran's footsteps as he paced around her. He softened his tone as he spoke.
"Concentrate on melding yourself with your surroundings. Try and connect your energy with the Castle," Coran said.
Allura felt as if she was being spread thin. Her energy was traveling along the wiring and conduits within the Castle walls.
"Focus on opening the portal," Coran said. "And if you feel light-headed, just stop. I don't want you hurting yourself."
Allura wanted to do this so badly that nothing was going to stop her. She focused on the idea of opening the portal. She tried to visualize the steps of the Teludav powering up. She pictured the blue lasers bouncing off of the polished lenses and the beam erupting from the Castle. She focused on the idea of tearing a rift through the very fabric of space. Beads of sweat were rolling down Allura's temples. Allura's knees were shaking but she was so determined to do this. The Castle was rumbling beneath her. She let out a gasp when she heard that familiar sound of the Teludav firing off. Allura looked on with great excitement as the purple portal opened before them.
It sat there before them, rotating and glittering in the inky blackness of space. Allura laughed with a giddy excitement. She'd done it. She'd done it just like Father and her grandparents and all the ancestors that had come before her. She couldn't contain her excitement. She squealed and wrapped her arms around Coran. He squeezed her tightly. He was laughing joyously with her.
"I knew you could do it!" Coran said. "I'm so proud of you!"
His approval meant just as much to her as Father's did. She wanted to tell the world about it. Allura was bouncing up and down. The thrill of it was still pulsing through her.
"I have to tell Nanny!" Allura squealed.
She scampered across the floor of the bridge. Nanny had probably already noticed the Castle rumbling as the Teludav fired off but Allura didn't care. She wanted to see the look on Nanny's face when she told her. Allura skidded to a stop by the exit archway. She typed her clearance code into the control panel and the doors slid open.
Nanny was leaned back in her rickety metal chair. Her head was lulled back and her mouth was gaping open. The Guard Captain was fast asleep. She looked rather ridiculous. Allura tried to muffle her giggles with her hand. Allura felt Coran's hand rest on her tiny shoulder. Allura wanted to wake Nanny up and tell her every detail of her accomplishment but Coran pulled her back onto the bridge.
"Let her rest," Coran whispered. "Her roommate keeps her up all night with their snoring."
He seemed to have a twinge of guilt in his voice. Allura didn't realize Nanny had a roommate. She had noticed that Coran was always looking out for her though. He typed into the control panel and the doors slid closed almost silently. Coran smiled warmly at the Princess.
"I know she'll be very excited to hear about it though," Coran assured.
Allura folded her arms across her chest and smirked. These subtle moments did not come often but they'd been around for as long as she could remember. Coran would get that look in his eye or Nanny would go more rigid than usual. All of these subtle gestures were usually triggered by them being around one another. Allura had brought this up with her Father. He'd gotten quite a chuckle out of it. The King had always said he couldn't speak for the Royal Advisor or the Guard Captain but he knew their situation was complicated. Father never tried to hide these things from her. He always answered her with such honesty.
Allura used to hold her tongue on the subject but she found it rather amusing. And since she had been robbed of her bragging session she was feeling particularly frisky. Coran's ear twitched. He seemed slightly nervous. He tried to laugh it off.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Princess?" Coran asked.
Allura brushed her long silver hair away from her shoulders.
"Why don't you tell her, Coran?" Allura teased.
Coran's eyes darted to the archway. His nervousness was barely detectable but Allura could sense it.
"I already said, we should let her rest, I don't think we should wake her up," Coran stammered.
Allura rolled her eyes. The two of them were always trying to lie their way out of these questions. She wasn't a gullible baby anymore. She wasn't having any of this.
"I'm not talking about that," Allura said.
Coran's laugh was much more obviously nervous now. This only made her smirk more devilishly. Coran rubbed the back of his neck. He kept opening his mouth to speak but then he'd just close it again or let out a nervous laugh.
"You're very perceptive, Princess," Coran said.
She was rather surprised that he wasn't even going to try and deny it anymore. Anytime Allura teased Nanny about it she got scolded for a good quarter of a varga. Allura loved to get her riled up like that though. Nothing else seemed to get Nanny going quite as much as bringing up Coran. He kept staring at the closed set of doors in the archway. Allura could see their reflections in the polished metal.
"Just tell her about it," Allura pressed. "I don't get what the big deal is."
Allura had been pretty terrified when she'd had her first crush. That hadn't exactly worked out but she was still alive. It barely even hurt anymore to think about him. Mostly because he was a complete buffoon. She didn't expect two grown adults to be this way about things though. They were supposed to have all of this figured out. Coran let out a soft sigh.
"I'm afraid it's not that easy. It's a tad bit more complicated than that, Princess," Coran explained.
Well, at least he didn't throw in that annoying 'you'll understand when you're older' bit. It drove Allura mad when Nanny said things like that to her. Coran seemed to be accepting Allura's growth much more gracefully than Nanny had. Nanny kept trying to treat her like a child and seemed extremely frustrated when Allura didn't act like that child. Father assured Allura that Nanny still loved her dearly. He just said that some Alteans don't handle it well when their little ones grow up. It had been a strange concept to Allura at first but the Princess was the closest thing Nanny had to a daughter. And Nanny had been the closest thing Allura had ever had to an actual mother. Coran sighed.
"There's just a lot going on right now, Princess, now isn't the best time," Coran said.
He seemed to be speaking with sincerity but Allura could detect a bit of sadness in his voice. That's how these conversations always ended. It didn't matter if she was talking to Nanny about it or him. There was always that air of sadness hanging over them. Nanny usually tried to mask it with anger but Allura could still pick up on it. Coran would try to smother it with formality or play it off as if things weren't as big of a deal to him as it actually was. They acted just like the other adolescents that Allura knew except both of them were so far beyond that age that they shouldn't be this way anymore.
It wasn't as fun to tease Coran about this. He didn't get red in the face and puff out his cheeks like Nanny did. Coran just seemed a bit dejected. He used to get so flustered and awkward but not as of late. Allura unfolded her arms and smirked.
"Let's see what other cool stuff I can do then," Allura said. "I feel like I could take on the entire universe by myself now."
Everyone had broken off from the bridge. They all had their tasks to finish up before they made their move on Tomyko. Pidge was still working on her new tracking program. Coran had gone to the kitchen to brief Hunk and Nanny. Shiro, Keith and Lotor had gone off to Groggery knows where. Allura had the feeling that Shiro wasn't going to leave Lotor alone anywhere. Lance had been working at his station on the bridge but he was getting up to leave now. Tensions were high but Allura needed to get something off of her chest.
She'd been watching Coran and Nanny her whole life. She'd seen how much they'd put things off because of what was going on around them. They'd put everything before their own personal needs. Maybe it was the prospect of possibly dying that was pushing Allura to have this talk too. The Princess glanced at the Green Paladin before she followed Lance off of the bridge.
This was a tad awkward. This was definitely a private matter and Allura didn't want to embarrass the Blue Paladin. She respected him greatly for being brave enough to open up to her about his feelings. Being stealthy wasn't exactly Allura's strong suit. He noticed rather quickly that she was hot on his heels. He looked a tad nervous. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his brown jacket and his lips were pursed.
Allura was surprised that she felt a bit nervous too. She'd talked privately with Lance quite a few times in the past but the conversation had never really pertained to their relationship. Being out in the hallway wasn't exactly the most private setting either. Allura didn't even feel like there was a real reason to be awkward about it. She still found herself fiddling with the seems of her gloves though.
"Lance, I thought we should have a chat," Allura said.
She sounded so calm. Her tone was level and strong but she didn't feel that calm. She found this mildly alarming. Lance nodded. He wasn't as relaxed now. His posture had stiffened even if it was ever so slightly. Lance seemed to know exactly what this was all about.
"I told you it's okay," Lance said. "There's a lot going on right now. I get that we don't really have time to deal with this."
He'd been mature like this before but he still impressed her every time he acted this way. Lance had been hot-headed in the past but when it came down to it he could always set aside his feelings and focus on the mission. He'd even helped her tap into parts of herself that she hadn't been able to before. Allura sighed.
"There's never going to be a good time though," Allura said.
Lance seemed surprised. His eyes widened a bit. Allura rubbed the length of her bicep. She was finding it rather difficult to look in those brown eyes of his.
"I still need time," Allura explained. "But I wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten about what you said."
It would be pretty hard for anyone to forget a confession like the one he'd made. It'd caught her quite off guard. She'd gotten used to him flirting but he did that with everyone. She hadn't expected him to be so tender and vulnerable with her. The longing in his eyes was very familiar. She'd seen that look on Coran's face for years.
"I don't want you to feel any pressure," Lance said. "If you're not down, it's fine."
That was the conundrum. Allura had thought she'd never look at the Blue Paladin that way, especially when they'd first met, but she'd been surprised by her initial reaction to his confession. She was a bit open to the idea of it now. It was a most unexpected feeling. And the way he was handling the whole situation was having a peculiar effect on her.
"We're always under pressure," Allura mused.
Lance smiled and had to nod in agreement. They'd been under pressure since the first day they'd met. Allura found herself enjoying the sight of his smirk quite a bit.
"I found it very flattering-that you feel that way about me," Allura said.
The tan skin of Lance's cheeks flushed a little. Allura tried to smother the giggle that brought on.
"I still need to think about things," Allura confessed. "But I just wanted to check in with you."
He seemed rather satisfied with this.
"Thanks," Lance said.
The Blue Paladin seemed like he wanted to say more but he was holding himself back. Allura stiffened. She needed to cling to formality if she was going to walk away from this without blushing slightly. Lance had made her feel rather confused. He'd been confusing her for a bit of time before their talk in the kitchen if she was perfectly honest with herself.
"Well, I'll let you go," Allura said. "We've got a lot of work to do."
Lance nodded. That glint in his eye actually stirred something in her. She couldn't quite look at him as he walked away. Allura's feelings for Keith had been so one-sided. She never felt like she had ever crossed his mind on anything deeper than a platonic level. Keith was still fighting for the same cause. He was still just as dedicated to their mission as she was but he had always been out of reach. He'd always walled himself off.
But Lance had opened up to her. He'd encouraged her when she'd been scared and uncertain. His humor was a bit stupid and she found his incessant flirting to be annoying but he was so considerate. He was loyal and clever. The Blue Paladin was here. He'd been there in quite a few unexpected ways. Allura found that she may have cherished those moments more than she'd previously thought.